U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

 

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF

THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): May 16, 2019 (May 10, 2019)

 

AKERS BIOSCIENCES, INC.

(Exact name of Company as specified in its charter)

 

New Jersey   001-36268   22-2983783

(State or other jurisdiction

of incorporation)

 

(Commission

File Number)

 

(IRS Employer

Identification No.)

 

201 Grove Road

Thorofare, NJ 08086

(Address of principal executive offices)

 

(856) 848-2116

(Registrant’s Telephone Number)

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the Company under any of the following provisions:

 

[  ] Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
   
[  ] Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
   
[  ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
   
[  ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

 

Emerging growth company [X]

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. [  ]

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class   Trading Symbol(s)   Name of each exchange on which registered
         
Common Stock, no par value   AKER   The NASDAQ Capital Market

 

 

 

   

 

 

Item 3.01 Notice of Delisting or Failure to Satisfy a Continued Listing Rule or Standard; Transfer of Listing.

 

On May 10, 2019, Akers Biosciences, Inc. (the “Company”) received notification (the “Letter”) from the Nasdaq Listing Qualifications department of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) indicating that the Company’s common stock (the “Common Stock”) was subject to potential delisting from Nasdaq because, for a period of thirty (30) consecutive business days, the bid price of the Common Stock had closed below the minimum $1.00 per share requirement for continued inclusion under Nasdaq Marketplace Rule 5550(a)(2) (the “Bid Price Rule”). The notification had no immediate effect on the listing or trading of the Common Stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market.

 

Nasdaq stated in its Letter that in accordance with the Nasdaq Listing Rules the Company has been provided an initial period of 180 calendar days, or until November 6, 2019, to regain compliance. The Letter states that the Nasdaq Staff will provide written notification that the Company has achieved compliance with the minimum bid price listing requirement if at any time before November 6, 2019, the bid price of the Common Stock closes at $1.00 per share or more for a minimum of ten (10) consecutive business days.

 

If the Company is unable to regain compliance by November 6, 2019, the Company may be eligible for an additional 180 calendar day compliance period to demonstrate compliance with the bid price requirement. To qualify, the Company will be required to meet the continued listing requirement for market value of publicly held shares and all other initial listing standards for the Nasdaq Capital Market, with the exception of the bid price requirement, and will need to provide written notice to Nasdaq of its intention to cure the deficiency during the second compliance period, by effecting a reverse stock split, if necessary. If the Company does not qualify for the second compliance period or fails to regain compliance during the second 180-day period, then Nasdaq will notify the Company of its determination to delist the Common Stock, at which point the Company would have an opportunity to appeal the delisting determination to a Hearings Panel.

 

The Company intends to monitor the closing bid price of the Common Stock and may, if appropriate, consider implementing available options to regain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement under the Nasdaq Listing Rules.

 

A copy of the Letter is attached as Exhibit 99.1 hereto.

 

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d) Exhibits.

 

Exhibit

No.

  Description
     
99.1   Letter from Nasdaq Listings Qualification department dated May 10, 2019

 

 

   

 

 

SIGNATURE

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

  AKERS BIOSCIENCES, INC.
     
Date: May 16, 2019 By: /s/ Howard R. Yeaton
    Howard R. Yeaton
    Chief Executive Officer