Decoy Therapeutics Inc. DCOY US Equity☆

Item 1A. Risk Factors

The risk factors described below, as well as statements described elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including our audited Consolidated Financial Statements and the related notes and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Conditions and Results of Operations”, or in other SEC filings, describe risks that could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations, which could also cause the trading price of our equity securities to decline. These risks are not the only risks that we face. Our business, financial condition and results of operations could also be affected by additional factors that are not presently known to us or that we currently consider to be immaterial to our operations.

Risks Related to the Merger

The Merger may be completed even though certain events occur prior to Merger Closing that materially and adversely affect Salarius.

The Merger Agreement provides that either Salarius or Decoy can refuse to complete the Merger if there is a material adverse change affecting the other party between January 10, 2025, the date of the Merger Agreement, and the Merger Closing. However, certain types of changes do not permit either party to refuse to complete the Merger, even if such change could be said to have a material adverse effect on Salarius or Decoy, including:

•general business or economic conditions affecting the industry in which Salarius or Decoy or their subsidiaries, as applicable, operate;

•acts of war, armed hostilities or terrorism, acts of God or comparable events, epidemic, pandemic or disease outbreak (including the COVID-19 virus) or any worsening of the foregoing, or any declaration of martial law, quarantine or similar directive, policy or guidance or law or other action by any governmental body in response thereto;

•changes in financial, banking or securities markets;

•any change in, or any compliance with or action taken for the purpose of complying with, any law or generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) (or interpretations of any law or GAAP);

•changes resulting from the announcement of the Merger Agreement or the pendency of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement; or

•changes resulting from the taking of any action required to be taken under the Merger Agreement.

If adverse changes occur and Salarius and Decoy still complete the Merger, the market price of the combined company’s common stock may suffer. This in turn may reduce the value of the Merger to the stockholders of Salarius.

The Exchange Ratio set forth in the Merger Agreement is adjustable based on the Parent Cash Amount and the Company Cash Amount, each of which will be impacted by, among other things, unexpected expenses that could be experienced by Salarius or Decoy during the pre-Merger Closing period, which could result in Salarius stockholders owning significantly less of the combined company than currently estimated.

The Exchange Ratio formula in the Merger Agreement is subject to adjustment based on the Parent Cash Amount and Company Cash Amount on the anticipated Merger Closing Date (each as defined in the Merger Agreement). For example, if the Parent Cash Amount is $0 and the Company Cash Amount is $2.0 million, stockholders of Salarius would own approximately 14.1% of the fully diluted common stock, and stockholders of Decoy would own, or hold rights to acquire, approximately 85.9% of Salarius common stock, in each case calculated on a fully-diluted basis for in-the-money options and warrants (and in each case, prior to taking into account any dilution from the Qualified Financing). The calculation of the Exchange Ratio under the Merger Agreement and post-Merger Closing ownership of Salarius stockholders are subject to adjustment based on an assumed value of Salarius at Merger Closing based on the Parent Cash Amount and Company Cash Amount as of the anticipated Merger Closing Date. To the extent the Parent Cash Amount falls below $0, Salarius’ assumed value would be reduced or increased by

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$100,000 for every $100,000 below the threshold. To the extent the Company Cash Amount falls below $2.0 million, Decoy’s assumed value would be reduced by $100,000 for every $100,000 below the threshold.

Based on Salarius’ current estimates, Salarius anticipates delivering a Parent Cash Amount of approximately $0;however, the final Parent Cash Amount will not be calculated until the anticipated Merger Closing Date, and may vary significantly depending on, among other things, Salarius’ ability to control and correctly estimate its operating expenses, and if the amount is significantly less, Salarius stockholders would experience additional dilution, subject to a floor of 10% of the combined company, regardless of the Parent Cash Amount on the anticipated Merger Closing Date. Further, these ownership percentages do not give effect to the shares of Salarius common stock that will be issued to investors in the Qualified Financing prior to the Merger Closing, and do not account for any additional shares of Salarius common stock that may be issued to investors following the effective time of the Merger. As a result, current stockholders of Salarius will own less of the combined company than currently contemplated.

Stockholders of the combined company may not realize a benefit from the Merger commensurate with the ownership dilution they will experience in connection with the Merger and the Qualified Financing.

If the combined company is unable to realize the full strategic and financial benefits currently anticipated from the Merger, Salarius stockholders and Decoy stockholders will have experienced substantial dilution of their ownership interests in their respective companies. The Qualified Financing will cause substantial dilution to Salarius and Decoy stockholders which may result in such stockholders not receiving any commensurate benefit, or only receiving part of the commensurate benefit to the extent the combined company is able to realize only part of the strategic and financial benefits currently anticipated from the Qualified Financing.

During the pendency of the Merger, Salarius may not be able to enter into a business combination with another party at a favorable price because of restrictions in the Merger Agreement, which could adversely affect its business.

Covenants in the Merger Agreement impede the ability of Salarius and Decoy to make acquisitions, subject to certain exceptions relating to fiduciary duties, as set forth below, or to complete other transactions that are not in the ordinary course of business pending completion of the Merger. As a result, if the Merger is not completed, the parties may be at a disadvantage to their competitors during such period. In addition, while the Merger Agreement is in effect, each party is generally prohibited from soliciting, initiating, encouraging or entering into certain extraordinary transactions, such as a merger, sale of assets, or other business combination outside the ordinary course of business with any third party, subject to certain exceptions relating to fiduciary duties. Any such transactions could be favorable to such party’s stockholders.

Certain provisions of the Merger Agreement may discourage third parties from submitting alternative takeover proposals, including proposals that may be superior to the arrangements contemplated by the Merger Agreement.

The terms of the Merger Agreement prohibit each of Salarius and Decoy from soliciting alternative takeover proposals or cooperating with persons making unsolicited takeover proposals, except in limited circumstances when such party’s board of directors determines in good faith that an unsolicited alternative takeover proposal is or is reasonably likely to lead to a superior takeover proposal and that failure to cooperate with the proponent of the proposal would be reasonably likely to be inconsistent with the applicable board’s fiduciary duties. Any such transactions could be favorable to such party’s stockholders. In addition, if Salarius terminates the Merger Agreement under certain circumstances, including terminating because of a decision of Salarius to enter into definitive agreement with respect to a superior offer, Salarius would be required to pay a termination fee of $300,000 to Decoy. This termination fee described above may discourage third parties from submitting alternative takeover proposals to Salarius stockholders.

Pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, Salarius is required to recommend that its stockholders approve the conversion of all outstanding shares of its Series A Preferred Stock into shares of its Common Stock. Salarius cannot guarantee that its stockholders will approve this matter, and if they fail to do so its operations may be materially harmed.

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Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, Salarius agreed following the consummation of the Merger to use reasonable best efforts to call and hold a meeting of Salarius stockholders to obtain the requisite approval for the conversion of all outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock issued in the Merger into shares of Salarius Common Stock, as required by the Nasdaq listing rules, as soon as practicable after the Merger Closing of the Merger and, if such approval is not obtained at that meeting, to seek to obtain such approval at an annual or special stockholders meeting to be held at least every four months thereafter until such approval is obtained, which would be time-consuming and costly and could significantly negatively affect Salarius’ projected cash position.

Because the lack of a public market for Decoy’s capital stock makes it difficult to evaluate the value of Decoy’s capital stock, the stockholders of Decoy may receive shares of Salarius common stock in the Merger that have a value that is greater than, the fair market value of Decoy’s capital stock.

The outstanding capital stock of Decoy is privately held and is not traded in any public market. The lack of a public market makes it extremely difficult to determine the fair market value of Decoy. Because the percentage of Salarius common stock to be issued to Decoy’s stockholders was determined based on negotiations between the parties, it is possible that Salarius may pay more than the aggregate fair market value for Decoy.

The combined company may become involved in securities class action litigation that could divert management’s attention and harm the combined company’s business and insurance coverage may not be sufficient to cover all costs and damages.

In the past, securities class action or shareholder derivative litigation often follows certain significant business transactions, such as the sale of a business division or announcement of a merger. The combined company may become involved in this type of litigation in the future. Litigation is often expensive and diverts management’s attention and resources, which could adversely affect the combined organization’s business.

The Merger Agreement between Salarius and Decoy may be terminated in accordance with its terms and the Merger may not be completed.

The Merger Agreement is subject to a number of conditions which must be fulfilled in order to complete the Merger. Those conditions include, among other things: (i) the lack of a Material Adverse Effect on the respective businesses of Salarius and Decoy; (ii) the continued listing of Salarius’ Common Stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”) through the Merger Closing; (iii) the absence of any order, injunction, decree or other legal restraint preventing the consummation of the Merger or any of the other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement or making the completion of the Merger or any of the other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement illegal; (iv) completion of the Qualified Financing and (v) the accuracy of the respective parties’ representations and warranties contained in the Merger Agreement (subject to certain customary qualifications) and compliance by Salarius and Decoy with its respective agreements and covenants contained in the Merger Agreement.

These conditions to the Merger Closing may not be fulfilled in a timely manner or at all, and, accordingly, the Merger may not be completed. In addition, the parties can mutually decide to terminate the Merger Agreement at any time, or Salarius or Decoy may elect to terminate the Merger Agreement in certain other circumstances.

Salarius may not be able to effect the Merger pursuant to the Merger Agreement, and failure to complete the Merger would negatively impact Salarius’ stock price and materially adversely impact the future business and financial results of the Salarius.

In connection with the Merger Agreement, Salarius has incurred substantial costs planning and negotiating the transaction. These costs include, but are not limited to, costs associated with employing and retaining third-party advisors who performed the financial, auditing, and legal services required before Salarius was able to enter into the Merger Agreement and which will continue as Salarius seeks to complete the transaction. If, for whatever reason, including those set forth above, the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement fail to close, Salarius’ will be responsible for these costs, which could adversely affect Salarius liquidity and financial results. In addition, Salarius’ stock price may decline significantly if the Merger is not completed.

The market price of Salarius’ common stock following the Merger may decline as a result of the Merger.

The market price of Salarius’ common stock may decline as a result of the Merger for a number of reasons, including if:

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•investors react negatively to the prospects of the combined company’s product candidates, business and financial condition following the Merger;

•the effect of the Merger on the combined company’s business and prospects is not consistent with the expectations of financial or industry analysts; or

•the combined company does not achieve the perceived benefits of the Merger as rapidly or to the extent anticipated by financial or industry analysts.

Salarius and Decoy securityholders will have a reduced ownership and voting interest in, and will exercise less influence over the management of, the combined company following the Merger Closing as compared to their current ownership and voting interest in the respective companies.

If the proposed Merger is completed, the current securityholders of Salarius and Decoy will own a smaller percentage of the combined company than their ownership in their respective companies prior to the Merger. Accordingly, the issuance of shares of Salarius common stock to Decoy’s stockholders in the Merger will reduce significantly the relative voting power of each share of Salarius common stock held by its current stockholders and will reduce the relative voting power of each share of Decoy common stock held by its current stockholders. Consequently, Salarius’ stockholders as a group and Decoy’s stockholders as a group will have less influence over the management and policies of the combined company after the Merger than prior to the Merger.

Consequently, securityholders of both Salarius and Decoy will be able to exercise less influence over the management and policies of the combined company following the Merger Closing than they currently exercise over the management and policies of their respective companies.

The combined company will need to raise additional capital by issuing securities or debt or through licensing or other strategic arrangements, which may cause dilution to the combined company’s stockholders or restrict the combined company's operations or impact its proprietary rights.

The combined company may be required to raise additional funds sooner than currently planned. If either or both of Salarius or Decoy hold less cash at the time of the Merger Closing than the parties currently expect, the combined company will need to raise additional capital sooner than expected. Additional financing may not be available to the combined company when it needs it or may not be available on favorable terms. To the extent that the combined company raises additional capital by issuing equity securities, such an issuance may cause significant dilution to the combined company’s stockholders’ ownership and the terms of any new equity securities may have preferences over the combined company’s common stock. Any debt financing the combined company enters into may involve covenants that restrict its operations. These restrictive covenants may include limitations on additional borrowing and specific restrictions on the use of the combined company’s assets, as well as prohibitions on its ability to create liens, pay dividends, redeem its stock or make investments. In addition, if the combined company raises additional funds through licensing, partnering or other strategic arrangements, it may be necessary to relinquish rights to some of the combined company’s technologies or product candidates and proprietary rights, or grant licenses on terms that are not favorable to the combined company.

Furthermore, provisions in the agreements for the Qualified Financing may deter or prevent the combined company from raising additional capital to fund the company as and when needed. Restrictive covenants and other provisions in the Qualified Financing documents could deter or prevent the combined company from raising additional capital as and when needed. The combined company’s failure to raise capital as and when needed would have a negative effect on its financial condition and its ability to develop and commercialize its pipeline and otherwise pursue the combined company’s business strategy and the combined company may be unable to continue as a going concern.

Risks Related to our Financial Position and Capital Needs

If the Merger is not completed, Salarius may not be able to otherwise source adequate liquidity to fund its operations, meet its obligations, and continue as a going concern. Salarius’ board of directors may decide to pursue a dissolution and liquidation of Salarius. In such an event, there can be no assurances as to the amount or timing of available cash left, if any, to distribute to its stockholders after paying its debts and other obligations and setting aside funds for reserves.

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While Salarius has entered into the Merger Agreement with Decoy, the Merger Closing may be delayed or may not occur at all and there can be no assurance that the Merger will deliver the anticipated benefits Salarius expects or enhance stockholder value. If the Merger is not completed and the Merger Agreement is terminated under certain circumstances, Salarius may be required to pay Decoy a termination fee of $300,000. Even if a termination fee is not payable in connection with a termination of the Merger Agreement, Salarius will have incurred significant fees and expenses, which must be paid whether or not the Merger is completed.

Salarius does not currently have adequate financial resources to fund its forecasted operating costs for at least twelve months from the filing of this report. As of December 31, 2024, Salarius’ cash and cash equivalents totaled $2.4 million, which were held in bank deposit accounts and a money market account. As of December 31, 2024, Salarius has incurred an accumulated deficit of $81.9 million. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, Salarius reported net losses of $5.5 million. As of December 31, 2024, Salarius’ cash and cash equivalents totaled $2.4 million, which were held in bank deposit accounts and a money market account. As a result, Salarius believes its existing cash resources are sufficient to meet its anticipated needs into the later part of the second quarter of 2025. If for any reason the Merger does not close, Salarius would need to raise additional capital to continue to fund the further development of its product candidates and its operations thereafter. Salarius has based its cash sufficiency estimates on its current business plan and its assumptions may prove to be wrong. Salarius could utilize its available capital resources sooner than it currently expects, and it could need additional funding sooner than currently anticipated. Additionally, the process of advancing early stage product candidates and testing product candidates in clinical trials is costly, and the timing of progress in these clinical trials is uncertain. Even if Salarius raises sufficient funds and decides to continue the development of its product candidates, its ability to successfully transition to profitability will be dependent upon achieving a level of product sales adequate to support its cost structure. Salarius cannot assure you that it will ever be profitable or generate positive cash flow from operating activities.

Failure to secure any necessary financing in a timely manner and on favorable terms or the failure of the proposed Merger to be consummated in a timely manner would require Salarius to further delay or abandon any potential future clinical development plans. If, for any reason, the Merger does not close, the Salarius board of directors may elect to, among other things, attempt to complete another strategic transaction like the Merger, attempt to sell or otherwise dispose of the various assets of Salarius, resume its research and development activities and continue to operate the business of Salarius. Any of these alternatives would be costly and time-consuming and would require that Salarius obtain additional funding. Salarius expects that it would be difficult to secure financing in a timely manner, on favorable terms or at all. Salarius can make no assurances that it would be able to obtain additional financing or find a partner and close an alternative transaction on terms that are as favorable or more favorable than the terms set forth in the Merger Agreement or that any such alternatives are possible or would be successful, if pursued. To the extent that Salarius seeks and is able to raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, Salarius’ stockholders’ ownership interest will be diluted, and the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect their rights as a common stockholder. Debt financing or preferred equity financing, if available, may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting Salarius’ ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends. If Salarius raises funds through strategic transactions or marketing, distribution, or licensing arrangements with third parties, Salarius may have to relinquish valuable rights to its technologies, future revenue streams, research programs or product candidates or to grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to it. Even if Salarius is able to pursue such alternatives, the failure to complete the Merger may result in negative publicity and/or a negative impression of Salarius in the investment community, could significantly harm the market price of Salarius common stock and may affect Salarius’ relationship with employees and other partners in the business community.

If the Salarius board of directors were to decide to dissolve and liquidate Salarius’ assets, Salarius would be required to pay all of its debts and contractual obligations, and to set aside certain reserves for potential future claims, and there can be no assurances as to the amount or timing of available cash left, if any, to distribute to stockholders after paying its debts and other obligations and setting aside funds for reserves. In addition, Salarius may be subject to litigation or other claims related to a dissolution and liquidation. If a dissolution and liquidation were pursued, the Salarius board of directors, in consultation with its advisors, would need to evaluate these matters and make a determination about a reasonable amount to reserve. Accordingly, Salarius’ stockholders would likely lose all or a significant portion of their investment in the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of Salarius.

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Salarius does not believe that its current expenses are indicative of the costs it may incur in the future in connection with the development and commercialization of any product candidate if it consummates the Merger or raises additional capital to continue its operations. Salarius’ future funding requirements will depend on many factors, including:

•its ability to consummate the Merger with Decoy;

•the scope, rate of progress and cost of its preclinical and clinical trials for any product candidate in its future pipeline and results of future clinical trials;

•the cost and timing of regulatory filings and approvals for any product candidates that successfully complete clinical trials;

•the timing and nature of any strategic transactions that Salarius undertakes, including potential partnerships;

•the effect of competing technological and market developments;

•the cost incurred in responding to actions by activist stockholders; and

•the cost of filing, prosecuting, defending and enforcing its intellectual property rights.

In addition, the amounts available under Salarius’ shelf registration statement on Form S-3 will be significantly limited as long as Salarius’ public float remains below $75 million, which, given its currently depressed stock price, limits its ability to obtain meaningful funding through a shelf registration statement at this time, although Salarius could still raise funds through a registration statement on Form S-1 or through private placements.

As such, there is uncertainty regarding Salarius’ ability to maintain liquidity sufficient to operate its business effectively, which raises substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern.

Salarius’ common stock may be subject to delisting from Nasdaq, which would seriously harm the liquidity of our stock and our ability to raise capital or complete a strategic transaction.

Salarius’ common stock is currently listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”). To maintain its listing on Nasdaq, Salarius is required to maintain: (i) a minimum bid price of $1.00 per share; (ii) a market value of publicly held securities of $1 million; (iii) a certain number of round lot stockholders; and (iv) one of the following: a net income from continuing operations (in the latest fiscal year or two of the three last fiscal years) of at least $500,000, a market value of listed securities of at least $35 million or a stockholders’ equity of at least $2.5 million (the “Stockholders’ Equity Requirement”). Nasdaq has the authority to delist Salarius’ common stock if Salarius fails to maintain these minimum requirements. In addition, Nasdaq may delist Salarius if, based on Nasdaq’s review of Salarius’ operations and pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5101, Nasdaq believes that Salarius is a “public shell” and that the continued listing of its securities is no longer warranted. Salarius has no current plans to delist its shares of common stock from Nasdaq. However, following the decision to close the clinical development of seclidemstat for Ewing sarcoma, Salarius may be treated as a public shell under Nasdaq rules. Although Nasdaq evaluates whether a listed company is a public shell company based on a facts and circumstances determination, a Nasdaq-listed company with no or nominal operations and either no or nominal assets, assets consisting solely of cash and cash equivalents, or assets consisting of any amount of cash and cash equivalents and nominal other assets is generally considered to be a public shell company. Listed companies determined to be public shell companies by Nasdaq may be subject to delisting proceedings or additional and more stringent listing criteria.

On August 9, 2024, Salarius reported in its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q that as of June 30, 2024, its stockholders’ equity was approximately $2.3 million. As further disclosed in that Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, subsequent to June 30, 2024, Salarius sold 564,730 shares of its common stock for gross proceeds of approximately $1.5 million pursuant to that certain At the Market Offering Agreement, dated as of February 5, 2021, with Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. (the “ATM Financing Transaction”). On August 13, 2024, Salarius reported via Current Report on Form 8-K that Salarius regained compliance with the Stockholders’ Equity Requirement after giving effect to the ATM Financing Transaction. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Nasdaq indicated that it would continue to monitor Salarius’ ongoing compliance with the Stockholders’ Equity Requirement and, if at the time of a future periodic report Salarius does not evidence compliance, Salarius’ common stock may be subject to delisting.

As of December 31, 2024, we had (i) a total stockholders’ equity of approximately $1.5 million, (ii) we have not had net income in any period during this fiscal year or either of the two last fiscal years and (iii) the market value of our

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listed securities is below $35 million. As a result, Salarius is not in compliance with the Stockholders’ Equity Requirement and expects to receive a delisting notice from Nasdaq.

In addition, as of March 19, 2025, the closing price of Salarius’ common stock was $0.8615 per share. If Salarius’ common stock trades for thirty consecutive business days below the $1.00 minimum closing bid price requirement, Nasdaq will send a delisting determination to the company. If the delisting determination is sent within one year of Salarius’ most recent reverse stock split in June 2024, then Salarius will not be eligible for any compliance period to address the minimum bid price deficiency and will be subject to immediate delisting. Under these circumstances, Salarius can appeal the delisting determination to a Hearings Panel, during which time any suspension or delisting action will be stayed.

Salarius is actively monitoring the market value of its publicly held securities, its stockholders’ equity and trading prices and will consider any and all options available to it to maintain compliance. There can be no assurance, however, that Salarius will be able to maintain compliance and meet Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements.

If Salarius’ common stock is delisted from Nasdaq, whether because Nasdaq determines Salarius is a “public shell” or Salarius fails to maintain compliance with the continued listed requirements, or otherwise, Salarius’ securities may qualify for trading over-the-counter (“OTC”), in the United States on a market colloquially referred to as the “Pink Sheets.” Securities quoted on OTC are generally subject to lesser requirements than securities listed for trading on a U.S. national stock exchange, such as Nasdaq, including reduced corporate governance and public reporting standards. If Nasdaq should delist Salarius’ common stock from trading, a reduction in some or all of the following may occur, each of which could have a material adverse effect on holders of Salarius’ common stock: the liquidity of the common stock; the market price of the common stock; the number of institutional and general investors that will consider investing in the common stock; the number of investors in general that will consider investing in the common stock; the number of market makers in the common stock; the availability of information concerning the trading prices and volume of the common stock; and the number of broker-dealers willing to execute trades in the common stock. In addition to the foregoing, there are certain consequences under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), of being a public shell company, including the unavailability of Rule 144 thereunder for the resale of restricted securities and the inability to utilize Form S-8 for the registration of employee benefit plan securities.

In addition, if we cease to be eligible to trade on Nasdaq, we may have to pursue trading on a less recognized or accepted market, such as the over the counter markets, our stock may be traded as a “penny stock” which would make transactions in our stock more difficult and cumbersome, and we may be unable to access capital on favorable terms or at all, as companies trading on alternative markets may be viewed as less attractive investments with higher associated risks, such that existing or prospective institutional investors may be less interested in, or prohibited from, investing in our common stock. This may also cause the market price of our common stock to further decline.

Salarius is substantially dependent on its remaining employees and consultants to facilitate the consummation of the Merger.

As of March 12, 2025, Salarius had only two full-time employees and one consultant acting as Salarius’ Chief Executive Officer. Salarius’ ability to successfully complete the Merger depends in large part on its ability to retain certain remaining personnel. Despite Salarius’ efforts to retain these employees, one or more may terminate their employment or consulting arrangement with Salarius on short notice. The loss of the services of certain employees could potentially harm Salarius’ ability to consummate the Merger, to run its day-to-day business operations, as well as to fulfill its reporting obligations as a public company.

The pendency of the Merger could have an adverse effect on the trading price of Salarius’ common stock and its business, financial condition and prospects.

The pendency of the Merger could disrupt Salarius’ business in many ways, including:

•the attention of its remaining management and employees may be directed toward the completion of the Merger and related matters and may be diverted from Salarius’ day-to-day business operations; and

•third parties may seek to terminate or renegotiate their relationships with Salarius as a result of the Merger, whether pursuant to the terms of their existing agreements with Salarius or otherwise.

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Should they occur, any of these matters could adversely affect the trading price of Salarius’ common stock or harm its business, financial condition and prospects.

Salarius has never generated any revenue from product sales and may never generate revenue or be profitable.

Salarius has no products approved for commercialization and has never generated any revenue. Salarius’ ability to generate revenue and achieve profitability depends on Salarius’ ability, alone or with strategic collaborators, to successfully complete the development of, and obtain the regulatory and marketing approvals necessary to commercialize one or more of its product candidates. Salarius does not anticipate generating revenue from product sales for the foreseeable future. Salarius’ ability to generate future revenue from product sales depends heavily on Salarius’ success in many areas, including but not limited to:

•completing research and development of its product candidates;

•obtaining regulatory and marketing approvals for its product candidates;

•manufacturing product candidates and establishing and maintaining supply and manufacturing relationships with third parties that are commercially feasible, meet regulatory requirements and supply needs in sufficient quantities to meet market demand for Salarius’ product candidates, if approved;

•marketing, launching and commercializing product candidates for which Salarius obtains regulatory and marketing approval, either directly or with a collaborator or distributor;

•gaining market acceptance of Salarius’ product candidates as treatment options;

•addressing any competing products;

•protecting and enforcing Salarius’ intellectual property rights, including patents, trade secrets, and know-how;

•negotiating favorable terms in any collaboration, licensing, or other arrangements into which Salarius may enter;

•obtaining reimbursement or pricing for Salarius’ product candidates that supports profitability; and

•attracting, hiring, and retaining qualified personnel.

Even if one or more of the product candidates that Salarius develops is approved for commercial sale, Salarius would need to incur significant costs associated with commercializing any approved product candidate. Portions of Salarius’ current pipeline of product candidates have been in-licensed from third parties, which make the commercial sale of such in-licensed products potentially subject to additional royalty and milestone payments to such third parties. Salarius will also have to develop, contract for or acquire manufacturing capabilities to continue development and potential commercialization of Salarius’ product candidates. Salarius will need to develop or procure its drug product in a commercially feasible manner in order to successfully commercialize any future approved product, if any. Additionally, if Salarius is not able to generate revenue from the sale of any approved products, Salarius may never become profitable.

Risks Related to the Development of Salarius’ Product Candidates

The approach Salarius has taken to discover and develop novel oncology therapeutics using epigenetic enzymes to moderate transcription factors and thereby control abnormal protein expression is unproven and may never lead to marketable products.

The scientific discoveries that have formed the basis for Salarius’ efforts to discover and develop Salarius’ product candidates are relatively recent. The scientific evidence to support the feasibility of developing drugs based on these discoveries is both preliminary and limited. The successful development of therapeutic products will require solving a number of issues. In addition, any product candidates that Salarius decides to develop further may not demonstrate in patients the chemical and pharmacological properties ascribed to them in laboratory and pre-clinical trials, and they may interact with human biological systems in unforeseen, ineffective or even harmful ways. For instance, Salarius’ clinical and pre-clinical data to date is not validated and Salarius has no way of knowing if after validation Salarius’ clinical trial data will be complete and consistent. If Salarius does not successfully develop and commercialize product candidates based upon this technological approach, Salarius may not become profitable and the value of Salarius’ capital stock may further decline.

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Further, Salarius’ focus on epigenetic enzyme technology for developing product candidates as opposed to multiple, more proven technologies for drug development has increased the risk associated with Salarius’ business. Salarius is not able to identify and successfully implement an alternative product development strategy due to Salarius’ previous investments in current product candidates. In addition, work by other companies pursuing similar technologies may encounter setbacks and difficulties that regulators and investors may attribute to Salarius’ product candidates, whether appropriate or not.

Clinical trials are costly, time consuming and inherently risky, and may fail to demonstrate safety and efficacy to the satisfaction of applicable regulatory authorities.

Clinical development is expensive, time consuming and involves significant risk. If Salarius decides to move forward with Salarius’ clinical trials, Salarius cannot guarantee that they will be conducted as planned or completed on schedule, if at all. Salarius currently does not have the funds to advance Salarius’ planned clinical trials. A failure of one or more of these clinical trials can occur at any stage of development.

Salarius’ product candidates may cause undesirable side effects or have other properties that could delay or prevent their regulatory approval, limit the commercial viability of an approved label, or result in significant negative consequences following marketing approval, if any.

Undesirable side effects caused by Salarius’ product candidates could cause Salarius, an IRB or ethics committee, or regulatory authorities to continue the clinical hold status, interrupt, delay, or terminate clinical trials or even if approved, result in a restrictive label or delay regulatory approval by the FDA or comparable foreign authorities and potential product liability claims.

Product development involves a lengthy and expensive process with an uncertain outcome, and results of earlier pre-clinical and clinical trials may not be predictive of future clinical trial results.

Clinical testing is expensive and generally takes many years to complete, and the outcome is inherently uncertain. Failure can occur at any time during the clinical trial process. The results of pre-clinical trials and early clinical trials of Salarius’ product candidates may not be predictive of the results of larger, later-stage controlled clinical trials. Product candidates that have shown promising results in early-stage clinical trials may still suffer significant setbacks in subsequent clinical trials. Salarius’ clinical trials to date have been conducted on a small number of patients in limited numbers of clinical sites for a limited number of indications. Moreover, clinical data are often susceptible to varying interpretations and analyses. Salarius cannot assure whether any clinical trials Salarius or The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (“MDACC”) may conduct will demonstrate consistent or adequate efficacy and safety with respect to the proposed indication for use sufficient to receive regulatory approval or market Salarius’ drug candidates.

Difficulty in enrolling patients is a common hurdle faced by early stage biotechnology companies and could, and often does, delay or prevent clinical trials of product candidates.

Identifying and qualifying patients to participate in clinical trials of Salarius’ product candidates is essential to Salarius’ existence. The timing of Salarius’ clinical trials depends in part on the rate at which Salarius or investigators can recruit patients to participate in clinical trials of Salarius’ product candidates, and Salarius and Salarius’ investigators may experience delays in Salarius’ clinical trials if Salarius or they encounter difficulties in enrollment.

Salarius may face potential product liability, and, if successful claims are brought against Salarius, Salarius may incur substantial liability and costs which could be greater than Salarius’ insurance coverage or overall resources.

If the use or misuse of Salarius’ product candidates harms patients, or is perceived to harm patients even when such harm is unrelated to Salarius’ product candidates, Salarius’ regulatory approvals, if any, could be revoked or otherwise negatively impacted and Salarius could be subject to costly and damaging product liability claims. If Salarius is unable to obtain adequate insurance or are required to pay for liabilities resulting from a claim excluded from, or beyond the limits of, Salarius’ insurance coverage, a material liability claim could adversely affect Salarius’ financial condition.

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The use or misuse of Salarius’ product candidates in clinical trials and the sale of any products for which Salarius may obtain marketing approval exposes Salarius to the risk of potential product liability claims. Product liability claims might be brought against Salarius by consumers, healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies or others selling or otherwise coming into contact with Salarius’ product candidates and approved products, if any. There is a risk that Salarius’ product candidates may induce AEs.

Risks Related to Regulatory Approval of Salarius’ Product Candidates and Other Legal Compliance Matters

Even if FDA grants breakthrough therapy designation for one or more of Salarius’ product candidates, the designation may not lead to a faster development or regulatory review or approval process, and it does not increase the likelihood that Salarius’ product candidates will receive marketing approval, and FDA may rescind the designation if it determines the product candidate no longer meets the qualifying criteria for breakthrough therapy.

Salarius may seek a breakthrough therapy designation from the FDA for some of Salarius’ product candidates that reach the regulatory review process. A breakthrough therapy is defined as a drug or biological product that is intended, alone or in combination with one or more other drugs, to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition, and preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the drug or biological product may demonstrate substantial improvement over existing therapies on one or more clinically significant endpoints, such as substantial treatment effects observed early in clinical development. For drugs or biological products that have been designated as breakthrough therapies, interaction and communication between the FDA and the sponsor of the trial can help to identify the most efficient path for clinical development while minimizing the number of patients placed in ineffective control regimens. Drugs designated as breakthrough therapies by the FDA could also be eligible for accelerated approval.

Designation as a breakthrough therapy is within the discretion of the FDA. Accordingly, even if Salarius believes one of Salarius’ product candidates meets the criteria for designation as a breakthrough therapy, the FDA may disagree and instead determine not to make such designation.

The receipt of a breakthrough therapy designation for a product candidate may not result in a faster development process, review or approval compared to drugs considered for approval under conventional FDA procedures and does not assure ultimate approval by the FDA. In addition, even if one or more of Salarius’ product candidates qualify and are designated as breakthrough therapies, the FDA may later decide that the drugs or biological products no longer meet the conditions for designation and the designation may be rescinded.

Salarius has received fast track designation for SP-2577 as a potential treatment for a rare pediatric disease in Ewing’s Sarcoma, but such designation may not actually lead to a faster development or regulatory review or approval process. Additionally, FDA may rescind the designation if it determines the product candidate no longer meets the qualifying criteria for fast track.

If a product candidate is intended for the treatment of a serious condition and nonclinical or clinical data demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical need for this condition, a product sponsor may apply for FDA fast track designation. Salarius received fast track designation for SP-2577 as a potential treatment for a rare pediatric disease in Ewing’s Sarcoma. However, fast track designation does not ensure that Salarius will receive marketing approval or that approval will be granted within any particular time frame. Salarius may not experience a faster development or regulatory review or approval process with fast track designation compared to conventional FDA procedures. In addition, the FDA may withdraw fast track designation if it believes that the designation is no longer supported by data from Salarius’ clinical development program. Fast track designation alone does not guarantee qualification for the FDA’s priority review procedures.

Salarius cannot guarantee how long it will take regulatory agencies to review Salarius’ applications for product candidates, and Salarius may fail to obtain the necessary regulatory approvals to market Salarius’ product candidates. If Salarius is not able to obtain required regulatory approvals, Salarius will not be able to commercialize Salarius’ product candidates and Salarius’ ability to generate revenue will be materially impaired.

Salarius’ product candidates and the activities associated with their development and commercialization, including their design, research, testing, manufacture, safety, efficacy, recordkeeping, labeling, packaging, storage, approval, advertising, promotion, sale and distribution, are subject to comprehensive regulation by the FDA and other

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regulatory agencies in the United States and foreign jurisdictions. Failure to obtain marketing approval for Salarius’ product candidates will prevent Salarius from commercializing them in those markets.

Salarius has not received approval from regulatory authorities to market any product candidate in any jurisdiction, and it is possible that neither Salarius’ current product candidates nor any product candidates that Salarius may seek to develop in the future will ever obtain the appropriate regulatory approvals necessary for Salarius to commence product sales.

Reliance on government funding for Salarius’ programs may add uncertainty to Salarius’ research and commercialization efforts with respect to those programs that are tied to such funding and may impose requirements that limit Salarius’ ability to take specified actions, increase the costs of commercialization and production of product candidates developed under those programs and subject Salarius to potential financial penalties, which could materially and adversely affect Salarius’ business, financial condition and results of operations.

During the course of Salarius’ development of Salarius’ product candidates, Salarius has been funded in part through federal and state grants, including but not limited to the funding Salarius received from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (“CPRIT”). If Salarius does not comply with the terms of the grant, CPRIT may require Salarius to repay some or all of the disbursed grant.

Risks Related to Salarius’ Intellectual Property

Salarius may not be successful in obtaining or maintaining necessary rights to Salarius’ targets, product compounds and processes for Salarius’ development pipeline through acquisitions and in-licenses.

Presently, Salarius has rights to the intellectual property, through licenses from third parties and under patents and patent applications that Salarius owns, to modulate only a subset of the known epigenetic enzyme targets. Because Salarius’ programs may involve a range of targets, including targets that require the use of proprietary rights held by third parties, the growth of Salarius’ business may depend in part on Salarius’ ability to acquire, in-license or use these proprietary rights. In addition, Salarius’ product candidates may require specific formulations to work effectively and efficiently and these rights may be held by others. Salarius may be unable to acquire or in-license any compositions, methods of use, processes or other third-party intellectual property rights from third parties that Salarius identify. The licensing and acquisition of third-party intellectual property rights is a competitive area, and a number of more established companies are also pursuing strategies to license or acquire third-party intellectual property rights that Salarius may consider attractive. These established companies may have a competitive advantage over Salarius due to their size, cash resources and greater clinical development and commercialization capabilities.

For example, Salarius has previously collaborated with academic institutions worldwide to accelerate Salarius’ pre-clinical and clinical research or development under written agreements with these institutions. Typically, these institutions provide an option to negotiate a license to any of the institution’s rights in technology resulting from the collaboration. Regardless of such right of first negotiation for intellectual property, Salarius may be unable to negotiate a license within the specified time frame or under terms that are acceptable to Salarius. If Salarius is unable to do so, the institution may offer the intellectual property rights to other parties, potentially blocking Salarius’ ability to pursue its program.

In addition, companies that perceive Salarius to be a competitor may be unwilling to assign or license rights to Salarius. Salarius also may be unable to license or acquire third-party intellectual property rights on terms that would allow Salarius to make an appropriate return on Salarius’ investment. If Salarius is unable to successfully obtain rights to third-party intellectual property rights, Salarius’ business, financial condition and prospects for growth could suffer.

Salarius intends to rely on patent rights for Salarius’ product candidates and any future product candidates. If Salarius is unable to obtain or maintain exclusivity from the combination of these approaches, Salarius may not be able to compete effectively in Salarius’ markets.

Salarius relies or will rely upon a combination of patents, trade secret protection, and confidentiality agreements to protect the intellectual property related to Salarius’ technologies and product candidates. Salarius’ success depends in large part on Salarius’ and its licensors’ ability to obtain regulatory exclusivity and maintain patent and other

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intellectual property protection in the United States and in other countries with respect to Salarius’ proprietary technology and products.

Salarius has sought to protect Salarius’ proprietary position by filing patent applications in the United States and abroad related to Salarius’ product candidates that are important to Salarius’ business. This process is expensive and time consuming, and Salarius may not be able to file and prosecute all necessary or desirable patent applications at a reasonable cost or in a timely manner. It is also possible that Salarius will fail to identify patentable aspects of Salarius’ research and development output before it is too late to obtain patent protection.

The patent position of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies generally is highly uncertain and involves complex legal and factual questions for which legal principles remain unsolved. The patent applications that Salarius owns or in-licenses may fail to result in issued patents with claims that cover Salarius’ product candidates in the United States or in other foreign countries. There is no assurance that all potentially relevant prior art relating to Salarius’ patents and patent applications has been found, which can invalidate a patent or prevent a patent from issuing from a pending patent application. Even if patents do successfully issue, and even if such patents cover Salarius’ product candidates, third parties may challenge their validity, enforceability, or scope, which may result in such patents being narrowed, found unenforceable or invalidated. Furthermore, even if they are unchallenged, Salarius’ patents and patent applications may not adequately protect Salarius’ intellectual property, provide exclusivity for Salarius’ product candidates, or prevent others from designing around Salarius’ claims. Any of these outcomes could impair Salarius’ ability to prevent competition from third parties, which may have an adverse impact on Salarius’ business.

Salarius, independently or together with Salarius’ licensors, have filed several patent applications covering various aspects of Salarius’ product candidates. Salarius cannot offer any assurances about which, if any, patents will issue, the breadth of any such patent or whether any issued patents will be found invalid and unenforceable or will be threatened by third parties. Any successful opposition to these patents or any other patents owned by or licensed to Salarius after patent issuance could deprive Salarius of rights necessary for the successful commercialization of any product candidates that Salarius may develop. Further, if Salarius encounters delays in regulatory approvals, the period of time during which Salarius could market a product candidate under patent protection could be reduced.

If Salarius cannot obtain and maintain effective protection of exclusivity from Salarius’ regulatory efforts and intellectual property rights, including patent protection or data exclusivity, for Salarius’ product candidates, Salarius may not be able to compete effectively and Salarius’ business and results of operations would be harmed.

Salarius may not have sufficient patent term protections for Salarius’ product candidates to effectively protect Salarius’ business.

Patents have a limited term. In the United States, the statutory expiration of a patent is generally 20 years after it is filed. Although various extensions may be available, the life of a patent, and the protection it affords, is limited. Even if patents covering Salarius’ product candidates are obtained, once the patent life has expired for a product candidate, Salarius may be open to competition from generic medications. In addition, upon issuance in the United States any patent term can be adjusted based on specified delays caused by the applicant(s) or the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (the “USPTO”).

Depending on the timing, duration, and conditions of FDA marketing approval of Salarius’ product candidates, one or more of Salarius’ United States patents may be eligible for patent term extension under the Hatch-Waxman Act. Patent term extensions under the Hatch-Waxman Act in the United States and under supplementary protection certificates in Europe may be available to extend the patent or data exclusivity terms of Salarius’ product candidates. Salarius will likely rely on patent term extensions, and Salarius cannot provide any assurances that any such patent term extensions will be obtained and, if so, for how long. However, Salarius may not receive an extension if Salarius fails to apply within applicable deadlines, fail to apply prior to expiration of relevant patents or otherwise fail to satisfy applicable requirements. Moreover, the length of the extension could be less than Salarius requests. If Salarius is unable to obtain patent term extension or the term of any such extension is less than Salarius requests, the period during which Salarius can enforce Salarius’ patent rights for that product may not extend beyond the current patent expiration dates and competitors may obtain approval to market competing products sooner. As a result, Salarius may not be able to maintain exclusivity for Salarius’ product candidates for an extended period after regulatory approval, if any, which would negatively impact Salarius’ business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. If Salarius does not have sufficient patent terms or regulatory

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exclusivity to protect Salarius’ product candidates, Salarius’ business and results of operations will be adversely affected.

Changes in U.S. patent law could diminish the value of patents in general, thereby impairing Salarius’ ability to protect Salarius’ products, and recent patent reform legislation could increase the uncertainties and costs surrounding the prosecution of Salarius’ patent applications and the enforcement or defense of Salarius’ issued patents.

As is the case with other biotechnology companies, Salarius’ success is heavily dependent on patents and the ability to enforce and protect these patients. Obtaining and enforcing patents in the biotechnology industry involve both technological and legal complexity, and is therefore costly, time-consuming and inherently uncertain. In addition, the United States has recently enacted and is currently implementing wide-ranging patent reform legislation. Recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings have narrowed the scope of patent protection available in specified circumstances and weakened the rights of patent owners in specified situations. In addition to increasing uncertainty with regard to Salarius’ ability to obtain patents in the future, this combination of events has created uncertainty with respect to the value of patents, once obtained. Depending on decisions by the U.S. Congress, the federal courts, and the USPTO, the laws and regulations governing patents could change in unpredictable ways that would weaken Salarius’ ability to obtain new patents or to enforce Salarius’ existing patents and patents that Salarius might obtain in the future. Some of Salarius’ patent claims may be affected by the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics. In Myriad, the Supreme Court held that unmodified isolated fragments of genomic sequences, such as the DNA constituting the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, are not eligible for patent protection because they constitute a product of nature. The exact boundaries of the Supreme Court’s decision remain unclear as the Supreme Court did not address other types of nucleic acids.

If Salarius is unable to maintain effective proprietary rights for Salarius’ product candidates or any future product candidates, Salarius may not be able to compete effectively in Salarius’ proposed markets.

In addition to the protection afforded by patents, Salarius relies on trade secret protection and confidentiality agreements to protect proprietary know-how that is not patentable or that Salarius elects not to patent, processes for which patents are difficult to enforce and any other elements of Salarius’ product candidate discovery and development processes that involve proprietary know-how, information or technology that is not covered by patents. However, trade secrets can be difficult to protect. Salarius seek to protect Salarius’ proprietary technology and processes, in part, by entering into confidentiality agreements with Salarius’ employees, consultants, scientific advisors, and contractors. Salarius also seeks to preserve the integrity and confidentiality of Salarius’ data and trade secrets by maintaining physical security of Salarius’ premises and physical and electronic security of Salarius’ information technology systems. While Salarius has confidence in these individuals, organizations and systems, agreements or security measures may be breached, and Salarius may not have adequate remedies for any breach. In addition, Salarius’ trade secrets may otherwise become known or be independently discovered by competitors.

Third-party claims of intellectual property infringement may prevent or delay Salarius’ development and commercialization efforts.

Salarius’ commercial success depends in part on Salarius’ ability to develop, manufacture, market and sell Salarius’ product candidates and use Salarius’ proprietary technology without infringing the patent rights of third parties.

Numerous third-party U.S. and non-U.S. issued patents and pending applications exist in the area of epigenetic enzyme inhibitors and related technologies. Salarius is aware of U.S. and foreign patents and pending patent applications owned by third parties that cover therapeutic uses of epigenetic inhibitors. Salarius is currently monitoring these patents and patent applications. Salarius may in the future pursue available proceedings in the U.S. and foreign patent offices to challenge the validity of these patents and patent applications. In addition, or alternatively, Salarius may consider whether to seek to negotiate a license of rights to technology covered by one or more of such patents and patent applications. If any patents or patent applications cover Salarius’ product candidates or technologies, Salarius may not be free to manufacture or market Salarius’ product candidates, as planned, absent such a license, which may not be available to Salarius on commercially reasonable terms, or at all.

Salarius may not be successful in meeting Salarius’ obligations under Salarius’ existing license agreements necessary to maintain Salarius’ product candidate licenses in effect. In addition, if required in order to commercialize Salarius’ product candidates, Salarius may be unsuccessful in obtaining or maintaining necessary rights to Salarius’ product candidates through acquisitions and in-licenses.

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Salarius currently has rights to the intellectual property, through licenses from third parties and under patents that Salarius does not own, to develop and commercialize Salarius’ product candidates. Because Salarius’ programs may require the use of proprietary rights held by third parties, the growth of Salarius’ business will likely depend in part on Salarius’ ability to maintain in effect these proprietary rights. Any termination of license agreements with third parties with respect to Salarius’ product candidates would be expected to negatively impact Salarius’ business prospects.

Salarius may be unable to acquire or in-license any compositions, methods of use, processes, or other third-party intellectual property rights from third parties that Salarius identifies as necessary for Salarius’ product candidates.

If Salarius fails to comply with obligations in the agreements under which Salarius licenses intellectual property and other rights from third parties or otherwise experience disruptions to Salarius’ business relationships with Salarius’ licensors, Salarius could lose license rights that are important to Salarius’ business.

Salarius is a party to intellectual property licenses and supply agreements that are important to Salarius’ business and may enter into additional license agreements in the future. Salarius’ existing agreements impose, and Salarius expects that future license agreements will impose on Salarius, various diligence, milestone payment, royalty, purchasing, and other obligations. If Salarius fails to comply with Salarius’ obligations under these agreements, or Salarius is subject to a bankruptcy, Salarius’ agreements may be subject to termination by the licensor, in which event Salarius would not be able to develop, manufacture, or market products covered by the license or subject to supply commitments.

Salarius may be involved in lawsuits to protect or enforce Salarius’ patents or the patents of Salarius’ licensors, which could be expensive, time consuming, and unsuccessful.

Competitors may infringe Salarius’ patents or the patents of Salarius’ licensors. If Salarius or one of Salarius’ licensing partners were to initiate legal proceedings against a third party to enforce a patent covering one of Salarius’ product candidates, the defendant could counterclaim that the patent covering Salarius’ product candidate is invalid and/or unenforceable. In patent litigation in the United States, defendant counterclaims alleging invalidity and/or unenforceability are commonplace. Grounds for a validity challenge could be an alleged failure to meet any of several statutory requirements, including lack of novelty, obviousness, written description, clarity or non- enablement. Grounds for an unenforceability assertion could be an allegation that someone connected with prosecution of the patent withheld relevant information from the USPTO, or made a misleading statement, during prosecution. The outcome following legal assertions of invalidity and unenforceability is unpredictable.

Salarius may not be able to protect Salarius’ intellectual property rights throughout the world.

Filing, prosecuting, and defending patents on product candidates in all countries throughout the world would be prohibitively expensive, and Salarius’ intellectual property rights in some countries outside the United States can be less extensive than those in the United States. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as federal and state laws in the United States. Competitors may use Salarius’ technologies in jurisdictions where Salarius has not obtained patent protection to develop Salarius’ own products and may also export infringing products to territories where Salarius has patent protection, but enforcement is not as strong as that in the United States. These products may compete with Salarius’ products and Salarius’ patents or other intellectual property rights may not be effective or sufficient to prevent them from competing.

Risks Related to Salarius’ Reliance on Third Parties

Salarius relies on or will rely on third parties to conduct Salarius’ clinical trials. If these third parties do not successfully perform and comply with regulatory requirements, Salarius may not be able to successfully complete clinical development, obtain regulatory approval or eventually commercialize Salarius’ product candidates and Salarius’ business could be substantially harmed.

Salarius has relied upon and plan to continue to rely upon third-parties such as contract research organizations (“CROs”), hospitals and clinical investigators to study Salarius’ product candidates in clinical trials. For example, Salarius has collaborated with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (“MDACC”) to study SP-2577 in combination with azacitidine for the treatment of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes or chronic

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myelomonocytic leukemia . Salarius relies on these parties for the execution of clinical trials and Salarius only manages and controls some aspects of their activities. With respect to the MDACC sponsored investigator initiated trial, Salarius supplies seclidemstat in quantities required to conduct the clinical trial, but does not have any control over their development activities or the timing thereof. Salarius remains responsible for ensuring that each of Salarius’ trials is conducted in accordance with the applicable protocol, legal, regulatory, and scientific standards and Salarius’ reliance on these third parties does not relieve Salarius of its regulatory responsibilities. In July 2024, the FDA placed the trial on partial clinical hold following a serious and unexpected grade 4 adverse event encephalopathy, which was reversible. In February 2025, Salarius announced that MDACC had addressed the FDA’s questions and the partial clinical hold had been lifted, with patient enrollment resuming in the trial.

Salarius expects to rely on third parties to manufacture Salarius’ clinical product supplies, and Salarius intends to rely on third parties to produce and process Salarius’ product candidates, if approved, and Salarius’ commercialization of any of Salarius’ product candidates could be stopped, delayed or made less profitable if those third parties fail to obtain approval of government regulators, fail to comply with applicable regulations, fail to provide Salarius with sufficient quantities of drug product, or fail to do so at acceptable quality levels or prices.

Salarius does not currently have nor does Salarius currently plan to develop the infrastructure or capability internally to manufacture Salarius’ clinical supplies for use in the conduct of Salarius’ clinical trials, and Salarius lacks the resources and the capability to manufacture any of Salarius’ product candidates on a clinical or commercial scale. Salarius currently relies on outside vendors to manufacture the clinical supplies of Salarius’ product candidates. Salarius plans to continue relying on third parties to manufacture Salarius’ product candidates on a commercial scale, if approved.

Salarius does not yet have sufficient information to reliably estimate the cost of the commercial manufacturing of Salarius’ product candidates and Salarius’ current costs to manufacture Salarius’ drug products is not commercially feasible, and the actual cost to manufacture Salarius’ product candidates could materially and adversely affect the commercial viability of Salarius’ product candidates. As a result, Salarius may never be able to develop a commercially viable product.

Risks Related to Our Common Stock

Future sales of a significant number of our shares of common stock in the public markets, or the perception that such sales could occur, could depress the market price of our shares of our common stock or cause our stock price to decline.

Sales of a substantial number of our shares of common stock in the public markets, or the perception that such sales could occur, including from the exercise of warrants or sales of common stock issuable thereunder, could cause the market price of our shares of common stock to decline and impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity securities. We cannot predict the number of these shares that might be sold nor the effect that future sales of our shares of common stock, including shares issuable upon the exercise of warrants, would have on the market price of our shares of common stock.

We do not currently intend to pay dividends on our common stock, and any return to investors is expected to come, if at all, only from potential increases in the price of our common stock.

At the present time, we intend to use available funds to finance our operations. Accordingly, while payment of dividends rests within the discretion of our board of directors, we have no intention of paying any such dividends in the foreseeable future. Any return to investors is expected to come, if at all, only from potential increases in the price of our common stock.

General Risk Factors

Failure in our information technology and storage systems could significantly disrupt the operation of our business and/or lead to potential large liabilities.

Our ability to execute our business plan and maintain operations depends on the continued and uninterrupted performance of our information technology systems. Information technology systems are vulnerable to risks and damages from a variety of sources, including telecommunications or network failures, malicious human acts and

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natural disasters. Moreover, despite network security and back-up measures, some of our and our vendors’ servers are potentially vulnerable to physical or electronic break-ins, including cyber-attacks, computer viruses and similar disruptive problems. These events could lead to the unauthorized access, disclosure and use of non-public information which in turn could lead to operational difficulties and liabilities.

A security breach or privacy violation that leads to disclosure of consumer, customer, supplier, partner or employee information (including personally identifiable information or protected health information) could harm our reputation, compel us to comply with disparate state and foreign breach notification laws and otherwise subject us to liability under laws that protect personal data, resulting in increased costs or loss of revenue.

The techniques used by criminal elements to attack computer systems are sophisticated, change frequently and may originate from less regulated and remote areas of the world. As a result, we may not be able to address these techniques proactively or implement adequate preventative measures. If our computer systems are compromised, we could be subject to fines, damages, litigation and enforcement actions, and we could lose trade secrets, the occurrence of which could harm our business. Despite precautionary measures to prevent unanticipated problems that could affect our information technology systems, sustained or repeated system failures that interrupt our ability to generate and maintain data could adversely affect our ability to operate our business. In addition, a data security breach could distract management or other key personnel from performing their primary operational duties.

The interpretation and application of consumer and data protection laws in the United States, Europe and elsewhere are often uncertain, contradictory and in flux. Among other things, foreign privacy laws impose significant obligations on U.S. companies to protect the personal information of foreign citizens. It is possible that these laws may be interpreted and applied in a manner that is inconsistent with our data practices, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. Complying with these various laws could cause us to incur substantial costs or require us to change our business practices in a manner adverse to our business.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

Item 1C. Cybersecurity

Risk Management and Strategy

We maintain standard procedures to help assess, identify and manage material risk posed by cybersecurity threats and regularly evaluate how we can integrate these procedures into our overall risk management processes. For example, we require that all of our employees who have access to our internal network complete formal cybersecurity training upon hire and on a periodic basis, including training on phishing, malware, and other cybersecurity risks. We also continuously evaluate our information technology systems and our practices that relate to our information technology systems. To date, we have not engaged any formal assessment or cyber security auditors or other third parties in connection with these efforts but may elect to do so in the future.

To the extent we identify areas in our information systems that need improvement, we seek to timely implement and monitor such improvements. While we believe that we have taken appropriate security measures to protect our data and information technology systems, and have been informed by our third-party vendors that they have as well, there can be no assurance that our efforts will prevent breakdowns or breaches in our systems, or those of our third-party vendors, that could materially adversely affect our business and financial condition. For additional information regarding whether risks from cybersecurity threats are reasonably likely to materially affect the Company, including our business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition, see Item 1A, “Risk Factors,” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Governance

We currently engage a qualified IT consultant who reports to our Chief Executive Officer.This consultant has over 30 years of experience with cybersecurity, information technology development and deployment and information technology risk assessment and management, including information security management.

Our IT consultant regularly monitors our information technology systems and monitors the prevention, detection, mitigation and remediation of cybersecurity incidents in consultation with our Chief Executive Officer. Our Chief

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Executive Officer periodically reports information regarding our cybersecurity program to our Board, which has overall responsibility for risk oversight. In addition, our management is responsible for alerting our Board of any material cybersecurity incidents.

Over the last two years, we have not experienced any cybersecurity incidents that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect is, including our business, results of operations, or financial condition.

Items 2. Properties

Our principal executive offices are in the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas, under a month-to-month lease. Currently, this facility consists of approximately 300 square feet and accommodates our general and administrative activities.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings

We are not currently a party to any legal proceedings the outcome of which we believe, if determined adversely to us, would individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations. From time to time, we may become involved in legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.

PART II

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Market Information

Our common stock is on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “SLRX.”

As of March 12, 2025, we had approximately 139 record holders of our common stock. Because many of our shares are held by brokers and other institutions on behalf of stockholders, we are unable to estimate the total number of individual stockholders represented by these record holders.

Equity Compensation Plan Information

Information required by Item 5 of Form 10-K regarding our equity compensation plans is incorporated herein by reference from Item 12 of Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

On December 12, 2024, Salarius entered into a securities purchase agreement (the “ELOC Agreement”) with C/M Capital Master Fund, LP (the “Purchaser”), pursuant to which Salarius, subject to the restrictions and satisfaction of the conditions in the ELOC Agreement, has the right, but not the obligation, to sell to the Purchaser, and the Purchaser is obligated to purchase, up to the lesser of (i) $10 million of newly issued shares (the “Purchase Shares”) of Salarius’ common stock and (ii) the Exchange Cap (as defined in the ELOC Agreement). As consideration for the Purchaser’s execution and delivery of the ELOC Agreement, Salarius has agreed to issue to the Purchaser, simultaneously with the delivery of any and all Purchase Shares purchased under the ELOC Agreement, a number of shares of Salarius common stock equal to one percent (1%) of the number of Purchase Shares actually sold in each sale under the ELOC Agreement.

In the Purchase Agreement, the Purchaser represented to the Company, among other things, that it is an “accredited investor” (as such term is defined in Rule 501(a)(3) of Regulation D promulgated under the Securities

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Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”)). The securities are being issued and sold by the Company to the Purchaser in reliance upon the exemptions from the registration requirements of the Securities Act afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Rule 506(b) of Regulation D promulgated thereunder. The securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements.

Between January 13, 2025 and March 7, 2025, Salarius issued and sold 283,933 Purchase Shares to the Purchaser pursuant to the ELOC Agreement at a weighted average exercise price of $2.61 for an aggregate purchase price of $740,500. These issuances and sales were made following written notice delivered by Salarius to Investor, directing Investor to purchase the Purchase Shares. Salarius also issued 2,839 shares of its common stock to the Purchaser as commitment shares pursuant to the terms of the ELOC Agreement.

Other than as described above or as previously disclosed on our Current Reports on Form 8-K or Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC, we did not issue any unregistered equity securities during the twelve months ended December 31, 2024.

Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers

None.

Item 6.

RESERVED

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations Overview

This Management’s Discussion and Analysis provides material historical and prospective disclosures intended to enable investors and other users to assess our financial condition and results of operations. Statements that are not historical are forward-looking and involve risks and uncertainties discussed under the headings Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors” of this report. The following discussion of our results of operations and financial condition should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and the related notes thereto included elsewhere in this report. These risks could cause our actual results to differ materially from any future performance suggested below.

Introduction

Our Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, or MD&A, is provided in addition to the accompanying consolidated financial statements and notes to assist readers in understanding our results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows.

Overview

Salarius is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that has been focused on developing effective treatments for patients with cancer with high, unmet medical need. Specifically, Salarius has been concentrated on developing treatments for cancers caused by dysregulated gene expression (i.e., genes which are incorrectly turned on or off). Salarius has two classes of drugs that address gene dysregulation: targeted protein inhibitors and targeted protein degraders. Salarius’ technologies have the potential to work in both liquid and solid tumors. Salarius’ current pipeline consists of two small molecule drugs: (1) SP-3164, a targeted protein degrader, and (2) seclidemstat (“SP-2577”), a targeted protein inhibitor.

Recent Developments

Entry into Merger Agreement with Decoy Therapeutics, Inc. (“Decoy”)

On August 8, 2023, Salarius announced that it retained Canaccord Genuity, LLC to lead a comprehensive review of strategic alternatives focusing on maximizing stockholder value, including but not limited to, an acquisition, merger, reverse merger, divestiture of assets, licensing, or other strategic transactions involving the company. On January 10, 2025, Salarius entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with Decoy

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Therapeutics MergerSub I, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Salarius (“First Merger Sub”), Decoy Therapeutics MergerSub II, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and wholly owned subsidiary of Salarius (“Second Merger Sub”), and Decoy. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, Salarius will combine with Decoy (the “Merger”) by causing First Merger Sub to be merged with and into Decoy, with Decoy surviving the merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of Salarius (the “First Merger”). Immediately following the First Merger, Decoy will merge with and into Second Merger Sub, with Second Merger Sub being the surviving entity and continuing under the name “Decoy Therapeutics, LLC” as a wholly owned subsidiary of Salarius.

The Merger is structured as a stock-for-stock transaction pursuant to which all of Decoy’s outstanding equity interests will be exchanged based on an exchange ratio for consideration of a combination of (a) shares of Salarius’ common stock par value $0.0001 (the “Common Stock”) in an amount up to (i) 19.9% of Salarius’ total shares outstanding as of January 10, 2025 minus (ii) any shares of Salarius Common Stock issued in any private placement between January 10, 2025 and the effective time of the First Merger (the “First Effective Time”), and (b) shares of Series A Preferred Stock, which is a newly designated series of preferred stock (“Preferred Stock”) that is intended to have economic rights equivalent to the Common Stock, but with only limited voting rights, in addition to the assumption of outstanding and unexercised stock options to purchase shares of Common Stock from the Decoy Therapeutics Inc. 2020 Equity Incentive Plan. The number of shares of Common Stock to be issued at Merger Closing (as defined below) and the number of shares of Common stock underlying the Series A Preferred Stock to be issued at closing of the Merger (the “Merger Closing”) is based on an exchange ratio which assumes a base value of $28.0 million for Decoy and $4.6 million for Salarius, subject in each case to adjustment based on the balance sheet cash available to each of Salarius and Decoy at Merger Closing (excluding any proceeds raised the “Qualified Financing,” as defined below). Based on these relative values, before taking into account the dilutive effects of the Qualified Financing, Salarius’ legacy stockholders would retain approximately 14.1% of Salarius on an as-converted-to-common basis and, after giving effect to the exchange ratio and the conversion of the Series A Preferred Stock, Decoy stockholders would own approximately 85.9% of Salarius.

The rights of the Series A Preferred Stock will be set forth in a Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations that Salarius will file with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware (the “Certificate of Designation”). The Certificate of Designation provides that the preferred stock will be convertible into shares of Common Stock on a 1-for-1000 basis, subject to stockholder approval. The Merger was approved by Salarius’ board of directors and the board of directors of Decoy. In addition, following the consummation of the Merger, Salarius has agreed to call a special stockholder meeting to approve (i) the conversion of the preferred stock to be issued at Merger Closing into shares of Common Stock (the “Conversion Proposal”), (ii) a new equity incentive plan in form reasonably agreed to by the parties (the “Equity Plan Proposal”), and (iii) if necessary and advisable, a reverse stock split in a ratio to be approved by Salarius’ board of directors (the “Reverse Stock Split Proposal” and together with the Conversion Proposal and the Equity Plan Proposal, the “Company Stockholder Matters”).

The Merger Agreement contains customary representations and warranties by each of Salarius and Decoy, as well as covenants relating to operating each respective business in the ordinary course prior to Merger Closing. The Merger Closing is conditioned upon, among other things, minimum proceeds from future offerings of at least $6.0 million (collectively, the “Qualified Financing”) and the continued listing of Salarius Common Stock on Nasdaq. On January 17, 2025, Nasdaq notified Salarius that the proposed transaction with Decoy constitutes a business combination that will result in a “Change of Control” pursuant to Listing Rule 5110(a) and, accordingly, the post-transaction entity will be required to satisfy all of Nasdaq’s initial listing criteria and to complete Nasdaq’s initial listing process, including the payment of all applicable fees. Salarius intends to commence the process prior to seeking the Company’s stockholder approval for the issuance of 20% or more of the Company’s pre-transaction shares and must complete the process prior to the conversion of the preferred shares issued at the Merger Closing into shares of common stock of the Company.

In connection with the execution of the Merger Agreement, Salarius entered into stockholder support agreements (the “Salarius Support Agreements”) with certain of its officers and directors, who collectively own an aggregate of approximately 1.38% of the outstanding shares of the Common Stock. The Salarius Support Agreements provide that, among other things, each of the parties thereto has agreed to vote or cause to be voted all of the shares of Common Stock owned by such stockholder in favor of the Company Stockholder Matters at a special or annual meeting of Salarius’ stockholders to be held in connection therewith. In addition, Decoy officers and directors, in their capacities as stockholders of Decoy, entered into stockholder support agreements (the “Decoy Support Agreements”) with Decoy. The Decoy Support Agreements provide that, among other things, each of the parties thereto has agreed to vote or cause to be voted all of the shares of Common Stock owned by such stockholder in favor of the proposed Merger.

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Concurrently and in connection with the execution of the Merger Agreement, certain Decoy officers and directors, and certain of Salarius’ directors and officers entered into lock-up agreements with Salarius and Decoy, pursuant to which each such stockholder will be subject to a 180-day lockup on the sale or transfer of shares of Common Stock held by each such stockholder at the Merger Closing, including those shares received by Decoy stockholders in the Merger.

Although we have entered into the Merger Agreement and intend to consummate the Merger, there is no assurance that we will be able to successfully consummate the Merger on a timely basis, or at all. If, for any reason, the Merger does not close, our board of directors may elect to, among other things, attempt to complete another strategic transaction like the Merger, attempt to sell or otherwise dispose of our various assets, resume our research and development activities and continue to operate our business or dissolve and liquidate our assets. If we decide to dissolve and liquidate our assets, we would be required to pay all of our debts and contractual obligations, and to set aside certain reserves for potential future claims, and there can be no assurances as to the amount or timing of available cash left, if any, to distribute to stockholders after paying our debts and other obligations and setting aside funds for reserves. If we were to continue our business, we would need to raise a substantial amount of cash to fund ongoing operations and future development activities for our existing product candidates and any new product candidates that we acquire.

Warrant Cancellation Agreement

On January 10, 2025, Salarius entered into a Warrant Cancellation Agreement (the “Warrant Cancellation Agreement”) with an accredited investor. Salarius previously issued to the investor a Series A-1 Common Stock Purchase Warrant to purchase 454,546 shares of its common stock pursuant to the offering described in Salarius’ Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on May 16, 2023 (the “Warrant”). Pursuant to the Warrant Cancellation Agreement, on January 10, 2025, Salarius paid the investor an aggregate amount in cash of $350,000 in exchange for the surrender and cancellation of the Warrant.

Securities ELOC Agreement

On December 12, 2024, Salarius entered into a securities purchase agreement (the “ELOC Agreement”) with C/M Capital Master Fund, LP (the “Purchaser”), pursuant to which Salarius, subject to the restrictions and satisfaction of the conditions in the ELOC Agreement, has the right, but not the obligation, to sell to the Purchaser, and the Purchaser is obligated to purchase, up to the lesser of (i) $10 million of newly issued shares (the “Purchase Shares”) of Salarius’ common stock and (ii) the Exchange Cap (as defined in the ELOC Agreement). As consideration for the Purchaser’s execution and delivery of the ELOC Agreement, Salarius has agreed to issue to the Purchaser, simultaneously with the delivery of any and all Purchase Shares purchased under the ELOC Agreement, a number of shares of Salarius common stock equal to one percent (1%) of the number of Purchase Shares actually sold in each sale under the ELOC Agreement.

Between January 13, 2025 and March 7, 2025, Salarius issued and sold 283,933 Purchase Shares to the Purchaser pursuant to the ELOC Agreement at a weighted average exercise price of $2.61 for an aggregate purchase price of $740,500. These issuances and sales were made following written notice delivered by Salarius to Investor, directing Investor to purchase the Purchase Shares. Salarius also issued 2,839 shares of its common stock to the Purchaser as commitment shares pursuant to the terms of the ELOC Agreement.

We have no products approved for commercial sale and have not generated any revenue from product sales. We have never been profitable and have incurred operating losses in each year since inception. We had an accumulated deficit of $81.9 million as of December 31, 2024. Substantially all of our operating losses resulted from expenses incurred in connection with our research and development programs and from general and administrative costs associated with our operations.

The lack of revenue from product sales to date and recurring losses from operations since our inception raise substantial doubt as to our ability to continue as a going concern. We will continue to require substantial additional capital to continue our operation and clinical development activities and may need such additional capital sooner than 12 months. As of December 31, 2024, we had cash and cash equivalents of $2.4 million. Accordingly, we will need to raise substantial additional capital to continue to fund our operations beyond the later part of the second quarter of 2025. The amount and timing of our future funding requirements will depend on many factors, including the result of our strategic alternatives process, our ability to raise additional capital on commercially reasonable terms, the pace and results of clinical development activities, and market conditions. Failure to raise capital as and

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when needed, on favorable terms or at all, would have a negative impact on our financial condition and our ability to continue our operations.

Results of Operations

The following table sets forth the consolidated results of our operations for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023.

Year ended December 31 Change

Research and Development Expenses

Research and development expenses were $0.8 million during the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $7.2 million during the year ended December 31, 2023. This decrease of $6.4 million principally resulted from the cost savings plan implemented during the third quarter of 2023 and lower spending on SP-2577. Lower research and development expenses will continue in 2025 as we have curtailed our sponsored clinical trials and intend to rely on clinical trial data from the investigator initiated clinical trial conducted by MD Anderson Cancer Center before assessing next steps in our clinical development plans.

Purchased in process research and development costs — —

General and Administrative Expense

General and administrative expenses were $5.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $5.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, the decrease is mainly driven by lower personnel costs, public company expenses and D&O insurance cost, offsetting by increased legal expense and severance payments.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Current and Future Financing Needs

Since inception, we have incurred operating losses and we anticipate that we will continue to incur losses for the foreseeable future. We have not generated any cash inflows from product sales. We do not know when, or if, we will generate any revenue from product sales. We do not expect to generate any revenue from product sales unless and until we obtain regulatory approval for and commercializes any of our product candidates, all of which are in early stages of development. We have curtailed expenses and plan to use our two remaining full time employees and consultants to continue our operations.

During the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, we received $0.1 million of cash from CPRIT. As of December 31, 2024, we had $1.5 million of working capital and our cash and cash equivalents totaled $2.4 million, which were held in bank and money market accounts. Our cash and cash equivalents balance decreased during the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily due to the cash used in operating activities, partially offset by capital

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received from financing activities. Under current reduced operating conditions, we believe that our cash and cash equivalents on hand as of December 31, 2024 is sufficient to fund our anticipated operations into the later part of the second quarter of 2025. If for any reason the Merger does not close, we would need to raise additional capital to continue to fund the further development of product candidates and our operations. If we are unable to maintain sufficient financial resources, our business, financial condition and results of operations will be materially and adversely affected. Additionally, equity or debt financings may have a dilutive effect on the holdings of our existing stockholders. We have curtailed expenses and plan to use our two remaining full time employees and consultants to continue our operations. As a result, if we are unable to complete the Merger, we will likely need to conduct a wind down of our operations.

Cash Flow

Year Ended December 31

Net cash (used in) provided by:

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents $ (3,465,382) $ (6,206,525)

Year Ended December 31

Operating Activities

Net cash used in operating activities was $4.5 million in the current period, a decrease of approximately $8.3 million from the same period a year ago. The decrease is primarily due to significantly reduced operating expenses during current year compared to last year.

Critical Accounting Policies and Significant Judgments and Estimates

Our management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based on our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates, judgments and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the consolidated balance sheet and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period. In accordance with GAAP, we base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances at the time such estimates are made. Actual results may differ materially from our estimates and judgments under different assumptions or conditions. We periodically review our estimates in light of changes in circumstances, facts and experience. The effects of material revisions in estimates are reflected in our consolidated financial statements prospectively from the date of the change in estimate.

Our significant accounting policies are described in Note 2 to our audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024 in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We believe that our accounting policy relating to research and development expenses is the most critical to understanding and evaluating our reported financial results. We have identified this policy as critical because it is important to the presentation of our financial condition and results of operations and requires us to make judgments and estimates on matters that are inherently uncertain and may change in future periods. For more information regarding these policies, you should refer to Note 2 of our audited consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

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We have not entered into any off-balance sheet arrangements and does not have any holdings in variable interest entities.

Application of New Accounting Standards

See Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for a description of recently issued accounting pronouncements, including the expected dates of adoption and estimated effects on our results of operations, financial positions and cash flows.

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

We are a smaller reporting company as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are not required to provide the information under this item.

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Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

SALARIUS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm PCAOB ID (42) 44

Consolidated Balance Sheets 46

Consolidated Statements of Operations 47

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows 48

Consolidated Statement of Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit) 49

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 50

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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Shareholders and the Board of Directors of Salarius Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Salarius Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the Company) as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the related consolidated statements of operations, stockholders’ equity (deficit) and cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2024, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at December 31, 2024 and 2023, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2024, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

The Company’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 1 to the financial statements, the Company has a lack of revenue from product sales and has suffered recurring losses from operations since its inception and has stated that substantial doubt exists about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern. Management's evaluation of the events and conditions and management’s plans regarding these matters are also described in Note 1. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Critical Audit Matter

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective or complex judgments. The communication of the critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the account or disclosure to which it relates.

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Clinical Trial Accruals

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2019.

Houston, Texas

March 21, 2025

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SALARIUS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

December 31,

Assets

Current assets:

Liabilities and stockholders' equity (deficit)

Current liabilities:

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 352,419 406,745

Commitments and contingencies (NOTE 5)

Stockholders' equity (deficit):

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

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SALARIUS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

Twelve Months Ended December 31

Operating expenses:

Loss per common share — basic and diluted $ (5.79) $ (30.74)

Total net loss per share $ (5.79) $ (30.74)

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

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SALARIUS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

Twelve Months Ended December 31

Operating activities

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:

Depreciation, amortization and impairment 4,424 10,051

Grant receivable writeoff — 130,000

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities (54,326) (1,001,116)

Financing activities

Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:

Non-cash investing and financing activities:

Insurance premium financed by note payable $ 398,728 $ 570,560

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

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SALARIUS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (DEFICIT)

Shares Amount

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

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SALARIUS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

NOTE 1. ORGANIZATION AND OPERATIONS

Nature of Business

Salarius Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Salarius” or the “Company”), together with its subsidiaries, Salarius Pharmaceuticals, LLC, Flex Innovation Group LLC, and TK Pharma, Inc., is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that has been focused on developing effective treatments for patients with cancer with high, unmet medical need. Specifically, Salarius has been concentrated on developing treatments for cancers caused by dysregulated gene expression (i.e., genes which are incorrectly turned on or off). Salarius has two classes of drugs that address gene dysregulation: targeted protein inhibitors and targeted protein degraders. Salarius’ technologies have the potential to work in both liquid and solid tumors. Salarius’ current pipeline consists of two small molecule drugs: (1) SP-3164, a targeted protein degrader, and (2) seclidemstat (“SP-2577”), a targeted protein inhibitor. The Company is located in Houston, Texas. On August 8, 2023, the Company announced that it retained Canaccord Genuity, LLC to lead a comprehensive review of strategic alternatives focusing on maximizing stockholder value, including but not limited to, an acquisition, merger, reverse merger, divestiture of assets, licensing, or other strategic transactions involving the Company. In connection with the evaluation of strategic alternatives and in order to extend Company resources, the Company implemented multiple cost-savings plans to extend the Company’s expected cash runway into the later part of the second quarter of 2025.

On January 10, 2025, Salarius entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with Decoy Therapeutics MergerSub I, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Salarius (“First Merger Sub”), Decoy Therapeutics MergerSub II, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and wholly owned subsidiary of Salarius (“Second Merger Sub”), and Decoy. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, and subject to the satisfaction and waiver of certain conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement, Salarius will combine with Decoy (the “Merger”) by causing First Merger Sub to be merged with and into Decoy, with Decoy surviving the merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of Salarius (the “First Merger”). Immediately following the First Merger, Decoy will merge with and into Second Merger Sub, with Second Merger Sub being the surviving entity and continuing under the name “Decoy Therapeutics, LLC” as a wholly owned subsidiary of Salarius. See Note 11, Subsequent Events, for further information.

Going Concern

Salarius has no products approved for commercial sale, has not generated any revenue from product sales to date and has suffered recurring losses from operations since its inception. The lack of revenue from product sales to date and recurring losses from operations since its inception raise substantial doubt as to the Company's ability to continue as a going concern. The accompanying financial statements are prepared using accounting principles generally accepted in the United States applicable to a going concern, which contemplates the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. The financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts and classification of liabilities should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern. Based on Salarius’ expected cash requirements, Salarius believes that there is substantial doubt that its existing cash and cash equivalents, will be sufficient to fund its operations through one year from the financial statements' issuance date. The Company may attempt to obtain additional capital through the sale of equity securities in one or more offerings or through issuances of debt instruments, and may also consider new collaborations or selectively partnering its technology. However, the Company cannot provide any assurance that it will be successful in accomplishing any of its plans.

If the Company is unable to consummate the Merger or obtain additional capital in the very near term, it will be forced to cease operations, liquidate its assets and pursue the winding down and dissolution of the Company.

Reverse Stock Splits

On June 14, 2024, the Company filed a Certificate of Amendment to the Company’s restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware to effect a 1-for-8 reverse stock split of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “2024 Reverse Stock Split”) which became effective as of June 14, 2024.

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On October 14, 2022, the Company filed a Certificate of Amendment to the Company’s restated certificate of incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware to effect a 1-for-25 reverse stock split of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “2022 Reverse Stock Split” and together with the 2024 Reverse Stock Split, the “Reverse Stock Splits”) which became effective as of October 14, 2022.

All historical share and per share amounts reflected throughout this report have been adjusted to reflect the Reverse Stock Splits.

NOTE 2. BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP"). Any reference in these notes to applicable guidance is meant to refer to the authoritative GAAP as found in the Accounting Standard Codification ("ASC") and Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") of the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB").

The Company considered its going concern disclosure requirements in accordance with ASC 205-40-50.The Company has performed an analysis and concluded substantial doubt exists with respect to the Company being able to continue as a going concern through one year from the date of issuance of the consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024.

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America as defined by the FASB ASC requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect certain reported amounts and disclosures. Accordingly, actual results could differ from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Salarius considers all highly-liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that their carrying value may not be recoverable. If the carrying amount of an asset exceeds its estimated future cash flows, an impairment charge is recognized in the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the fair value of the asset. There were no impairment charges related to long-lived assets during the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.

Financial Instruments and Credit Risks

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to credit risk include cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash. Cash is deposited in demand accounts in federally insured domestic institutions to minimize risk. Insurance is provided through the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”). Although the balances in these accounts exceed the federally insured limit from time to time, the Company has not incurred losses related to these deposits.

Warrants

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The Company determines whether warrants should be classified as a liability or equity. For warrants classified as liabilities, the Company estimates the fair value of the warrants at each reporting period using Level 3 inputs with changes in fair value recorded in the Consolidated Statement of Operations within change in fair value of warrant liability. The estimates in valuation models are based, in part, on subjective assumptions, including but not limited to stock price volatility, the expected life of the warrants, the risk-free interest rate and the fair value of the common stock underlying the warrants, and could differ materially in the future. The Company will continue to adjust the fair value of the warrant liability at the end of each reporting period for changes in fair value from the prior period until the earlier of the exercise or expiration of the applicable warrant. For warrants classified as equity contracts, the Company allocates the transaction proceeds to the warrants and any other free-standing instruments issued in the transaction based on an allowable allocation method.

Clinical Trial Accruals

The Company’s preclinical and clinical trials are performed by third party contract research organizations (CROs) and/or clinical investigators, and clinical supplies are manufactured by contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs). Invoicing from these third parties may be monthly based upon services performed or based upon milestones achieved. The Company accrues these expenses based upon its assessment of the status of each clinical trial and the work completed, and upon information obtained from the CROs and CMOs. The Company’s estimates are dependent upon the timeliness and accuracy of data provided by the CROs and CMOs regarding the status and cost of the studies, and may not match the actual services performed by the organizations. This could result in adjustments to the Company’s research and development expenses in future periods. To date the Company has had no significant adjustments.

Grants Receivable and Revenue Recognition

Salarius’ source of revenue has been from a grant received from CPRIT. Grant revenue is recognized when qualifying costs are incurred and there is reasonable assurance that conditions of the grant have been met. Cash received from grants in advance of incurring qualifying costs is recorded as deferred revenue and recognized as revenue when qualifying costs are incurred. The Company records revenue and a corresponding grants receivable when qualifying costs are incurred before the grants are received. The Company's CPRIT grant expired during 2023 and no additional amounts are expected to be recognized or received.

Research and Development Costs

Research and development costs consist of expenses incurred in performing research and development activities, including pre-clinical studies and clinical trials. Research and development costs include salaries and personnel-related costs, consulting fees, fees paid for contract research services, the costs of laboratory equipment and facilities, license fees and other external costs. Research and development costs are expensed when incurred.

Equity-Based Compensation

Salarius measures equity-based compensation based on the grant date fair value of the awards and recognizes the associated expense in the financial statements over the requisite service period of the award, which is generally the vesting period.

The Company uses the Black-Scholes option valuation model to estimate the fair value of the stock-based compensation and incentive units. Assumptions utilized in these models include expected volatility calculated based on implied volatility from traded stocks of peer companies, dividend yield and risk-free interest rate. Additionally, forfeitures are accounted for in compensation cost as they occur.

Segment Information

Operating segments are identified as components of an enterprise for which separate discrete financial information is available for evaluation by the chief operating decision maker, or CODM, in making decisions on how to allocate resources and assess performance. The CODM is the Company’s Chief Executive Officer. The Company views its operations as and manages its business in one operating segment, focused on the discovery and development therapeutics for patients with cancer with high, unmet medical need. The Company operates in one geographic segment. Segment information is further described in Note 10, “Segment Reporting”.

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Loss Per Share

Basic net loss per share is calculated by dividing the net loss applicable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Since the Company was in a loss position for all periods presented, diluted net loss per share is the same as basic net loss per share for all periods, as the inclusion of all potential common shares outstanding is anti-dilutive.

The number of anti-dilutive shares, consisting of common shares underlying (i) common stock options, (ii) stock purchase warrants, (iii) unvested restricted stock and (iv) rights entitling holders to receive warrants to purchase the Company's common shares, which have been excluded from the computation of diluted loss per share, was 592,524 and 1,366,892 shares as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Income Taxes

Income taxes are recorded in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes ("ASC 740"), which provides for deferred taxes using an asset and liability approach. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the difference between the financial reporting and the tax reporting basis of assets and liabilities and are measured using the enacted tax rates and laws that are expected to be in effect when the differences are expected to reverse. The Company provides a valuation allowance against net deferred tax assets unless, based upon the available evidence, it is more likely than not that the deferred tax assets will be realized. The Company has evaluated available evidence and concluded that the Company may not realize the benefit of its deferred tax assets; therefore, a valuation allowance has been established for the full amount of the deferred tax assets.

The Company accounts for uncertain tax positions in accordance with the provisions of ASC 740. When uncertain tax positions exist, the Company recognizes the tax benefit of tax positions to the extent that the benefit will more likely than not be realized. The determination as to whether the tax benefit will more likely than not be realized is based upon the technical merits of the tax position as well as consideration of the available facts and circumstances. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company did not have any significant uncertain tax positions and no interest or penalties have been charged. The Company's practice is to recognize interest and/or penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense. The Company is subject to routine audits by taxing jurisdictions.

Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted

In December 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures, which is intended to improve the transparency of income tax disclosures by requiring consistent categories and greater disaggregation of information in the effective tax rate reconciliation and income taxes paid by jurisdiction. The ASU is effective for public business entities for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. The Company will adopt ASU No. 2023-09 prospectively in its fiscal year 2025.

In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU No. 2024-03, Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income - Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40): Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses (“ASU No. 2024-03”), which requires disaggregated disclosure of certain costs and expenses, including purchases of inventory, employee compensation, depreciation, amortization and depletion, within relevant income statement captions. ASU No. 2024-03 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2026 and for interim periods beginning after December 15, 2027 on a retrospective or prospective basis, with early adoption permitted. The Company is evaluating the effect that ASU No. 2024-03 will have on its financial statement disclosures.

Recently Adopted Accounting Standard

In November 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2023-07, “Segment Reporting - Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures,” which requires disclosure of incremental segment information on an annual and interim basis and also requires companies with a single reportable segment to provide all disclosures required by this ASU and all existing segment disclosures in Accounting Standard Codification (“ASC”) 280, “Segment Reporting.”The requirements of the ASU are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023 and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2024. The adoption of the standard did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

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In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, which requires the measurement of all expected credit losses for financial assets including trade receivables held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. Subsequent to the issuance of ASU 2016-13, the FASB issued ASU 2018-19, Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses. This ASU does not change the core principle of the guidance in ASU 2016-13, instead these amendments are intended to clarify and improve operability of certain topics included within the credit losses guidance. The FASB also subsequently issued ASU No. 2019-04, Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815), and Financial Instruments (Topic 825), which did not change the core principle of the guidance in ASU 2016-13, but clarified that expected recoveries of amounts previously written off and expected to be written off should be included in the valuation account and should not exceed amounts previously written off and expected to be written off. The guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2019 for public business entities, excluding smaller reporting companies. Early adoption is permitted. As a smaller reporting company, the guidance was effective for the Company on January 1, 2023. The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact to this Company's consolidated financial statements.

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NOTE 3. GRANTS RECEIVABLE

Grants receivable represents qualifying costs incurred where there is reasonable assurance that conditions of the grant have been met but the corresponding funds have not been received as of the reporting date. Grants receivable balances were $0 as of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively. The Company received $1.5 million from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas on February 15, 2023.

NOTE 4. PREPAID EXPENSES AND OTHER CURRENT ASSETS

Prepaid expenses and other current assets at December 31, 2024 and 2023 consisted of the following:

December 31,

Deferred offering cost 221,580 —

Total prepaid expenses and other current assets $ 553,034 $ 619,763

Prepaid insurance is mainly comprised of prepaid directors' and officers' insurance. In July 2024 and 2023, the Company financed its directors and officers' insurance premium with a short term note the principal amount of which is approximately $0.4 million and $0.6 million bearing interest at a rate of 9.74% and 7.87%, respectively. The note payable balance, which was included within Current Liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheet was $0.2 million and $0.3millionas of December 31, 2024 and 2023 .

NOTE 5. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas

In June 2016, the Company entered into a Cancer Research Grant Contract with CPRIT. Pursuant to the contract, CPRIT awarded the Company a grant up to $18.7 million, further modified to $16.1 million to fund development of LSD 1 inhibitor. The grant expired during 2023.

The Company will retain ownership over any intellectual property developed under the contract ("Project Result"). With respect to non-commercial use of any Project Result, the Company agreed to grant to CPRIT a nonexclusive, irrevocable, royalty-free, perpetual, worldwide license with right to sublicense any necessary additional intellectual property rights to exploit all Project Results by CPRIT, other governmental entities and agencies of the State of Texas, and private or independent institutions of higher education located in Texas, for education, research and other non-commercial purposes.

The Company is obligated to make revenue-sharing payments to CPRIT with respect to net sales of any product covered by the contract, up to a maximum repayment of certain percentage of the aggregate amount paid to the Company by CPRIT under the CPRIT contract. The payments are determined as a percentage of net sales, which may be reduced if the Company is required to obtain a license from a third party to sell any such product. In addition, upon meeting the foregoing limitation on revenue-sharing payments, the Company agreed to make continued revenue-sharing payments to CPRIT of less than 1% of net sales.

License Agreement with the University of Utah Research Foundation

In 2011, the Company entered into a license agreement with the University of Utah, under which, the Company acquired license to LSD 1. In exchange for the license, the Company issued 2% equity ownership in the Company based on a fully diluted basis at the effective date of the agreement and subject to certain adjustments specified in the agreement, granted revenue sharing rights on any resulting products or processes to commence on first commercial sale, and milestone payments based upon regulatory approval of any resulting product or process as well as on the second anniversary of first commercial sale.

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Lease Agreement

The Company presently leases office space under operating lease agreements on a month to month basis.

6. FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

Certain assets and liabilities are carried at fair value under GAAP. Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. Valuation techniques used to measure fair value must maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. A fair value hierarchy based on three levels of inputs, of which the first two are considered observable and the last is considered unobservable, are used to measure fair value:

Level 1-Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

Level 2-Inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.

Level 3-Significant unobservable inputs including Salarius’ own assumptions in determining fair value.

The Company believes the recorded values of its financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents, accounts payable and note payable approximate their fair values due to the short-term nature of these instruments.

7. STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

Common Stock Issuances

On February 5, 2021, the Company entered into an At the Market Offering Agreement ("ATM") with Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. Under this agreement the Company is able to issue and sell, from time to time, shares of its common stock. On February 5, 2021 and July 2, 2021, the Company filed prospectus supplements with the SEC to register the offering and sale of Common Stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $6.3 million and $25.0 million, respectively. During the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company sold 608,949 and 87,034 shares of common stock under the At the Market Offering Agreement with gross proceeds of $1.7 million and $1.7 million, respectively.

On May 11, 2023, the Company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with an accredited investor (the “Investor”), pursuant to which the Company agreed to issue and sell to the Investor in a private placement (the “Offering”) (i) 41,250 shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, par $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”), (ii) pre-funded warrants (the “Pre-Funded Warrants”) to purchase up to 413,296 shares of Common Stock, (iii) Series A-1 warrants (the “Series A-1 Warrants”) to purchase up to 454,546 shares of Common Stock and (iv) Series A-2 warrants (the “Series A-2 Warrants”) and together with the Series A-1 Warrants, the “Common Stock Warrants,” and together with the Pre-Funded Warrants, the “Warrants”) to purchase up to 454,546 shares of Common Stock, at a purchase price of (a) $13.2 per Share and accompanying Common Stock Warrants and (b) $13.1992 per Pre-Funded Warrant and accompanying Common Stock Warrants. The aggregate gross proceeds from the Offering were approximately $6 million, exclusive of placement agent fees and expenses and other offering expenses. The Offering closed on May 16, 2023. All of the Series A-2 Warrants had expired as of December 31, 2024.

All of Pre-Funded Warrants were fully exercised as of December 31, 2024.

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On December 12, 2024, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with C/M Capital Master Fund, LP (the “Purchaser”), pursuant to which the Company, subject to the restrictions and satisfaction of the conditions in the Purchase Agreement, has the right, but not the obligation, to sell to the Purchaser, and the Purchaser is obligated to purchase, up to the lesser of (i) $10 million of newly issued shares (the “Purchase Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, $0.0001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”) and (ii) a specified cap dictated by the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market. As consideration for the Purchaser’s execution and delivery of the Purchase Agreement, the Company has agreed to issue to the Purchaser, simultaneously with the delivery of any and all Purchase Shares purchased under the Purchase Agreement, a number of shares of Common Stock equal to one percent (1%) of the number of Purchase Shares actually sold in each sale under the Purchase Agreement (the “Commitment Shares” and, together with the Purchase Shares, the “Securities”).

Warrants Exercised for Cash

The Company has five-year warrants outstanding that were issued in February 2020 and subsequently modified in December 2020 in connection with the issuance of additional inducement warrants. The warrants are exercisable at a price per share of $230.00. The inducement warrants expire on June 11, 2026, and are exercisable at a price per share of $236.40. The Company has 35,023 warrants outstanding that were issued in April 2022, with an exercise price of $67.98 per share. The warrants were exercisable six months following the issuance date and will expire five and one-half years from the issuance date. During the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, no warrants were exercised.

In May 2023, the Company issued Series A-1 Warrants that are exercisable for a period of five and one-half (5.5) years from the issuance date at an exercise price of $11.2 per share. Series A-2 Warrants are exercisable for a period of eighteen (18) months from the issuance date at an exercise price of $11.2 per share. Each Pre-Funded Warrant was sold in lieu of shares of Common Stock, are exercisable immediately upon issuance, have an exercise price of $0.0001 per share and expire when exercised in full. During the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, no Series A-1 or A-2 warrants were exercised. All of the Series A-2 Warrants had expired as of December 31, 2024.

In connection with the above mentioned Offering, the Company issued warrants to its exclusive placement agency H.C Wainwright & Co., LLC to purchase up to 31,818 shares of common stock at an exercise price per share of $16.5 and a term of five and one-half (5.5) years. During the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, no warrants were exercised.

As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, approximately 560,839 and 1,355,598 warrants remained outstanding, respectively.

The terms of the outstanding warrants require the Company, upon the consummation of any fundamental transaction to, among other obligations, cause any successor entity resulting from the fundamental transaction to assume the Company's obligations under the warrants and the associated transaction documents. In addition, holders of warrants are entitled to participate in any fundamental transaction on an as-converted or as-exercised basis, which could result in the holders of the Company's common stock receiving a lesser portion of the consideration from a fundamental transaction. The terms of the warrants could also impede the Company's ability to enter into certain transactions or obtain additional financing in the future.

8. EQUITY-BASED COMPENSATION

Equity Incentive Plans

The Company has granted options to employees, directors, and consultants under the 2015 Equity Incentive Plan (the "2015 Plan"). The 2015 Plan provides for the grant of incentive stock options ("ISOs"), nonstatutory stock options, restricted stock awards, restricted stock units, stock appreciation rights, performance-based stock awards and other stock-based awards. Additionally, the 2015 Plan provides for the grant of performance-based cash awards. ISOs may be granted only to the Company's employees. All other awards may be granted to the Company's employees, including officers, and to non-employee directors and consultants. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, there were 9,844 and 10,542 shares, respectively, remaining available for the grant of stock option under the 2015 Plan. The 2015 Plan expired in accordance with its terms in January 2025.

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During the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company awarded 21,125 and 0, respectively, stock options to its employees and directors, pursuant to the plan described above. Stock options generally vest over one to four years and have a contractual term of ten years. Stock options are valued using the Black-Scholes option pricing model and compensation cost is recognized based on the resulting value over the service period. Expected volatilities utilized in the model are based on implied volatilities from traded stocks of peer companies. Similarly, the dividend yield is based on historical experience and the estimate of future dividend yields. The risk-free interest rate is derived from the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant. The expected term of the options is based on the average period the stock options are expected to remain outstanding. The fair value of the option grants of $0.1 million has been estimated with the following assumptions for the year ended December 31, 2024:

Risk-free interest rate 4.25%-4.61%

Expected life (years) 5 -6 years

Expected dividend yield 0.00 %

The following table summarizes stock option activity for employees and non-employees for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:

Granted — —

Exercised — —

Expired — —

Exercised —

Expired —

As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, there was approximately $0.1 million and $0.3 million of total unrecognized compensation cost, respectively, related to unvested stock options. Total unrecognized compensation cost will be adjusted for future changes in employee and non-employee forfeitures, if any. The Company expects to recognize that cost over a remaining weighted-average period of 0.51 years.

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9. INCOME TAX

The Company has no current or deferred tax expense due to its current year loss and its overall net operating loss position. A reconciliation of the federal statutory tax rate and the effective tax rates for the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 is as follows:

December 31

Federal Tax at Statutory Rate 21.00% 21.00%

Change in Valuation Allowance (21.51)% (22.77)%

True Ups —% —%

Effective Tax Rate —% —%

The tax effects of temporary differences that give rise to significant portions of the deferred tax assets were as follows:

December 31

Net deferred tax assets (liabilities) $ — $ —

The valuation allowance recorded by the Company as of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 resulted from the uncertainties of the future utilization of deferred tax assets relating from NOL carry forwards for federal and state income tax purposes. Realization of the NOL carry forwards is contingent on future taxable earnings. The deferred tax asset was reviewed for expected utilization using a “more likely than not” approach by assessing the available positive and negative evidence surrounding its recoverability. Accordingly, a full valuation allowance continues to be recorded against the Company’s deferred tax asset, as it was determined based upon past and projected future losses that it was “more likely than not” that the Company’s deferred tax assets would not be realized. In future years, if the deferred tax assets are determined by management to be “more likely than not” to be realized, the recognized tax benefits relating to the reversal of the valuation allowance will be recorded. The Company will continue to assess and evaluate strategies that will enable the deferred tax asset, or portion thereof, to be utilized, and will reduce the valuation allowance appropriately as such time when it is determined that the “more likely than not” criteria is satisfied.

The federal net operating loss carryforwards of $39.8 million have an indefinite life, but the R&D credits of $3.5 million begin to expire in 2039. Due to the change in ownership provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, the availability of the Company’s net operating loss carry forwards could be subject to annual limitations against taxable income in future periods, which could substantially limit the eventual utilization of such carry forwards. The Company has not analyzed the historical or potential impact of its equity financings on beneficial ownership and therefore no determination has been made whether the net operating loss carry forward is subject to any Internal Revenue Code Section 382 limitation. To the extent there is a limitation, there could be a reduction in the deferred tax asset with an offsetting reduction in the valuation allowance.

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Tax positions taken or expected to be taken in the course of preparing the Company’s tax returns are required to be evaluated to determine whether the tax positions are “more-likely-than-not” of being sustained by the applicable tax authority. Tax positions not deemed to meet a more-likely-than-not threshold, as well as accrued interest and penalties, if any, would be recorded as an interest and penalties expense in the current year. There were no uncertain tax positions that require accrual or disclosure to the financial statements as of December 31, 2024.

10. SEGMENT REPORTING

The Company has been concentrated on developing treatments for cancers caused by dysregulated gene expression. The current pipeline consists of two small molecule drugs: (1) SP-3164, a targeted protein degrader, and (2) seclidemstat (“SP-2577”), a targeted protein inhibitor. The Company does not have any revenue generating products.

For the year ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the Company identified one operating and reportable segment relating to its operations. The Company defines its operating segment based on internally reported financial information that is regularly reviewed by the Chief Operating Decision Maker (the CODM), its Chief Executive Officer. The CODM reviews the segment’s loss based on net loss reported on the consolidated statement of operations.

The Company’s CODM views specific categories within research and development expenses and general and administrative expenses as significant given the direct correlation between cash burn as a pre-revenue company. The table below is a summary of the segment loss, including significant segment expenses:

Year Ended December 31

Expenses:

Research and development:

General and administrative:

11. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

On January 10, 2025, we entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with Decoy Therapeutics MergerSub I, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (“First Merger Sub”), Decoy Therapeutics MergerSub II, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (“Second Merger Sub”), and Decoy. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, the Company will combine with Decoy (the “Merger”) by causing First Merger Sub to be merged with and into Decoy, with Decoy surviving the merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the “First Merger”). Immediately following the First Merger, Decoy will merge with and into Second Merger Sub, with Second Merger Sub being the surviving entity and continuing under the name “Decoy Therapeutics, LLC” as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company.

The Merger is structured as a stock-for-stock transaction pursuant to which all of Decoy’s outstanding equity interests will be exchanged based on an exchange ratio for consideration of a combination of (a) shares of the Company’s common stock par value $0.0001 (the “Common Stock”) in an amount up to (i) 19.9% of the Company’s

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total shares outstanding as of January 10, 2025 minus (ii) any shares of Salarius' Common Stock issued in any private placement between January 10, 2025 and the effective time of the First Merger (the "First Effective Time"), and (b) shares of Series A Preferred Stock, which is a newly designated series of preferred stock (“Preferred Stock”) that is intended to have economic rights equivalent to the Common Stock, but with only limited voting rights, in addition to the assumption of outstanding and unexercised stock options to purchase shares of Common Stock from the Decoy Therapeutics Inc. 2020 Equity Incentive Plan. The number of shares of common stock to be issued at the Closing and the number of shares of common stock underlying the Series A Preferred Stock to be issued at Closing is based on an exchange ratio which assumes a base value of $28.0 million for Decoy and $4.6 million for Salarius, subject in each case to adjustment based on the balance sheet cash available to each Salarius and Decoy at Closing (excluding any proceeds raised in in the Qualified Financing, as defined below). Based on these relative values, before taking into account the dilutive effects of the Qualified Financing, Salarius’ legacy stockholders would retain approximately 14.1% of Salarius on an as-converted-to-common basis and, after giving effect to the exchange ratio and the conversion of the Series A Preferred Stock, Decoy stockholders would own approximately 85.9% of Salarius.