UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (date of Earliest Event Reported): May 18, 2017

moleculin biotech, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

2575 WEST BELLFORT, SUITE 333, HOUSTON TX 77054

(Address of principal executive offices and zip code)

(713) 300-5160

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

(Former name or former address, if changed from last report) 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

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

Emerging growth company ☒

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

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

On May 18, 2017, Moleculin Biotech, Inc. (the “Company”) received a deficiency letter from the Listing Qualifications Department (the “Staff”) of the Nasdaq Stock Market (“Nasdaq”) notifying the Company that for the last 30 consecutive business days the bid price for the Company’s common stock had closed below the minimum $1.00 per share requirement for continued inclusion on the Nasdaq Capital Market pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) (the “Bid Price Rule”). The deficiency letter does not result in the immediate delisting of the Company’s common stock from the Nasdaq Capital Market.

In accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A) (the “Compliance Period Rule”), the Company has been provided an initial period of 180 calendar days, or until November 14, 2017 (the “Compliance Date”), to regain compliance with the Bid Price Rule. If, at any time before the Compliance Date, the bid price for the Company’s common stock closes at $1.00 or more for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days as required under the Compliance Period Rule, the Staff will provide written notification to the Company that it complies with the Bid Price Rule, unless the Staff exercises its discretion to extend this 10 day period pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(F).

If the Company is not in compliance with the Bid Price Rule by November 14, 2017, the Company may be afforded a second 180 calendar day period to regain compliance. To qualify, the Company would be required to meet the continued listing requirement for market value of publicly held shares and all other initial listing standards for The Nasdaq Capital Market, except for the minimum bid price requirement. In addition, the Company would be required to notify Nasdaq of its intent to cure the minimum bid price deficiency, which may include, if necessary, implementing a reverse stock split.

If the Company does not regain compliance with the Bid Price Rule by the Compliance Date and is not eligible for an additional compliance period at that time, the Staff will provide written notification to the Company that its common stock may be delisted. The Company would then be entitled to appeal the Staff’s determination to a NASDAQ Listing Qualifications Panel and request a hearing. There can be no assurance that, if the Company does appeal the delisting determination by the Staff to the NASDAQ Listing Qualifications Panel, that such appeal would be successful.

The Company intends to monitor the closing bid price of its common stock and may, if appropriate, consider available options to regain compliance with the Bid Price Rule, which could include effecting a reverse stock split. However, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to regain compliance with the Bid Price Rule.

SIGNATURE

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