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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 31, 2026

 

Registration No. 333-          

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

 

FORM S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

 

Oncolytics Biotech Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Nevada 98-0541667
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)

 

4350 Executive Drive, Suite 325

San Diego, California 92121

(403) 670-7377

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

 

 

Jared Kelly

Chief Executive Officer

Oncolytics Biotech Inc.

4350 Executive Drive, Suite 325

San Diego, California 92121

(403) 670-7377

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

 

 

 

Copies to:

 

Christopher Clark

Latham & Watkins LLP

555 11th Street, NW, Suite 1000

Washington, District of Columbia 20004

(202) 637-2200

 

 

 

APPROXIMATE DATE OF COMMENCEMENT OF PROPOSED SALE TO THE PUBLIC: From time to time after the effective date of this registration statement.

 

If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. ¨

 

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box. x

 

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨

 

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨

 

If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ¨

 

If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ¨

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large accelerated filer ¨ Accelerated filer ¨
Non-accelerated filer x Smaller reporting company x
    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 7(a)(2)(B) of Securities Act. ¨

 

 

 

The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 

 

 

 

EXPLANATORY NOTE

 

This registration statement on Form S-3 (this “Registration Statement”) is being filed by Oncolytics Biotech Inc. (the “Company”) pursuant to Rule 415(a)(6) under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), to replace the Company’s registration statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-289819) filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on August 22, 2025 (as amended, the “Prior Registration Statement”).

 

Pursuant to Rule 415(a)(6) under the Securities Act, we are registering on this Registration Statement an aggregate of $139.0 million of unsold securities (the “Unsold Securities”) previously registered under the Prior Registration Statement to be offered, issued and sold by the Company, and the filing fee associated therewith (which amount is based on the filing fee rate in effect at the time of the filing of the Prior Registration Statement) is hereby carried forward to be applied to the Unsold Securities and no additional filing fee is due with respect to such Unsold Securities in connection with the filing of this Registration Statement.

 

In accordance with Rule 415(a)(6), the effectiveness of this Registration Statement will be deemed to terminate the Prior Registration Statement.

 

 

 

 

The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. These securities may not be sold until the registration statement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell nor does it seek an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

Subject to Completion, dated March 31, 2026

 

 

PROSPECTUS

 

 

 

$250,000,000

 

Common Stock
Preferred Stock
Warrants
Purchase Contracts
Units

 

 

 

We may offer and sell up to $250,000,000 in the aggregate of the securities identified above from time to time in one or more offerings. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities.

 

Each time we offer and sell securities, we will provide a supplement to this prospectus that contains specific information about the offering and the amounts, prices and terms of the securities. The supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus with respect to that offering. You should carefully read this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, together with the documents we incorporate by reference herein and therein, before you invest in any of our securities.

 

We may offer and sell the securities described in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement to or through one or more underwriters, dealers and agents, or directly to purchasers, or through a combination of these methods. If any underwriters, dealers or agents are involved in the sale of any of the securities, their names and any applicable purchase price, fee, commission or discount arrangement between or among them will be set forth, or will be calculable from the information set forth, in the applicable prospectus supplement. See the sections of this prospectus entitled “About this Prospectus” and “Plan of Distribution” for more information. No securities may be sold without delivery of this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement describing the method and terms of the offering of such securities.

 

INVESTING IN OUR SECURITIES INVOLVES RISKS. SEE THE “RISK FACTORS” ON PAGE 5 OF THIS PROSPECTUS AND ANY SIMILAR SECTION CONTAINED IN THE APPLICABLE PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT CONCERNING FACTORS YOU SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE INVESTING IN OUR SECURITIES.

 

Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “ONCY.” On March 30, 2026, the last reported sale price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market was $0.805 per share.

 

Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

 

The date of this prospectus is                    , 2026

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS 1
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS 2
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION; INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE 3
THE COMPANY 4
RISK FACTORS 5
USE OF PROCEEDS 6
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK 7
DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS 12
DESCRIPTION OF PURCHASE CONTRACTS 13
DESCRIPTION OF UNITS 14
GLOBAL SECURITIES 15
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION 19
LEGAL MATTERS 21
EXPERTS 21

 

 

 

 

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

 

This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the SEC using a “shelf” registration process. By using a shelf registration statement, we may sell securities from time to time and in one or more offerings up to a total dollar amount of $250,000,000 as described in this prospectus. Each time that we offer and sell securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement to this prospectus that contains specific information about the securities being offered and sold and the specific terms of that offering. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you that may contain material information relating to these offerings. Any such prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus may also add, update or change information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus with respect to that offering. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, you should rely on the prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, as applicable, and if any statement in one of these documents is inconsistent with a statement in another document having a later date—for example, a document incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement—the statement in the document having the later date modifies or supersedes the earlier statement. Before purchasing any securities, you should carefully read both this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement (and any applicable free writing prospectuses), together with the additional information described under the section titled “Where You Can Find More Information; Incorporation by Reference” in this prospectus.

 

We have not authorized anyone to provide you with any information or to make any representations other than those contained in, or incorporated by reference into, this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any free writing prospectuses prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. We will not make an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement to this prospectus is accurate only as of the date on its respective cover, that the information appearing in any applicable free writing prospectus is accurate only as of the date of that free writing prospectus and that any information incorporated by reference is accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated by reference, unless we indicate otherwise. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates. This prospectus incorporates by reference, and any prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus may contain and incorporate by reference, market data and industry statistics and forecasts that are based on independent industry publications and other publicly available information. Although we believe these sources are reliable, we do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of this information and we have not independently verified this information. In addition, the market and industry data and forecasts that may be included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement or any applicable free writing prospectus may involve estimates, assumptions and other risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various factors, including those discussed under the section titled “Risk Factors” contained in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and any applicable free writing prospectus, and under similar sections in other documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on this information.

 

When we refer to “Oncolytics,” the “Company,” “we,” “our” or “us” in this prospectus, we mean Oncolytics Biotech Inc. unless otherwise specified. When we refer to “you,” we mean the potential holders of the applicable series of securities.

 

Oncolytics, the Oncolytics logo and other trademarks, tradenames or service marks of Oncolytics appearing in this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, including the documents incorporated herein and therein, are the property of Oncolytics. This prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, including the documents incorporated herein and therein, may also include trademarks, tradenames and service marks that are the property of other organizations. Use or display by us of other parties’ trademarks, tradenames or service marks is not intended to and does not imply a relationship with, or endorsements or sponsorship of, us by the trademark, tradename or service mark owner. Solely for convenience, trademarks and tradenames referred to in this prospectus appear without the ® or ™ symbols, but those references are not intended to indicate in any way that we or the applicable owners will not assert our rights or their rights to the fullest extent under applicable law to these trademarks and tradenames.

 

1 

 

 

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

This prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, including the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein, contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended (the “PLSA”), concerning our business, operations and financial performance and condition, as well as our plans, objectives and expectations for our business operations and financial performance and condition. Any statements contained herein or therein that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “due,” “estimate,” “expect,” “goal,” “intend,” “may,” “objective,” “plan,” “predict,” “potential,” “positioned,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” and other similar expressions that are predictions or indicate future events and future trends, or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology.

 

You should read this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus completely, including the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein, and with the understanding that our actual results may differ materially from what we expect as expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements. In light of the significant risks and uncertainties to which our forward-looking statements are subject, you should not place undue reliance on or regard these statements as a representation or warranty by us or any other person that we will achieve our objectives and plans in any specified timeframe, or at all. We discuss many of these risks in greater detail in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus or the documents incorporated by reference herein or therein, including under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in this prospectus and any similar section contained in any applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus.

 

These forward-looking statements represent our estimates and assumptions only as of the date of such document, and any information incorporated by reference is accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated by reference, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement and any applicable free writing prospectus, or any sale of our securities. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or publicly revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For all forward-looking statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the PLSA.

 

2 

 

 

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION;
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

 

Available Information

 

We file reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. The SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information about issuers, such as us, who file electronically with the SEC. The address of that website is www.sec.gov.

 

Our website address is www.oncolyticsbiotech.com. The information on, or accessible through, our website is not part of, and is not incorporated into, this prospectus or any prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus. We have included our website address as an inactive textual reference only.

 

This prospectus, any prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus are part of a registration statement that we filed with the SEC and do not contain all of the information in the registration statement. The full registration statement may be obtained from the SEC or us, as provided below. Other documents establishing the terms of the offered securities are or may be filed as exhibits to the registration statement or documents incorporated by reference in the registration statement. Statements in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement about these documents are summaries and each statement is qualified in all respects by reference to the document to which it refers. You should refer to the actual documents for a more complete description of the relevant matters. You may inspect a copy of the registration statement through the SEC’s website, as provided above.

 

Incorporation by Reference

 

The SEC’s rules allow us to “incorporate by reference” information into this prospectus, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to another document filed separately with the SEC. The information incorporated by reference is deemed to be part of this prospectus, and subsequent information that we file with the SEC will automatically update and supersede that information. Any statement contained in this prospectus or a previously filed document incorporated by reference will be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus or a subsequently filed document incorporated by reference modifies or replaces that statement.

 

This prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement incorporate by reference the documents set forth below that have previously been filed with the SEC:

 

·our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the SEC on March 30, 2026;
   
·our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 12, 2026, January 15, 2026, January 15, 2026, February 4, 2026, February 24, 2026, March 2, 2026, March 19, 2026, and March 20, 2026; and
   
·the description of our common stock contained in Exhibit 4.1 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the SEC on March 30, 2026, including any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating the description.
   

All reports and other documents we subsequently file pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), prior to the termination of this offering, including all such documents we may file with the SEC after the date of the initial registration statement and prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement, but excluding any information furnished to, rather than filed with, the SEC, will also be incorporated by reference into this prospectus and deemed to be part of this prospectus from the date of the filing of such reports and documents.

 

You may request a free copy of any of the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus by writing or telephoning us at the following address:

 

Oncolytics Biotech Inc.
4350 Executive Drive, Suite 325
San Diego, California 92121
(403) 670-7377
Attention: Corporate Secretary

 

Exhibits to the filings will not be sent, however, unless those exhibits have specifically been incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement.

 

3 

 

 

THE COMPANY

 

Overview

 

We are a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing pelareorep, a well-tolerated intravenously delivered immunotherapeutic agent that selectively replicates in RAS-mutated tumors and activates the innate and adaptive immune systems and weakens tumor defense mechanisms. This improves the ability of the immune system to fight cancer, making tumors more susceptible to a broad range of oncology treatments.

 

Pelareorep is a proprietary isolate of reovirus, a naturally occurring, non-pathogenic double-stranded RNA virus commonly found in environmental waters. Pelareorep has shown promising results in changing the tumor microenvironment (“TME”). This creates a more immunologically favorable TME, making the tumor more susceptible to various treatment combinations. These treatments include chemotherapies, checkpoint inhibitors and other immuno-oncology approaches, such as CAR T therapies, bispecific antibodies and RAS or CDK4/6 inhibitors. Pelareorep induces a new army of tumor-reactive T cells, helps these cells to infiltrate the tumor through an inflammatory process and upregulates the expression of PD-1/PD-L1. By priming the immune system with pelareorep, we believe we can increase the proportion of patients who respond to various cancer treatments, including immunotherapies, especially in cancers where existing treatment regimens have failed or provided limited benefit.

 

Corporate Information

 

We were formed under the Business Corporations Act (Alberta) on April 2, 1998 as 779738 Alberta Ltd. before changing our name to Oncolytics Biotech Inc. In March 2026, in connection with a two-step redomestication, we changed our jurisdiction of incorporation to the Province of British Columbia in Canada and then domesticated as a Nevada corporation effective March 31, 2026. Our principal executive offices are located at 4350 Executive Drive, Suite 325, San Diego, California 92121, and our telephone number is (403) 670-7377. Our website address is https://oncolyticsbiotech.com. The information on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not part of this prospectus and is not incorporated by reference herein. We have included our website address as an inactive textual reference only.

 

4 

 

 

RISK FACTORS

 

Investment in any securities offered pursuant to this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement involves risks. You should carefully consider the risk factors incorporated by reference to our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K, and all other information contained or incorporated by reference into this prospectus, as updated by our subsequent filings under the Exchange Act, and the risk factors and other information contained in any applicable prospectus supplement and free writing prospectus before acquiring any such securities. The occurrence of any of these risks might cause you to lose all or part of your investment in the offered securities.

 

There may be other unknown or unpredictable clinical, regulatory, economic, business, competitive or other factors that could have material adverse effects on our future results. Past financial performance may not be a reliable indicator of future performance, and historical trends should not be used to anticipate results or trends in future periods. If any of these risks actually occurs, our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows could be seriously harmed. This could cause the trading price of our securities to decline, resulting in a loss of all or part of your investment. Please also carefully read the section entitled “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” included in this prospectus and any similar section contained in any applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein, concerning factors you should consider before investing in our securities.

 

5 

 

 

USE OF PROCEEDS

 

We intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of the securities as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

6 

 

 

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

 

The following description of our securities is not complete and may not contain all the information you should consider before investing in our securities. This description is summarized from, and qualified in its entirety by reference to, our articles of incorporation (our “Articles of Incorporation”) and bylaws (our “Bylaws”), copies of which are included as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part and incorporated herein by reference. The summary below is also qualified by reference to the provisions of the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) (the “BCBCA”) and the Nevada Revised Statutes (as amended from time to time, the “NRS”), as applicable.

 

General

 

Our authorized capital stock consists of 1,000,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Common Stock”), and 100,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Preferred Stock”).

 

Common Stock

 

Voting Rights

 

Each holder of Common Stock will be entitled to one vote for each share on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders, including the election of directors. Holders of Common Stock will not have cumulative voting rights in the election of directors. Accordingly, in an uncontested election, holders of a majority of the voting shares will be able to elect all of the directors.

 

Dividends

 

We and our subsidiaries are not expected to pay any dividends on our Common Stock.

 

Liquidation

 

In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, holders of Common Stock will be entitled to share ratably in the net assets legally available for distribution to stockholders after the payment of all of our debts and other liabilities and the satisfaction of any liquidation preference granted to the holders of any then outstanding shares of Preferred Stock.

 

Rights and Preferences

 

Holders of Common Stock will have no pre-emptive, conversion, subscription or other rights, and there are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to Common Stock. The rights, preferences and privileges of the holders of Common Stock will be subject to and may be adversely affected by the rights of the holders of shares of any series of our Preferred Stock that we may designate in the future.

 

Fully Paid and Non-assessable

 

All outstanding shares of Common Stock will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

 

Preferred Stock

 

Our Articles of Incorporation will authorize our board of directors to issue Preferred Stock in one or more series and to determine the preferences, limitations and relative rights of any shares of Preferred Stock that it shall choose to issue, without vote or action by stockholders.

 

Anti-Takeover Effects of the NRS, our Articles of Incorporation and our Bylaws

 

Some provisions of the NRS, our Articles of Incorporation and our Bylaws could make the following transactions difficult: (i) acquisition by means of a tender offer, a proxy contest or otherwise; and (ii) removal of our incumbent officers and directors. It is possible that these provisions could make it more difficult to accomplish or could deter transactions that holders of Common Stock may otherwise consider to be in their best interest or in our best interests, including transactions that might result in a premium over the market price for Common Stock.

 

7 

 

 

These provisions, summarized below, are expected to discourage coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids. These provisions are also designed to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to first negotiate with our board of directors. We believe that the benefits of protection to our potential ability to negotiate with the proponent of an unfriendly or unsolicited proposal to acquire or restructure us outweigh the disadvantages of discouraging these proposals because negotiation of these proposals could result in an improvement of their terms.

 

Nevada Anti-Takeover Statutes

 

Combinations with Interested Stockholders

 

We will be subject to Nevada’s Combination with Interested Stockholders Statutes (NRS 78.411 to 78.444, inclusive), which prohibit persons deemed “interested stockholders” from engaging in a “combination” with a publicly held Nevada corporation for two years following the date these persons become interested stockholders (extended to up to four years if certain conditions are not met), unless the business combination is, or the transaction by which the person first became an interested stockholder was, approved in advance by the corporation’s board of directors. Generally, an “interested stockholder” is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, beneficially owns, or within two years prior to the determination of interested stockholder status did beneficially own, 10% or more of the voting power of the outstanding voting shares of a corporation, and a “combination” includes a merger and certain asset or stock sales or other transactions resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. After the person becomes an interested stockholder, the combination must be approved, by the board of directors and 60% of the corporation’s voting power not beneficially owned by the interested stockholder, its affiliates and associates, at a meeting of the stockholders. Finally, after the two-year period, up to four years from the date the person first became an interested stockholder, a combination remains prohibited unless: (i) the combination or the transaction by which the person became an interested stockholder is approved by the board of directors before the person became an interested stockholder; (ii) the combination is approved by a majority of the outstanding voting power not beneficially owned by the interested stockholder and its affiliates and associates; or (iii) the consideration to be received by the disinterested stockholders satisfies certain requirements. But note that these statutes do not apply to any combination of a corporation and an interested stockholder after the expiration of four years after the person first became an interested stockholder. The combinations statutes in Nevada apply only to Nevada corporations with 200 or more stockholders of record. The existence of this provision may have an anti-takeover effect with respect to transactions not approved in advance by our board of directors, such as discouraging takeover attempts that might result in a premium over the market price of the Common Stock.

 

Companies are entitled to opt out of the business combination provisions. Any opt-out of the business combination provisions of the NRS must be contained in the original articles of incorporation, or an amendment to the articles of incorporation approved by a majority of the outstanding voting power not then beneficially owned by interested stockholders or their affiliates and associates, but the amendment would not be effective until 18 months after the vote of the stockholders to approve the amendment, and would not apply to any combination with a person who first became an interested stockholder on or before the effective date of the amendment.

 

Our Articles of Incorporation expressly provide that the Company has elected not to be governed by the business combination provisions of the NRS.

 

Acquisition of Controlling Interests

 

In addition to the restrictions on business combinations with interested stockholders, Nevada law also protects a corporation and its stockholders from persons acquiring a “controlling interest” in a corporation. The provisions can be found in NRS 78.378 to 78.3793, inclusive.

 

8 

 

 

Pursuant to NRS 78.379, any person who acquires a controlling interest in a corporation may not exercise voting rights with respect to any control shares unless such voting rights are conferred by a majority vote of the disinterested stockholders of the issuing corporation at a special meeting of such stockholders held upon the request and at the expense of the acquiring person. NRS 78.3785 provides that a “controlling interest” means the ownership of outstanding voting shares of an issuing corporation sufficient to enable the acquiring person, individually or in association with others, directly or indirectly, to exercise (i) one-fifth or more but less than one-third, (ii) one-third or more but less than a majority or (iii) a majority or more of the voting power of the issuing corporation in the election of directors, and once an acquirer crosses one of these thresholds, shares that it acquired in the transaction taking it over the threshold and within the 90 days immediately preceding the date when the acquiring person acquired or offered to acquire a controlling interest become “control shares” to which the voting restrictions described above apply. In the event that the control shares are accorded full voting rights and the acquiring person acquires control shares with a majority or more of all the voting power, any stockholder, other than the acquiring person, who does not vote in favor of authorizing voting rights for the control shares is entitled to demand payment for the fair value of such person’s shares, and the corporation must comply with the demand.

 

NRS 78.378(1) provides that these statutes do not apply to any acquisition of a controlling interest in an issuing corporation if the articles of incorporation or bylaws of the corporation in effect on the 10th day following the acquisition of a controlling interest by the acquiring person provide that the provisions of those sections do not apply to the corporation or to an acquisition of a controlling interest specifically by types of existing or future stockholders, whether or not identified. In addition, NRS 78.3788 provides that the controlling interest statutes apply as of a particular date only to a corporation that has 200 or more stockholders of record, at least 100 of whom have addresses in Nevada appearing on the corporation’s stock ledger at all times during the 90 days immediately preceding that date, and which does business directly or indirectly in Nevada. NRS 78.378(2) provides that the corporation may impose stricter requirements if it so desires. Corporations are entitled to opt out of the above controlling interest provisions of the NRS. In our Bylaws, we opt out of these provisions.

 

Blank Check Preferred Stock

 

Our Articles of Incorporation provide for 100,000,000 authorized shares of Preferred Stock. The ability to authorize undesignated preferred stock will make it possible for our board of directors to issue Preferred Stock with voting or other rights or preferences that could impede the success of any attempt to change control of us. These and other provisions may have the effect of deterring hostile takeovers or delaying changes in our control or management.

 

Special Stockholder Meetings

 

Our Articles of Incorporation provide that, subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock, a special meeting of stockholders may be called only by our board of directors, the chairperson of our board of directors or our chief executive officer.

 

Advance Notice Requirements

 

Our Bylaws contain advance notice procedures with regard to stockholder proposals relating to the nomination of candidates for election as directors or new business to be brought before meetings of our stockholders. These procedures provide that notice of stockholder proposals must be timely given in writing to our secretary prior to the meeting at which the action is to be taken. Generally, to be timely, notice must be received at our principal executive offices not later than the close of business on the 90th day nor earlier than the close of business on the 120th day prior to the first anniversary of the annual meeting for the preceding year. The notice must contain certain information specified in the Bylaws. These provisions may have the effect of precluding the conduct of certain business at a meeting if the proper procedures are not followed. These provisions may also discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect the acquirer’s own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us.

 

No Stockholder Action by Written Consent

 

Our Bylaws prohibit stockholders from acting by written consent without a meeting.

 

Removal of Directors

 

Subject to any rights of the holders of Preferred Stock, our directors may be removed from office only by the affirmative vote of the holders of not less than two-thirds of the voting power of our then-outstanding capital stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class, which reflects the requirements of the NRS. In addition, a director may be removed pursuant to and in accordance with NRS 78.335(8) by majority vote of the other directors (even if less than a quorum), acting at a meeting and not by written consent, and without a vote of the stockholders.

 

9 

 

 

Vacancies

 

Subject to any rights of the holders of Preferred Stock, any vacancy on our board of directors, however occurring, including a vacancy resulting from an increase in the size of the board of directors, may be filled only by a majority vote of the directors then in office, even if less than a quorum, or by the sole remaining director. This system of electing and removing directors and filling vacancies may tend to discourage a third party from making a tender offer or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us, because it generally makes it more difficult for stockholders to replace a majority of the directors.

 

Exclusive Forum

 

Our Bylaws provide that the Eighth Judicial District Court of the State of Nevada, in Clark County, Nevada, shall be the sole and exclusive forum for (1) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (2) any action or proceeding asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any current or former director, officer, stockholder, employee or agent of ours to us or the stockholders, (3) any action or proceeding asserting a claim arising pursuant to the NRS, our Articles of Incorporation or our Bylaws, (4) any proceeding to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of our Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws, (5) any internal action (as defined in NRS 78.046) and any action or proceeding as to which NRS Title 7 confers jurisdiction to the District Courts of the State of Nevada or (6) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine. Our Bylaws further provide that the federal district courts of the United States of America are the sole and exclusive forum for the resolution of any claim asserting a cause of action under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Although our Bylaws contain the choice of forum provision described above, it is possible that a court could find that such a provision is inapplicable for a particular claim or action or that such provision is unenforceable.

 

Amendment to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws

 

In addition to the approval of our board of directors, except as otherwise provided by Nevada law, any amendment to our Articles of Incorporation will require the approval of the holders of at least a majority of the voting power of our then-outstanding capital stock, voting as a single class; provided that an amendment to increase or decrease the number of authorized shares of any class or series of stock may be approved by the default voting standard set forth in our Bylaws, which is more votes cast in favor than against. Our Bylaws may be amended by our board of directors or by the holders of at least two-thirds of the voting power of our then-outstanding capital stock, voting as a single class.

 

The provisions of the NRS, our Articles of Incorporation and our Bylaws could have the effect of discouraging others from attempting hostile takeovers and, as a consequence, they may also inhibit temporary fluctuations in the market price of Common Stock that often result from actual or rumored hostile takeover attempts. These provisions may also have the effect of preventing changes in our management. It is possible that these provisions could make it more difficult to accomplish transactions that stockholders may otherwise deem to be in their best interests.

 

Limitation on Liability and Indemnification

 

Our Articles of Incorporation contain provisions that limit the liability of our directors and officers for monetary damages to the fullest extent permitted by Nevada law. Consequently, our directors and officers will not be individually liable to us, the holders of Common Stock or our creditors for damages as a result of any act or failure to act, unless the presumption of the business judgment rule is rebutted and it is proven that the director or officer breached his or her fiduciary duty and such breach involved intentional misconduct, fraud or knowing violation of law.

 

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Our Bylaws provide that we are required to indemnify our directors and officers, in each case to the fullest extent permitted by the NRS. Our Bylaws also obligate us to advance expenses incurred by a director or officer in advance of the final disposition of any action or proceeding, and permit us to secure insurance on behalf of any officer, director, employee or other agent for any liability arising out of his or her actions in that capacity regardless of whether we would otherwise be permitted to indemnify him or her under the NRS. We have entered into agreements with our directors, officers and other employees and expect to enter into agreements to indemnify our directors, executive officers and other employees as determined by our board of directors. With specified exceptions, these agreements provide for indemnification for related expenses, including, among other things, attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines and settlement amounts incurred by any of these individuals in any action or proceeding to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. We believe that these bylaw provisions and indemnification agreements are necessary to attract and retain qualified persons as directors and officers. We will also maintain directors’ and officers’ liability insurance.

 

The limitation of liability and indemnification provisions in our Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws may discourage the holders of Common Stock from bringing a lawsuit against our directors and officers for breach of their fiduciary duty. They may also reduce the likelihood of derivative litigation against our directors and officers, even though an action, if successful, might benefit us and holders of Common Stock. Furthermore, a holder of Common Stock’s investment may be adversely affected to the extent that we pay the costs of settlement and damage.

 

The Nasdaq Capital Market Listing

 

Our Common Stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the trading symbol “ONCY.”

 

Transfer Agent and Registrar

 

The transfer agent and registrar for our Common Stock is Broadridge Corporate Issuer Solutions, LLC. The address of our transfer agent and registrar is 51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, New York 11717.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

 

We may issue warrants for the purchase of shares of our common stock or preferred stock. We may issue warrants independently or together with other securities, and the warrants may be attached to or separate from any offered securities. Each series of warrants will be issued under a separate warrant agreement to be entered into between us and the investors or a warrant agent. The following summary of material provisions of the warrants and warrant agreements are subject to, and qualified in their entirety by reference to, all the provisions of the warrant agreement and warrant certificate applicable to a particular series of warrants. The terms of any warrants offered under a prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described below. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, as well as the complete warrant agreements and warrant certificates that contain the terms of the warrants.

 

The particular terms of any issue of warrants will be described in the prospectus supplement relating to the issue. Those terms may include:

 

·the number of shares of common stock or preferred stock purchasable upon the exercise of warrants to purchase such shares and the price at which such number of shares may be purchased upon such exercise;

 

·the designation, stated value and terms (including, without limitation, liquidation, dividend, conversion and voting rights) of the series of preferred stock purchasable upon exercise of warrants to purchase preferred stock and the exercise price for the warrants, which may be payable in cash, securities or other property;

 

·the date, if any, on and after which the warrants and the related preferred stock or common stock will be separately transferable;

 

·the terms of any rights to redeem or call the warrants;

 

·the date on which the right to exercise the warrants will commence and the date on which the right will expire;

 

·United States federal income tax consequences applicable to the warrants; and

 

·any additional terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange, exercise and settlement of the warrants.

 

Holders of equity warrants will not be entitled:

 

·to vote, consent or receive dividends;

 

·to receive notice as stockholders with respect to any meeting of stockholders for the election of our directors or any other matter; or

 

·exercise any rights as stockholders of Oncolytics.

 

Each warrant will entitle its holder to purchase the number of shares of preferred stock or common stock at the exercise price set forth in, or calculable as set forth in, the applicable prospectus supplement. Unless we otherwise specify in the applicable prospectus supplement, holders of the warrants may exercise the warrants at any time up to the specified time on the expiration date that we set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, unexercised warrants will become void.

 

A holder of warrant certificates may exchange them for new warrant certificates of different denominations, present them for registration of transfer and exercise them at the corporate trust office of the warrant agent or any other office indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement. Until any warrants to purchase common stock or preferred stock are exercised, the holders of the warrants will not have any rights of holders of the underlying common stock or preferred stock, including any rights to receive dividends or payments upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up on the common stock or preferred stock, if any.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF PURCHASE CONTRACTS

 

We may issue purchase contracts for the purchase or sale of equity securities issued by us. Each purchase contract will entitle the holder thereof to purchase or sell, and obligate us to sell or purchase, on specified dates, such securities at a specified purchase price, which may be based on a formula, all as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Any purchase contracts we issue will be physically settled by delivery of such securities. The applicable prospectus supplement will also specify the methods by which the holders may purchase or sell such securities and any acceleration, cancellation or termination provisions or other provisions relating to the settlement of a purchase contract.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF UNITS

 

We may issue units consisting of any combination of the other types of securities offered under this prospectus in one or more series. We may evidence each series of units by unit certificates that we will issue under a separate agreement. We may enter into unit agreements with a unit agent. Each unit agent will be a bank or trust company that we select. We will indicate the name and address of the unit agent in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to a particular series of units.

 

The following description, together with the additional information included in any applicable prospectus supplement, summarizes the general features of the units that we may offer under this prospectus. You should read any prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you related to the series of units being offered, as well as the complete unit agreements that contain the terms of the units. Specific unit agreements will contain additional important terms and provisions and we will file as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, or will incorporate by reference from another report that we file with the SEC, the form of each unit agreement relating to units offered under this prospectus.

 

If we offer any units, certain terms of that series of units will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement, including, without limitation, the following, as applicable:

 

·the title of the series of units;

 

·identification and description of the separate constituent securities comprising the units;

 

·the price or prices at which the units will be issued;

 

·the date, if any, on and after which the constituent securities comprising the units will be separately transferable;

 

·a discussion of certain United States federal income tax considerations applicable to the units; and

 

·any other terms of the units and their constituent securities.

 

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GLOBAL SECURITIES

 

Book-Entry, Delivery and Form

 

DTC

 

Unless we indicate differently in any applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, the securities initially will be issued in book-entry form and represented by one or more global notes or global securities (collectively, “global securities”). The global securities will be deposited with, or on behalf of, The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York, as depositary (“DTC”), and registered in the name of Cede & Co., the nominee of DTC. Unless and until it is exchanged for individual certificates evidencing securities under the limited circumstances described below, a global security may not be transferred except as a whole by the depositary to its nominee or by the nominee to the depositary, or by the depositary or its nominee to a successor depositary or to a nominee of the successor depositary.

 

DTC has advised us that it is:

 

·a limited-purpose trust company organized under the New York Banking Law;

 

·a “banking organization” within the meaning of the New York Banking Law;

 

·a member of the Federal Reserve System;

 

·a “clearing corporation” within the meaning of the New York Uniform Commercial Code; and

 

·a “clearing agency” registered pursuant to the provisions of Section 17A of the Exchange Act.

 

DTC holds securities that its participants deposit with DTC. DTC also facilitates the settlement among its participants of securities transactions, such as transfers and pledges, in deposited securities through electronic computerized book-entry changes in participants’ accounts, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. “Direct participants” in DTC include securities brokers and dealers, including underwriters, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other organizations. DTC is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (“DTCC”). DTCC is the holding company for DTC, National Securities Clearing Corporation and Fixed Income Clearing Corporation, all of which are registered clearing agencies. DTCC is owned by the users of its regulated subsidiaries. Access to the DTC system is also available to others, which we sometimes refer to as “indirect participants,” that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a direct participant, either directly or indirectly. The rules applicable to DTC and its participants are on file with the SEC.

 

Purchases of securities under the DTC system must be made by or through direct participants, which will receive a credit for the securities on DTC’s records. The ownership interest of the actual purchaser of a security, which we sometimes refer to as a “beneficial owner,” is in turn recorded on the direct and indirect participants’ records. Beneficial owners of securities will not receive written confirmation from DTC of their purchases. However, beneficial owners are expected to receive written confirmations providing details of their transactions, as well as periodic statements of their holdings, from the direct or indirect participants through which they purchased securities. Transfers of ownership interests in global securities are to be accomplished by entries made on the books of participants acting on behalf of beneficial owners. Beneficial owners will not receive certificates representing their ownership interests in the global securities, except under the limited circumstances described below.

 

To facilitate subsequent transfers, all global securities deposited by direct participants with DTC will be registered in the name of DTC’s partnership nominee, Cede & Co., or such other name as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC. The deposit of securities with DTC and their registration in the name of Cede & Co. or such other nominee will not change the beneficial ownership of the securities. DTC has no knowledge of the actual beneficial owners of the securities. DTC’s records reflect only the identity of the direct participants to whose accounts the securities are credited, which may or may not be the beneficial owners. The participants are responsible for keeping account of their holdings on behalf of their customers.

 

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So long as the securities are in book-entry form, you will receive payments and may transfer securities only through the facilities of the depositary and its direct and indirect participants. We will maintain an office or agency in the location specified in the prospectus supplement or any applicable free writing prospectus for the applicable securities, where notices and demands in respect of the securities may be delivered to us and where certificated securities may be surrendered for payment, registration of transfer or exchange.

 

Conveyance of notices and other communications by DTC to direct participants, by direct participants to indirect participants and by direct participants and indirect participants to beneficial owners will be governed by arrangements among them, subject to any legal requirements in effect from time to time.

 

Redemption notices will be sent to DTC. If less than all of the securities of a particular series are being redeemed, DTC’s practice is to determine by lot the amount of the interest of each direct participant in the securities of such series to be redeemed.

 

Neither DTC nor Cede & Co. (or such other DTC nominee) will consent or vote with respect to the securities. Under its usual procedures, DTC will mail an omnibus proxy to us as soon as possible after the record date. The omnibus proxy assigns the consenting or voting rights of Cede & Co. to those direct participants to whose accounts the securities of such series are credited on the record date, identified in a listing attached to the omnibus proxy.

 

So long as securities are in book-entry form, we will make payments on those securities to the depositary or its nominee, as the registered owner of such securities, by wire transfer of immediately available funds. If securities are issued in definitive certificated form under the limited circumstances described below and if not otherwise provided in the description of the applicable securities herein or in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will have the option of making payments by check mailed to the addresses of the persons entitled to payment or by wire transfer to bank accounts in the United States designated in writing to any applicable warrant trustee or other designated party at least 15 days before the applicable payment date by the persons entitled to payment, unless a shorter period is satisfactory to any applicable warrant trustee or other designated party.

 

Redemption proceeds, distributions and dividend payments on the securities will be made to Cede & Co., or such other nominee as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC. DTC’s practice is to credit direct participants’ accounts upon DTC’s receipt of funds and corresponding detail information from us on the payment date in accordance with their respective holdings shown on DTC records. Payments by participants to beneficial owners will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is the case with securities held for the account of customers in bearer form or registered in “street name.” Those payments will be the responsibility of participants and not of DTC or us, subject to any statutory or regulatory requirements in effect from time to time. Payment of redemption proceeds, distributions and dividend payments to Cede & Co., or such other nominee as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC, is our responsibility, disbursement of payments to direct participants is the responsibility of DTC, and disbursement of payments to the beneficial owners is the responsibility of direct and indirect participants.

 

Except under the limited circumstances described below, purchasers of securities will not be entitled to have securities registered in their names and will not receive physical delivery of securities. Accordingly, each beneficial owner must rely on the procedures of DTC and its participants to exercise any rights under the securities.

 

The laws of some jurisdictions may require that some purchasers of securities take physical delivery of securities in definitive form. Those laws may impair the ability to transfer or pledge beneficial interests in securities.

 

DTC may discontinue providing its services as securities depositary with respect to the securities at any time by giving reasonable notice to us. Under such circumstances, in the event that a successor depositary is not obtained, securities certificates are required to be printed and delivered.

 

As noted above, beneficial owners of a particular series of securities generally will not receive certificates representing their ownership interests in those securities. However, if:

 

·DTC notifies us that it is unwilling or unable to continue as a depositary for the global security or securities representing such series of securities or if DTC ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act at a time when it is required to be registered and a successor depositary is not appointed within 90 days of the notification to us or of our becoming aware of DTC’s ceasing to be so registered, as the case may be;

 

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·we determine, in our sole discretion, not to have such securities represented by one or more global securities; or

 

·an event of default, if any, has occurred and is continuing with respect to such series of securities;

 

we will prepare and deliver certificates for such securities in exchange for beneficial interests in the global securities. Any beneficial interest in a global security that is exchangeable under the circumstances described in the preceding sentence will be exchangeable for securities in definitive certificated form registered in the names that the depositary directs. It is expected that these directions will be based upon directions received by the depositary from its participants with respect to ownership of beneficial interests in the global securities.

 

Euroclear and Clearstream

 

If so provided in the applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, you may hold interests in a global security through Clearstream Banking S.A. (“Clearstream”) or Euroclear Bank S.A./N.V., as operator of the Euroclear System (“Euroclear”), either directly if you are a participant in Clearstream or Euroclear or indirectly through organizations which are participants in Clearstream or Euroclear. Clearstream and Euroclear will hold interests on behalf of their respective participants through customers’ securities accounts in the names of Clearstream and Euroclear, respectively, on the books of their respective U.S. depositaries, which in turn will hold such interests in customers’ securities accounts in such depositaries’ names on DTC’s books.

 

Clearstream and Euroclear are securities clearance systems in Europe. Clearstream and Euroclear hold securities for their respective participating organizations and facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions between those participants through electronic book-entry changes in their accounts, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of certificates.

 

Payments, deliveries, transfers, exchanges, notices and other matters relating to beneficial interests in global securities owned through Euroclear or Clearstream must comply with the rules and procedures of those systems. Transactions between participants in Euroclear or Clearstream, on one hand, and other participants in DTC, on the other hand, are also subject to DTC’s rules and procedures.

 

Investors will be able to make and receive through Euroclear and Clearstream payments, deliveries, transfers and other transactions involving any beneficial interests in global securities held through those systems only on days when those systems are open for business. Those systems may not be open for business on days when banks, brokers and other institutions are open for business in the United States.

 

Cross-market transfers between participants in DTC, on the one hand, and participants in Euroclear or Clearstream, on the other hand, will be effected through DTC in accordance with the DTC’s rules on behalf of Euroclear or Clearstream, as the case may be, by their respective U.S. depositaries; however, such cross-market transactions will require delivery of instructions to Euroclear or Clearstream, as the case may be, by the counterparty in such system in accordance with the rules and procedures and within the established deadlines (European time) of such system. Euroclear or Clearstream, as the case may be, will, if the transaction meets its settlement requirements, deliver instructions to its U.S. depositary to take action to effect final settlement on its behalf by delivering or receiving interests in the global securities through DTC, and making or receiving payment in accordance with normal procedures for same-day fund settlement. Participants in Euroclear or Clearstream may not deliver instructions directly to their respective U.S. depositaries.

 

Due to time zone differences, the securities accounts of a participant in Euroclear or Clearstream purchasing an interest in a global security from a direct participant in DTC will be credited, and any such crediting will be reported to the relevant participant in Euroclear or Clearstream, during the securities settlement processing day (which must be a business day for Euroclear or Clearstream) immediately following the settlement date of DTC. Cash received in Euroclear or Clearstream as a result of sales of interests in a global security by or through a participant in Euroclear or Clearstream to a direct participant in DTC will be received with value on the settlement date of DTC but will be available in the relevant Euroclear or Clearstream cash account only as of the business day for Euroclear or Clearstream following DTC’s settlement date.

 

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Other

 

The information in this section of this prospectus concerning DTC, Clearstream, Euroclear and their respective book-entry systems has been obtained from sources that we believe to be reliable, but we do not take responsibility for this information. This information has been provided solely as a matter of convenience. The rules and procedures of DTC, Clearstream and Euroclear are solely within the control of those organizations and could change at any time. Neither we nor any warrant trustee nor any agent of ours or of any warrant trustee has any control over those entities and none of us takes any responsibility for their activities. You are urged to contact DTC, Clearstream and Euroclear or their respective participants directly to discuss those matters. In addition, although we expect that DTC, Clearstream and Euroclear will perform the foregoing procedures, none of them is under any obligation to perform or continue to perform such procedures and such procedures may be discontinued at any time. Neither we nor any agent of ours will have any responsibility for the performance or nonperformance by DTC, Clearstream and Euroclear or their respective participants of these or any other rules or procedures governing their respective operations.

 

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

 

We may sell the securities from time to time pursuant to underwritten public offerings, negotiated transactions, block trades or a combination of these methods or through underwriters or dealers, through agents and/or directly to one or more purchasers. The securities may be distributed from time to time in one or more transactions:

 

·at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed;

 

·at market prices prevailing at the time of sale;

 

·at prices related to such prevailing market prices; or

 

·at negotiated prices.

 

Each time that we sell securities covered by this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement or supplements that will describe the method of distribution and set forth the terms and conditions of the offering of such securities, including the offering price of the securities and the proceeds to us, if applicable.

 

Offers to purchase the securities being offered by this prospectus may be solicited directly. Agents may also be designated to solicit offers to purchase the securities from time to time. Any agent involved in the offer or sale of our securities will be identified in a prospectus supplement.

 

If a dealer is utilized in the sale of the securities being offered by this prospectus, the securities will be sold to the dealer, as principal. The dealer may then resell the securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by the dealer at the time of resale.

 

If an underwriter is utilized in the sale of the securities being offered by this prospectus, an underwriting agreement will be executed with the underwriter at the time of sale and the name of any underwriter will be provided in the prospectus supplement that the underwriter will use to make resales of the securities to the public. In connection with the sale of the securities, we, or the purchasers of securities for whom the underwriter may act as agent, may compensate the underwriter in the form of underwriting discounts or commissions. The underwriter may sell the securities to or through dealers, and those dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the underwriters and/or commissions from the purchasers for whom they may act as agent. Unless otherwise indicated in a prospectus supplement, an agent will be acting on a best efforts basis and a dealer will purchase securities as a principal, and may then resell the securities at varying prices to be determined by the dealer.

 

Any compensation paid to underwriters, dealers or agents in connection with the offering of the securities, and any discounts, concessions or commissions allowed by underwriters to participating dealers, will be provided in the applicable prospectus supplement. Underwriters, dealers and agents participating in the distribution of the securities may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and any discounts and commissions received by them and any profit realized by them on resale of the securities may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions. We may enter into agreements to indemnify underwriters, dealers and agents against civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute to payments they may be required to make in respect thereof and to reimburse those persons for certain expenses.

 

Any common stock will be listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market, but any other securities may or may not be listed on a national securities exchange. To facilitate the offering of securities, certain persons participating in the offering may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the securities. This may include over-allotments or short sales of the securities, which involve the sale by persons participating in the offering of more securities than were sold to them. In these circumstances, these persons would cover such over-allotments or short positions by making purchases in the open market or by exercising their over-allotment option, if any. In addition, these persons may stabilize or maintain the price of the securities by bidding for or purchasing securities in the open market or by imposing penalty bids, whereby selling concessions allowed to dealers participating in the offering may be reclaimed if securities sold by them are repurchased in connection with stabilization transactions. The effect of these transactions may be to stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. These transactions may be discontinued at any time.

 

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We may engage in at the market offerings into an existing trading market in accordance with Rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act. In addition, we may enter into derivative transactions with third parties, or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. If the applicable prospectus supplement so indicates, in connection with those derivatives, the third parties may sell securities covered by this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, including in short sale transactions. If so, the third party may use securities pledged by us or borrowed from us or others to settle those sales or to close out any related open borrowings of stock, and may use securities received from us in settlement of those derivatives to close out any related open borrowings of stock. The third party in such sale transactions will be an underwriter and, if not identified in this prospectus, will be named in the applicable prospectus supplement (or a post-effective amendment). In addition, we may otherwise loan or pledge securities to a financial institution or other third party that in turn may sell the securities short using this prospectus and an applicable prospectus supplement. Such financial institution or other third party may transfer its economic short position to investors in our securities or in connection with a concurrent offering of other securities.

 

The specific terms of any lock-up provisions in respect of any given offering will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

The underwriters, dealers and agents may engage in transactions with us, or perform services for us, in the ordinary course of business for which they receive compensation.

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

 

Certain legal matters relating to the issuance and sale of the securities offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Latham & Watkins LLP. Certain matters of Nevada law, including the validity of the securities offered hereby, will be passed upon for us by Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP. Additional legal matters may be passed upon for us, or any underwriters, dealers or agents, by counsel that we will name in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

EXPERTS

 

The consolidated financial statements of the Company appearing in the Company’s Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2025 have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon (which contains an explanatory paragraph describing conditions that raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern as described in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements), included therein, and incorporated herein by reference. Such consolidated financial statements are incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

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PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

 

Item 14.Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution

 

The following is an estimate of the expenses (all of which are to be paid by the registrant) that we may incur in connection with the securities being registered hereby.

 

SEC registration fee  $34,525.00(1)
FINRA filing fee  $ (2)
The Nasdaq Capital Market listing fee  $ (2)
Printing expenses  $ (2)
Legal fees and expenses  $ (2)
Accounting fees and expenses  $ (2)
Blue Sky, qualification fees and expenses  $ (2)
Transfer agent fees and expenses  $ (2)
Warrant agent fees and expenses  $ (2)
Miscellaneous  $ (2)
Total  $ (2)

 

(1)In accordance with Rule 415(a)(6), includes certain fees previously paid in respect of unsold securities previously registered under the registrant’s registration statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-289819), as further described in the Filing Fee Table included as Exhibit 107 hereto.

 

(2)These fees are calculated based on the securities offered and the number of issuances and accordingly cannot be estimated at this time.

 

Item 15.Indemnification of Directors and Officers

 

Nevada Revised Statutes (as amended from time to time, the “NRS”) 78.138 provides that, unless a corporation’s articles of incorporation provide for greater individual liability, a director or officer is not individually liable to the corporation or its stockholders or creditors for any damages as a result of any act or failure to act in his or her capacity as a director or officer unless the statutory presumption of the business judgement rule (that such director or officer has acted in good faith, on an informed basis and with a view to the interests of the corporation), has been rebutted, and it is proven that (i) the director’s or officer’s acts or omissions constituted a breach of their fiduciary duties and (ii) such breach involved intentional misconduct, fraud or a knowing violation of law. Our articles of incorporation eliminate, or limit to the fullest extent permitted by the NRS, the liability of our directors and officers.

 

NRS 78.7502(1) provides that a corporation may indemnify, pursuant to the provisions of that subsection, any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation), by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise or as a manager of a limited liability company, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if such person (a) is not liable pursuant to NRS 78.138 or (b) acted in good faith and in a manner the individual believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful.

 

NRS 78.7502(2) permits a corporation to indemnify, pursuant to the provisions of that subsection, any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that such person acted in any of the capacities set forth above against expenses, including amounts paid in settlement and attorneys’ fees actually and reasonably incurred by the individual in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if such person (a) is not liable pursuant to NRS 78.138 or (b) acted in good faith and in a manner the individual reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, except that no indemnification pursuant to NRS 78.7502 may be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged by a court of competent jurisdiction, after any exhaustion of any appeals taken therefrom, to be liable to the corporation or for amounts paid in settlement to the corporation, unless and only to the extent that the court in which such action or suit was brought or other court of competent jurisdiction determines that, in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses as the court deems proper.

 

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NRS 78.751(1) provides that a corporation shall indemnify any person who is a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation against expenses actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with defending an action (including, without limitation, attorney’s fees) to the extent that the person is successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, including, without limitation, an action by or in the right of the corporation, by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise. NRS 78.751 also provides that the indemnification pursuant to NRS 78.7502 shall not be deemed exclusive or exclude any other rights to which the indemnified party may be entitled (except that indemnification may not be made to or on behalf of any director or officer finally adjudged by a court of competent jurisdiction, after exhaustion of any appeals taken therefrom, to be liable for intentional misconduct, fraud or a knowing violation of law and such misconduct, fraud or violation of the law was material to the cause of action) and that the indemnification shall continue as to directors, officers, employees or agents who have ceased to hold such positions, and to their heirs, executors and administrators.

 

NRS 78.752 provides that a Nevada corporation may purchase and maintain insurance or make other financial arrangements on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee, or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, for any liability asserted against the person and liability and expenses incurred by the person in their capacity as a director, officer, employee or agent, or arising out of the person’s status as such, whether or not the corporation has the authority to indemnify the individual against such liability and expenses.

 

Our bylaws provide that the Company shall, to the fullest extent not prohibited by applicable law, indemnify our directors and officers against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees) reasonably incurred by an indemnitee in connection with any proceeding in advance of its final disposition.

 

In addition, we have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and executive officers. These indemnification agreements require us, among other things, to indemnify such directors and executive officers against liabilities that may arise by reason of their status or service and to advance all expenses reasonably and actually incurred by such individuals in investigating or defending any such action, suit or proceeding. We believe that these agreements are necessary to attract and retain qualified individuals to serve as directors and executive officers.

 

We also maintain insurance policies under which our directors and officers are insured, within the limits and subject to the limitations of those policies, against certain expenses in connection with the defense of, and certain liabilities that might be imposed as a result of, actions, suits or proceedings to which they are parties by reason of being or having been a director or officer of the Company. The coverage provided by these policies may apply whether or not we would have the power to indemnify such person against such liability under the provisions of the NRS.

 

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Item 16.Exhibits

 

(a) Exhibits

 

     
Exhibit
Number
  Exhibit Description  
1.1*   Form of Underwriting Agreement.
3.1   Articles of Domestication of Oncolytics Biotech Inc.
3.2   Articles of Incorporation of Oncolytics Biotech Inc.
3.3   Bylaws of Oncolytics Biotech Inc.
4.1*   Form of Preferred Stock Certificate.
4.2*   Form of Warrant.
4.3*   Form of Warrant Agreement.
4.4*   Form of Purchase Contract Agreement.
4.5*   Form of Unit Agreement.
5.1   Opinion of Latham & Watkins LLP.
5.2   Opinion of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP.
23.1   Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.
23.2   Consent of Latham & Watkins LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1).
23.3   Consent of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP (included in Exhibit 5.2).
24.1   Powers of Attorney (incorporated by reference to the signature page hereto).
107   Filing Fee Table.

 

*To be filed by amendment or incorporated by reference in connection with the offering of the securities.

 

Item 17.Undertakings

 

(a)The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

 

(1)to file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

 

(i)to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”);

 

(ii)to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement (notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement.); and

 

(iii)to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;

 

provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is a part of the registration statement;

 

(2)that, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof;

 

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(3)to remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering;

 

(5)that, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser:

 

(A)each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and

 

(B)each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5) or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date; and

 

(6)that, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

 

(i)any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

 

(ii)any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;

 

(iii)the portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

 

(iv)any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

 

(b)The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

(h)Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

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SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of San Diego, California, on March 31, 2026.

 

  ONCOLYTICS BIOTECH INC.
     
  By: /s/ Jared Kelly
    Jared Kelly
    Chief Executive Officer

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Jared Kelly and Kirk Look, and each of them acting individually, as his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and re-substitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to file and sign any and all amendments, including post-effective amendments and any registration statement for the same offering that is to be effective under Rule 462(b) of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, to this registration statement, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof. This power of attorney shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Nevada and applicable federal securities laws.

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant in the capacities and on the dates indicated:

 

Signature

 

 

Title

 

 

Date

 

/s/ Jared Kelly

Jared Kelly

  Chief Executive Officer and Director
(Principal Executive Officer)
  March 31, 2026
         

/s/ Kirk Look

Kirk Look

  Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
  March 31, 2026
         

/s/ Wayne Pisano

Wayne Pisano

  Chairman   March 31, 2026
         

/s/ Patricia Andrews

Patricia Andrews

  Director   March 31, 2026
         

/s/ Deborah M. Brown

Deborah M. Brown

  Director   March 31, 2026
         

/s/ Angela Holtham

Angela Holtham

  Director   March 31, 2026
         

/s/ James T. Parsons

James T. Parsons

  Director   March 31, 2026
         

/s/ Jonathan Rigby

Jonathan Rigby

  Director   March 31, 2026
         

/s/ Bernd R. Seizinger

Bernd R. Seizinger

  Director   March 31, 2026