MISSISSAUGA, ON, Sept. 19, 2022 /CNW/ - Cipher Pharmaceuticals Inc. (TSX: CPH) ("Cipher" or the "Company") announced today that it has filed, and the Toronto Stock Exchange (the "TSX") has accepted, notice of Cipher's intention to commence a normal course issuer bid ("NCIB") for its common shares (the "Common Shares").

The TSX notice provides that Cipher may, during the 12-month period commencing September 22, 2022 and ending on September 21, 2023, purchase for cancellation under the NCIB up to 1,403,293 of its Common Shares, representing 10% of its public float of 14,032,934 Common Shares as of September 8, 2022 (a total of 25,115,660 Common Shares were issued and outstanding as of such date).  The price which Cipher will pay for any Common Shares will be the market price at the time of acquisition.

Purchases under the NCIB will be made through the facilities of the TSX and/or alternative Canadian trading systems, if eligible, or by such other means as may be permitted by applicable securities laws, including private agreements. Such alternative Canadian trading systems include (i) the NEO Exchange Inc., (ii) the TSX Alpha Exchange, (iii) Chi-X Canada, (iv) Omega ATS, (v) MATCH Now (d/b/a TriAct), and (vi) Pure Trading.  Any purchases made by private agreement under an issuer bid exemption order issued by a securities regulatory authority in Canada will generally be at a discount to the prevailing market price as provided in any such exemption order.

Purchases under the NCIB made on the TSX will be made in compliance with the rules of the TSX at a price equal to the market price at the time of purchase or such other price as may be permitted by the TSX.  In accordance with TSX rules, any daily repurchases (other than pursuant to a block purchase exception) on the TSX under the NCIB are limited to a maximum of 6,531 Common Shares, which represents 25% of the average daily trading volume on the TSX of 26,127 for the six months ended August 31, 2022 (excluding any purchases made by Cipher through the facilities of the TSX under its normal course issuer bid during such six months).

Under its current NCIB that commenced on September 10, 2021 and expired on September 9, 2022, Cipher previously sought and received approval from the TSX to repurchase up to 1,541,445 of its Common Shares.  During that timeframe, Cipher repurchased and cancelled 1,541,445 Common Shares at an average price of approximately $2.22 per Common Share. 

Cipher believes that, from time to time, the Common Shares trade in price ranges that do not fully reflect their value.  In such circumstances, Cipher believes that acquiring Common Shares for cancellation may represent an attractive and desirable use of its available funds.  Decisions regarding the amount and timing of future purchases of Common Shares will be based on market conditions, share price and other factors and will be in management's discretion.  Cipher may elect to modify, suspend or discontinue the NCIB at any time.  Repurchases under the NCIB will be funded using Cipher's cash resources and all Common Shares repurchased will be cancelled.  Common Shares may be purchased in accordance with management's discretion.

Cipher Pharmaceuticals (TSX: CPH) is a specialty pharmaceutical company with a robust and diversified portfolio of commercial and early to late-stage products. Cipher acquires products that fulfill unmet medical needs, manages the required clinical development and regulatory approval process, and currently markets those products either directly in Canada or indirectly through partners in Canada, the U.S., and South America. For more information, visit www.cipherpharma.com.

This document includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These forward-looking statements include, among others, statements regarding the future of the Company's business as well as statements with respect to our beliefs, plans, expectations, anticipations, estimates and intentions.  The words "may", "will", "could", "should", "would", "suspect", "outlook", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "forecast", "objective", "hope" and "continue" (or the negative thereof), and words and expressions of similar import, are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, which give rise to the possibility that predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved. Certain material factors or assumptions are applied in making forward-looking statements and actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on these statements as a number of important factors, many of which are beyond our control, could cause our actual results to differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations, anticipations, estimates and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the extent and impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak on our business including any impact on our contract manufacturers and other third party service providers, our ability to enter into development, manufacturing and marketing and distribution agreements with other pharmaceutical companies and keep such agreements in effect; our dependency on a limited number of products; our dependency on protection from patents that will expire; integration difficulties and other risks if we acquire or in-license technologies or product candidates; reliance on third parties for the marketing of certain products; the product approval process is highly unpredictable; the timing of completion of clinical trials, regulatory submissions and regulatory approvals; reliance on third parties to manufacture our products and events outside of our control that could adversely impact the ability of our manufacturing partners to supply products to meet our demands; we may be subject to future product liability claims; unexpected product safety or efficacy concerns may arise; we generate license revenue from a limited number of distribution and supply agreements; the pharmaceutical industry is highly competitive; requirements for additional capital to fund future operations; products in Canada may be subject to pricing regulation; dependence on key managerial personnel and external collaborators; no assurance that we will receive regulatory approvals in the U.S., Canada or any other jurisdictions and current uncertainty surrounding health care regulation in the U.S.; certain of our products are subject to regulation as controlled substances; limitations on reimbursement in the healthcare industry; limited reimbursement for products by government authorities and third-party payor policies; products may not be included on list of drugs approved for use in hospitals; hospital customers may make late payments or not make any payments; various laws pertaining to health care fraud and abuse; reliance on the success of strategic investments and partnerships; the publication of negative results of clinical trials; unpredictable development goals and projected time frames; rising insurance costs; ability to enforce covenants not to compete; risks associated with the industry in which we operate; we may be unsuccessful in evaluating material risks involved in completed and future acquisitions; we may be unable to identify, acquire or integrate acquisition targets successfully; legacy risks from operations conducted in the U.S.; compliance with privacy and security regulation; our policies regarding returns, allowances and chargebacks may reduce revenues; certain current and future regulations could restrict our activities; additional regulatory burden and controls over financial reporting; reliance on third parties to perform certain services; general commercial litigation, class actions, other litigation claims and regulatory actions; the difficulty for shareholders to realize in the United States upon judgments of U.S. courts predicated upon civil liability of the Company and its directors and officers who are not residents of the United States; the potential violation of intellectual property rights of third parties; our efforts to obtain, protect or enforce our patents and other intellectual property rights related to our products; changes in U.S., Canadian or foreign patent laws; litigation in the pharmaceutical industry concerning the manufacture and supply of novel and generic versions of existing drugs; inability to protect our trademarks from infringement; shareholders may be further diluted if we issue securities to raise capital; volatility of our share price; the fact that we have a significant shareholder; we do not currently intend to pay dividends; our operating results may fluctuate significantly; and our debt obligations will have priority over the common shares of the Company in the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up.

We caution that the foregoing list of important factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. When reviewing our forward-looking statements, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Additional information about factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from expectations, and about material factors or assumptions applied in making forward-looking statements, may be found in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2021, and elsewhere in our filings with Canadian securities regulators. Except as required by Canadian securities law, we do not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by us or on our behalf; such statements speak only as of the date made. The forward-looking statements included herein are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary language.

SOURCE Cipher Pharmaceuticals Inc.