SALT LAKE CITY, May 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clene Inc. (NASDAQ:CLNN) (along with its subsidiaries, "Clene" or the "Company") and its wholly owned subsidiary, Clene Nanomedicine, Inc., a late clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on revolutionizing the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and multiple sclerosis (MS), today announced the pricing of an underwritten registered direct offering of 1,000,000 shares of common stock at a purchase price of $7.00 per share to a single investor.

The gross proceeds from the offering, before deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and other estimated offering expenses, are expected to be approximately $7 million. Clene expects to use the net proceeds from the offering, together with its existing cash, for expenses primarily related to general corporate purposes, as well as to fund the following: the preparation and filing of our New Drug Application (NDA) for our lead drug candidate, CNM-Au8®; the conduct of and continued access to CNM-Au8 in our on-going expanded access protocols and future confirmatory Phase 3 clinical trial; manufacturing expansion; potential future commercialization efforts; and for additional early-stage research and development activities.

The offering is expected to close on or about May 6, 2026, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

Canaccord Genuity LLC is acting as sole bookrunner for the offering.

The offering is being made pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-286058), previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The offering is being made only by means of a prospectus and a prospectus supplement which forms a part of the effective registration statement relating to the offering. A final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the offering will be filed with the SEC. Electronic copies of the final prospectus, when available, may be obtained on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov and may also be obtained, when available, by contacting Canaccord Genuity LLC, Attn: Syndication Department, 1 Post Office Square, 30th Floor, Boston, MA 02109, or by email at prospectus@cgf.com.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the shares of common stock. Clene will not, and has been advised by the underwriter that it and its affiliates will not, sell any of the shares of common stock in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

About Clene

Clene Inc. (NASDAQ:CLNN), along with its subsidiaries, "Clene" and its wholly owned subsidiary Clene Nanomedicine, Inc., is a late clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on improving mitochondrial health and protecting neuronal function to treat neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis. CNM-Au8^® is an investigational first-in-class therapy that improves central nervous system cells' survival and function via a mechanism that targets mitochondrial function and the NAD pathway while reducing oxidative stress. CNM-Au8^® is a federally registered trademark of Clene Nanomedicine, Inc. The company is based in Salt Lake City, Utah, with R&D and manufacturing operations in Maryland. For more information, please visit www.clene.com or follow us on X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn.

About CNM-Au8^®

CNM-Au8 is an oral suspension of gold nanocrystals developed to restore neuronal health and function by increasing energy production and utilization. The catalytically active nanocrystals of CNM-Au8 drive critical cellular energy producing reactions that enable neuroprotection and remyelination by increasing neuronal and glial resilience to disease-relevant stressors. CNM-Au8^® is a federally registered trademark of Clene Nanomedicine, Inc.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, which are intended to be covered by the "safe harbor" provisions created by those laws. Clene's forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the amount of the gross proceeds, and the timing of the closing of the offering. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words "anticipate," "believe," "contemplate," "continue," "estimate," "expect," "intends," "may," "might," "plan," "possible," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "will," "would," and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements represent our views as of the date of this press release and involve a number of judgments, risks and uncertainties. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause our views to change. We undertake no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date. As a result of a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, our actual results or performance may be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Some factors that could cause actual results to differ include general market conditions, whether clinical trials demonstrate the efficacy and safety of our drug candidates to the satisfaction of regulatory authorities, or do not otherwise produce positive results which may cause us to incur additional costs or experience delays in completing, or ultimately be unable to complete the development and commercialization of our drug candidates; the clinical results for our drug candidates, which may not support further development or marketing approval; actions of regulatory agencies, which may affect the initiation, timing and progress of clinical trials and marketing approval; our ability to achieve commercial success for our drug candidates, if approved; our limited operating history and our ability to obtain additional funding for operations and to complete the development and commercialization of our drug candidates; and other risks and uncertainties set forth in "Risk Factors" in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. In addition, statements that "we believe" and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this press release, and while we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may be limited or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain and you are cautioned not to rely unduly upon these statements. All information in this press release is as of the date of this press release. The information contained in any website referenced herein is not, and shall not be deemed to be, part of or incorporated into this press release.

Investor Contact: Kevin Gardner, LifeSci Advisors; kgardner@lifesciadvisors.com; 617-283-2856

Media Contact: Caroline Wagner, Forbes Tate Partners; CWagner@forbes-tate.com; (267) 294-6563

Clene Announces $7 Million Underwritten Offering of Common Stock