Inhibitex to raise $23 million through private placement

Inhibitex, Inc. (Nasdaq: INHX) today announced that it has entered into definitive purchase agreements with institutional investors for the sale of approximately $23 million of its common stock, and warrants to purchase common stock, in a private placement. The private placement was led by QVT funds, and co-investors include OrbiMed Advisors, New Enterprise Associates (NEA) and Great Point Partners, as well as several other existing investors. Each unit, consisting of one share of common stock and a warrant to purchase 0.45 of a share of common stock, will be sold at a purchase price of $1.28, which is equal to the consolidated closing bid price of the Company’s common stock as reported on the Nasdaq Capital Market on October 22, 2009, plus $0.06. Accordingly, the Company anticipates issuing approximately 18 million shares of common stock and warrants to purchase approximately 8.1 million shares of common stock pursuant to the private placement. The warrants will have a four-year term and an exercise price equal to $1.46 per share. The Company intends to use the proceeds for research and development, working capital and general corporate purposes. MTS Securities, LLC, an affiliate of MTS Health Partners, served as the placement agent in the private placement.

The Company expects that the private placement will close on October 28, 2009, subject to customary closing conditions. The Company anticipates filing a Registration Statement on Form S-3 with the Securities Exchange Commission ("SEC") for the resale of the shares offered in the private placement, and the shares issuable upon the exercise of the related warrants, within thirty days of closing.

The shares and warrants offered in the private placement, and the shares issuable upon the exercise of the related warrants, have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States without being registered with the SEC or through an applicable exemption from SEC registration requirements. The shares and warrants were offered only to accredited investors. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of any of the securities referred to in this news release in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state. Any offering of the Company's shares under the resale registration statements referred to in this news release will be made only by means of a prospectus.