UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

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

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):  April 1, 2022

APTEVO THERAPEUTICS INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (206) 838-0500

Not Applicable

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

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

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

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Emerging growth company ☐

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

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

On April 1, 2022, Aptevo Therapeutics Inc. (the “Company”) received a letter from The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) indicating that it is not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1), which requires companies listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market to maintain a minimum of $2,500,000 in stockholders’ equity for continued listing. On its annual report for the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company reported stockholders’ equity of $1,216,000, and, as a result, does not currently satisfy Listing Rule 5550(b)(1).

Nasdaq’s letter has no immediate impact on the listing of the Company’s common stock, which will continue to be listed and traded on Nasdaq, subject to the Company’s compliance with the other continued listing requirements. Nasdaq’s letter provides the Company 45 calendar days, or until May 16, 2022, to submit a plan to regain compliance. If the plan is accepted, the Company can be granted up to 180 calendar days from April 1, 2022, to evidence compliance. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to regain compliance with all applicable continued listing requirements or that its plan will be accepted by the Nasdaq staff. In the event the plan is not accepted by the Nasdaq staff, or in the event the plan is granted but the Company fails to regain compliance within the plan period, the Company would have the right to a hearing before an independent panel. The hearing request would stay any suspension or delisting action pending the conclusion of the hearing process and the expiration of any additional extension period granted by the panel following the hearing.

The Company intends to take all reasonable measures available to regain compliance under the Nasdaq Listing Rules and remain listed on Nasdaq. The Company is currently evaluating its available options to resolve the deficiency and regain compliance with the Nasdaq minimum stockholders’ equity requirement. The Company intends to submit the compliance plan by the Nasdaq deadline.

SIGNATURE

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