UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 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) July 30, 2025

MEDICINOVA, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware

001-33185

33-0927979

(State or other jurisdiction

of incorporation)

(Commission

File Number)

(IRS Employer

Identification No.)

4275 EXECUTIVE SQUARE,

SUITE 300, LA JOLLA, CA

92037

(Address of principal executive offices)

(Zip Code)

(858) 373-1500

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

(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):

☐	Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐	Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

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


Title of each class	Trading Symbol	Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $0.001 par value	MNOV	The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in 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).

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 1.01.

Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

On July 30, 2025, MediciNova, Inc. (the “Company”) entered into a Standby Equity Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with YA II PN, LTD., a Cayman Islands exempt limited company (“Yorkville”).

Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, the Company has the right, but not the obligation, to sell to Yorkville from time to time (each such occurrence, an “Advance”) up to $30.0 million (the “Commitment Amount”) of the Company’s common stock, $0.001 par value per share (“Common Stock”), during the 36 months following the execution of the Purchase Agreement, subject to the restrictions and satisfaction of the conditions in the Purchase Agreement. At the Company’s option, the shares of Common Stock would be purchased by Yorkville from time to time at a price equal to 97% of the lowest of the three daily VWAPs (as hereinafter defined) during a three consecutive trading day period commencing on the date that the Company, subject to certain limitations, delivers a notice to Yorkville that the Company is committing Yorkville to purchase such shares of Common Stock (the “Advance Shares”). The Company may also specify a certain minimum acceptable price per share in each Advance. “VWAP” means, for any trading day, the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such trading day on the Nasdaq Stock Market during regular trading hours as reported by Bloomberg L.P. through its “AQR” function. As consideration for Yorkville’s irrevocable commitment to purchase Common Stock up to the Commitment Amount, the Company agreed to pay a $25,000 structuring fee to Yorkville along with a commitment fee of $375,000.

Under the applicable rules of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (the “Nasdaq Rules”) and pursuant to the SEPA, in no event may the Company issue or sell to the Investor shares of Common Stock in excess of 9,804,345 shares (the “Exchange Cap”), which is 19.99% of the shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to the execution of the SEPA, unless (i) the Company obtains stockholder approval to issue shares of Common Stock in excess of the Exchange Cap or (ii) the average price of all applicable sales of Common Stock under the SEPA equals or exceeds $1.33 per share (which represents the lower of (i) the Nasdaq Official Closing Price (as reflected on Nasdaq.com) on the trading day immediately preceding the Effective Date or (ii) the average Nasdaq Official Closing Price of the Common Stock (as reflected on Nasdaq.com) for the five trading days immediately preceding the Effective Date). In any event, the Company may not issue or sell any shares of Common Stock under the SEPA if such issuance or sale would breach any applicable Nasdaq Rules.

Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, Yorkville shall not be obligated to purchase or acquire any shares of Common Stock under the Purchase Agreement which, when aggregated with all other shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by Yorkville and its affiliates, would result in the beneficial ownership of Yorkville and its affiliates (on an aggregated basis) exceeding 4.99% of the then outstanding voting power or number of the Company’s Ordinary Shares.

Yorkville’s obligation to purchase the Company’s shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Purchase Agreement is subject to a number of conditions, including that a registration statement (the “Registration Statement”) be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), registering the Commitment Shares to be issued and the Advance Shares to be issued and sold pursuant to an Advance under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and that the Registration Statement is declared effective by the SEC.

The foregoing description of the Purchase Agreement is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of such agreement, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibits 10.1 and which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. The representations, warranties and covenants contained in such agreements were made only for purposes of such agreements and as of specific dates, were solely for the benefit of the parties to such agreements and may be subject to limitations agreed upon by the contracting parties.

This Current Report on Form 8-K shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction.

Item 9.01.

Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits.


Exhibit No.		Description

10.1*		Standby Equity Purchase Agreement dated as of July 30, 2025 by and between the Company and YA II PN Ltd.

104		Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

*	Certain of the exhibits and schedules to this Exhibit have been omitted in accordance with Regulation S-K Item 601. The Registrant agrees to furnish a copy of all omitted exhibits and schedules to the SEC upon its request.

SIGNATURES

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.

Date: July 31, 2025


MEDICINOVA, INC.

By:		/s/ Yuichi Iwaki
Name:		Yuichi Iwaki
Title:		President and Chief Executive Officer

MEDICINOVA INC 8-K