Oragenics Inc. priced an underwritten public offering of shares and warrants at 75 cents per share and accompanying warrants.

The Tampa, Fla.-based antibiotics maker expects to raise gross proceeds of about $12.5 million.

Oragenics is offering 16,666,668 common shares, short-term warrants to buy up to 8,333,334 shares and long-term warrants to buy up to 8,333,334 shares.

The underwriter has an option to buy up to 2.5 million additional shares, short-term warrants to buy 1,250,000 shares and long-term warrants to buy 1,250,000 common shares at the public offering price.

The short-term warrants will be immediately exercisable at exercise price of 75 cents per share. They will expire 18 months after issuance or 21 trading days after Oragenics releases top-line data from a phase 2 study of its drug candidate AG013, whichever comes earlier.

AG013 is a potential treatment for oral mucositis, or mouth sores, in cancer patients. Oral mucositis is a common complication of cancer treatment.

The long-term warrant will be immediately exercisable, at an exercise price of 90 cents per common share and will expire five years after issue date.

Oragenics plans to use net proceeds to fund research of AG013 as well as for preclinical development of the company's lantibiotics program and other clinical trials. Net proceeds will also be used for working capital and general corporate purposes.

The offering is expected to close on or about March 25.

H.C. Wainwright & Co. is the sole book-running manager for the offering.