As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 30, 2016

Registration No. 333-_______

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)

(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

(Full Title of the Plan)

(Name and address of agent for service)

(Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent For Service)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

PART I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

*      Information required by Part I to be contained in the Section 10(a) Prospectus is omitted from this Registration Statement in accordance with Rule 428 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and in accordance with the Introductory Note to Part I of Form S-8.

PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

The Company incorporates by reference the documents listed below and any future filings the Company will make with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”):

You may request a copy of these filings at no cost (other than exhibits unless those exhibits are specifically incorporated by reference herein) by writing or telephoning us at the following address:

Abeona Therapeutics Inc.

Attn: Investor Relations

3333 Lee Parkway, Suite 600

Dallas, Texas 75219

(214) 665-9495

The validity of the securities registered hereby is being passed upon for us by Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP. One or more partners or other employees of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP may beneficially own shares of our Common Stock.

Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) grants each corporation organized thereunder the power to indemnify any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of a corporation or enterprise, against expenses, including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, other than an action by or in the right of the corporation, by reason of being or having been in any such capacity, if such person acted in good faith in a manner reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. Section 145(g) of the DGCL further authorizes a corporation to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any indemnified person against any liability asserted against and incurred by such person in any indemnified capacity, or arising out of his or her status as such, regardless of whether the corporation would otherwise have the power to indemnify such person under the DGCL.

Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL enables a corporation in its certificate of incorporation or an amendment thereto to eliminate or limit the personal liability of a director to the corporation or its stockholders of monetary damages for violations of the directors’ fiduciary duty of care, except (1) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, (2) for acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (3) pursuant to Section 174 of the DGCL (providing for liability of directors for unlawful payment of dividends or unlawful stock purchases or redemptions) or (4) for any transaction from which a director derived an improper personal benefit.

In accordance with the DGCL, Article X of the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation provides that, to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL as it may be amended, no director shall be personally liable to the Company or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director. Article X of the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation further provides that the Company will indemnify, defend and hold harmless directors, officers, employees and agents or the Company of the fullest extent currently permitted under the DGCL.

The Company has entered into indemnification agreements with certain of its directors and executive officers. These agreements provide rights of indemnification to the full extent allowed and provided for by Section 145 of the DGCL and the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Company.

The following exhibits are filed as part of or incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement:

** Filed Herewith

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the city of Dallas, in the state of Texas, on the 30th day of November, 2016.

POWER OF ATTORNEY

Each person whose signature appears below hereby appoints Steven H. Rouhandeh and Stephen B. Thompson, and each of them severally as such person's true and lawful attorney-in-fact with the authority to execute in the name of each such person, and to file with the SEC, together with any exhibits thereto and other documents therewith, any and all amendments (including, without limitation, post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement on Form S-8 necessary or advisable to enable the Registrant to comply with the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any rules, regulations, and requirements of the SEC in respect thereof, which amendments may make such other changes in the Registration Statement as the aforesaid attorney-in-fact executing the same deems appropriate.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated as of the dates set forth below.

EXHIBIT INDEX

** Filed Herewith