In accordance with Aon’s recommendations, the following companies were removed from the fiscal year 2022 peer group: Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; BridgeBio Pharma, Inc.; Eagle Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Fate Therapeutics, Inc.; Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Novavax, Inc.; Principia Biopharma Inc.; and TG Therapeutics, Inc.
Executive Compensation Program for Fiscal Year 2022
Based on recommendations by Aon, the Compensation Committee structured our executive compensation program for fiscal year 2022 to include the elements described below. In making decisions on the 2022 program, the Compensation Committee determined that target total direct compensation for our executive officers generally should not exceed the 75th percentile of the Company’s peer group. It also decided that stock option grants should be used to align the executives’ compensation with value creation for our stockholders and, where appropriate, to fix target total direct compensation at the desired peer group percentile. For Dr. Recknor and Mr. Migliarese, the Compensation Committee determined that salaries should fall in the 25th to 50th percentile, with target total direct compensation pegged at the 50th percentile compared to the Company’s peer group. In making its determinations regarding the 2022 executive officer compensation program, the Compensation Committee did not expressly take into consideration the results of the most recent advisory vote on executive compensation at the Company’s annual meeting of stockholders held on November 24, 2021, but has sought to act in accordance with its understanding of the stockholders’ interests in considering and approving compensation for the Company’s executive officers.
Base Salaries
The Compensation Committee determined base salaries for the named executive officers for fiscal year 2022 based on a variety of factors, including salary levels in the competitive labor market and for similar positions at companies in the Company’s peer group, individual performance, job responsibilities, and tenure with the Company, as well as prior experience, economic conditions facing the Company, and retention.
The Compensation Committee also solicited input from the Company’s then CEO with respect to the compensation of the other named executive officers and took into consideration the CEO’s recommendations.
Based on comparative compensation information provided by Aon/Radford in July 2021, the Compensation Committee fixed base salaries for the Company’s named executive officers for fiscal year 2022 as follows: Dr. Pourhassan, $665,000, a decrease of approximately 33%; Dr. Kelly, $585,000, a decrease of approximately 16%; Dr. Ray, $525,000, unchanged, Dr. Recknor, $460,000; and Mr. Migliarese, $415,000. With respect to Dr. Kelly, the Compensation Committee determined to peg his salary at $100,000 above the 75th percentile for his position as Chief Medical Officer in the market comparisons for the Company’s peer group, in recognition of his service as Board Chair, Head of Business Development, and additional public relations responsibilities. Dr. Recknor’s increase was made retroactive to March 11, 2021, when he became Chief Operating Officer, and Mr. Migliarese’s increase was made retroactive to May 18, 2021, when he was promoted to the position of Chief Financial Officer. In March 2022, in order to conserve cash resources, the Compensation Committee authorized the payment of 25% of executive salaries in the form of shares of common stock. In September 2022, Mr. Migliarese’s salary for the period from January 24, 2022, until July 9, 2022, was increased by $25,000 in recognition of his dual service as CFO and interim President.
Annual Cash Incentive Plan
For fiscal year 2022, the Compensation Committee established performance goals for each of our named executive officers under our bonus plan for executive officers. The target level of annual cash incentives for each named executive officer is fixed in the executive’s employment agreement, and expressed as a percent of base salary. For fiscal year 2022, all named executive officers had a target bonus equal to 50% of the executive’s base salary other than Dr. Pourhassan, whose target percentage was 100% of base salary.
As recommended by Aon, the performance goals, established by the Compensation Committee for the named executive officers for the 2022 fiscal year were corporate-wide goals intended to facilitate the successful execution of the Company’s strategic objectives, including completion of the resubmission of the Company’s Biologic License Application for leronlimab as a combination therapy for highly treatment-experienced HIV patients.