Stock Incentive Plan | 12. STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN The Company approved the 2013 Equity Incentive Plan in October 2013. On June 30, 2023, the 2013 Equity Incentive Plan was replaced by the 2023 Equity Incentive Plan (2023 Equity Plan). Prior to its replacement by the 2023 Equity Plan, the 2013 Equity Incentive Plan was amended in June 2016 and June 2018, (Amended 2013 Plan). The Amended 2013 Plan provides for the granting of stock options, restricted stock units (RSU), stock appreciation rights, and stock units to certain employees, members of the board of directors and consultants of the Company. The aggregate number of common shares that previously could have been issued under the Amended 2013 Plan automatically increase on the first business day of each year by a number of shares equal to the lower of (a) 6 % of the total number of shares of common stock outstanding on the last calendar day of the prior fiscal year, or (b) a number of shares of common stock determined by the Company’s board of directors. As of December 31, 2023, options to purchase 5,724,105 shares of common stock at a weighted average exercise price of $ 6.35 per share and 944,497 shares of common stock underlying restricted stock units remained outstanding under the Amended 2013 Plan. In May 2023, the Company's Board of Directors authorized the 2023 Equity Plan to replace the Amended 2013 Plan. On June 30, 2023, the Company's stockholders approved the 2023 Equity Plan at the Company's 2023 annual meeting of stockholders. Pursuant to the 2023 Equity Plan, the Company will not make any further grants under the Amended 2013 Plan following June 30, 2023, though awards previously granted under the Amended 2013 Plan will remain outstanding. The 2023 Equity Plan is effective for a period of ten years after June 30, 2023, and a total of 5,450,000 additional shares of the Company’s common stock, in addition to shares of the Company’s common stock that are subject to awards granted under the Amended 2013 Plan that are outstanding as of such date and that are subsequently forfeited, cancelled or expire before being exercised or settled in full and thereupon become available for grant under the 2023 Equity Plan, are authorized for issuance under the 2023 Equity Plan. As of December 31, 2023, options to purchase 144,711 shares of common stock at a weighted average exercise price of $ 8.39 per share remained outstanding under the 2023 Equity Plan. As of December 31, 2023, there were 5,707,730 shares of common stock available for grant under the 2023 Equity Plan. In 2020 and 2022 the Company granted cash awards under its Management Cash Incentive Plan, as amended (the Management Cash Incentive Plan). The Management Cash Incentive Plan provides its participants with the opportunity to earn cash incentive awards for the achievement of goals relating to the performance of the Company and was adopted in 2016. The cash awards vest in four annual installments from the date of grant and entitle the employees to receive a cash payment, on the earlier of (i) four years from the date of grant or (ii) a change of control, equal in value to the amount by which the then value of the Company’s common stock exceeds the base value. As of December 31, 2023 , $ 0.3 million was accrued as compensation expense for vested cash awards. There was no unrecognized expense as of December 31, 2023. In 2022, the Company granted performance cash settled bonus awards (CSBUs) under its Management Cash Incentive Plan. Subject to and conditioned upon the acceptance by the FDA of the Company's submission of an NDA for reproxalap (Performance Criteria), the awards will vest in four annual installments from the date of grant and entitle the employees to receive a cash payment for each vested CSBU, on the earlier of (i) four years from the date of grant or (ii) a change of control, equal in value of the closing price per share of the Company's common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market on the payment date. As of December 31, 2023 , $ 1.5 million was accrued as compensation expense for CSBUs as the Performance Criteria was deemed probable and was met in February 2023. There was no unrecognized expense as of December 31, 2023. The Company recognizes stock-based compensation expense over the requisite service period. The Company’s share-based awards are accounted for as equity instruments, except for cash awards and CSBUs, which are accounted for as liabilities. The amounts included in the consolidated statements of operations relating to stock-based compensation associated with the two equity incentive plans, cash awards, CSBUs, and Helio founders’ shares are as follows: Years ended December 31, 2023 2022 Research and development expenses $ 3,076,048 $ 4,087,073 General and administrative expenses 2,676,723 4,201,903 Total stock-based compensation expense $ 5,752,771 $ 8,288,976 Stock Options Terms of stock option agreements, including vesting requirements, are determined by the board of directors or its compensation committee, subject to the provisions of the respective plan from which they were granted. Options granted by the Company typically vest over a four-year period. The options are subject to acceleration of vesting in the event of certain change of control transactions. The options may be granted for a term of up to ten years from the date of grant. The exercise price for options granted under the Amended 2013 Plan and the 2023 Equity Plan must be at a price no less than 100 % of the fair market value of a common share on the date of grant. The following table summarizes option activity under the incentive plans for the year ended December 31, 2023: Number of Weighted Weighted Aggregate Outstanding at December 31, 2022 5,403,982 $ 5.90 6.56 $ 10,506,953 Granted 1,172,775 6.96 — Forfeited ( 300,769 ) 6.16 226,418 Exercised ( 306,328 ) 0.63 2,006,635 Expired ( 100,844 ) 4.37 32,077 Outstanding at December 31, 2023 5,868,816 $ 6.40 6.44 $ 3,996 Exercisable at December 31, 2023 4,353,141 $ 6.36 5.69 $ 2,143 (a) The aggregate intrinsic value in this table was calculated on the positive difference, if any, between the closing price per share of the Company’s common stock on December 31, 2023 of $ 3.51 and the per share exercise price of the underlying options. The total intrinsic value of stock options exercised was $ 2.0 million and $ 0.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 , respectively. The Company records stock-based compensation related to stock options granted at fair value. During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company used the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to estimate the fair value of stock option grants and to determine the related compensation expense. The assumptions used in calculating the fair value of stock-based payment awards represent management’s best estimates. The weighted-average grant date fair value of options granted was $ 5.07 and $ 2.92 for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 , respectively. The assumptions used in determining fair value of the employee stock options for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, are as follows: December 31, December 31, Expected dividend yield 0 % 0 % Anticipated volatility 83.58 % - 83.63 % 84.82 % - 85.21 % Stock price $ 6.76 - $ 8.39 $ 3.49 - $ 4.52 Exercise price $ 6.76 - $ 8.39 $ 3.49 - $ 4.52 Expected life (years) 5.50 - 6.02 5.50 - 6.08 Risk free interest rate 4.09 % - 4.12 % 1.47 % - 3.26 % The dividend yield of zero is based on the fact that the Company has never paid cash dividends and have no present intention to pay cash dividends. Expected volatility is estimated using the historical volatility of the Company. The Company has estimated the expected life of its employee stock options using the “simplified” method, whereby, the expected life equals the average of the vesting term and the original contractual term of the option for service-based awards since the Company doesn’t have sufficient historical or implied data of its own. The risk-free interest rates for periods within the expected life of the option are based on the yields of zero-coupon United States Treasury securities. At December 31, 2023, there is approximately $ 6.2 million of unrecognized compensation cost relating to stock options outstanding, which the Company expects to recognize over a weighted average period of 2.22 years. Total unrecognized compensation cost will be adjusted for future forfeitures, if necessary. Restricted Stock Units Terms of RSUs agreements, including vesting requirements, are determined by the board of directors or its compensation committee, subject to the provisions of the Amended 2013 Plan and the 2023 Equity Plan. RSUs granted by the Company typically vest over a four year period stock share price on the date of grant to estimated fair value. In the event that the employees’ employment with the Company terminates any unvested shares are forfeited and revert to the Company. RSUs are not included in issued and outstanding common stock until the shares are vested and released. The table below summarizes activity relating to RSUs for the year ended December 31, 2023: Number Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value Outstanding at December 31, 2022 1,184,603 $ 4.95 Granted 238,750 6.76 Forfeited ( 101,672 ) 4.72 Exercised/Released ( 70,904 ) 4.72 Vested ( 306,280 ) 5.42 Outstanding at December 31, 2023 944,497 $ 5.30 The weighted-average fair value of RSUs granted was $ 6.76 and $ 4.64 per share for the years ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively. The total fair value of RSUs vested was $ 2.0 million and $ 1.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. As of December 31, 2023, the outstanding RSUs had unamortized stock-based compensation of $ 3.6 million with a weighted-average remaining recognition period of 2.53 years and an aggregate intrinsic value of $ 3.3 million. Employee Stock Purchase Plan In March 2016, the Company’s board of directors approved the 2016 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (2016 ESPP), which became effective in June 2016 following the approval of the Company’s stockholders. The 2016 ESPP initially authorized the issuance of up to a total of 414,639 shares of the Company’s common stock to participating employees. The number of shares reserved for issuance under the 2016 ESPP automatically increases on the first business day of each fiscal year, commencing in 2017, by a number equal to the lower of (i) 1 % of the shares of common stock outstanding on the last business day of the prior fiscal year; or (ii) the number of shares determined by the Company’s Board of Directors. Unless otherwise determined by the administrator of the 2016 ESPP, two offering periods of six months’ duration will begin each year on January 1 and July 1. Participating employees purchase stock under the 2016 ESPP at a price equal to the lower of 85 % of the closing price on the applicable offering commencement date or 85 % of the closing price on the applicable offering termination date. The fair value of the purchase rights granted under this plan was estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model using assumptions as shown below: December 31, December 31, Expected dividend yield 0 % 0 % Anticipated volatility 83.61 % - 91.33 % 84.04 % - 84.99 % Stock price $ 6.96 - $ 7.98 $ 3.80 - $ 4.27 Exercise price $ 6.96 - $ 7.98 $ 3.80 - $ 4.27 Expected life (years) 0.50 0.50 Risk free interest rate 4.77 % - 5.26 % 0.22 % - 4.76 % At December 31, 2023, the Company has 2,345,426 shares available for issuance under the 2016 ESPP. The number of shares available for issuance under the 2016 ESPP was increased as of January 2, 2024 by 588,897 shares. A summary of the weighted-average grant-date fair value, shares issued and total stock-based compensation expense recognized related to the 2016 ESPP for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 are as follows: December 31, December 31, Weighted-average grant-date fair value $ 2.90 $ 1.57 Total shares issued 26,168 28,485 Total stock-based compensation expense $ 44,022 $ 57,413 |