Stock-Based Compensation | 7. Stock-Based Compensation The following table summarizes the activity for all stock options outstanding for the nine months ended September 30: Schedule of Stock Options Activity 2024 2023 Shares Weighted Shares Weighted Options outstanding at beginning of year 2,815,392 $ 7.95 1,976,586 $ 6.34 Granted 1,557,479 16.37 874,548 10.13 Exercised (89,059 ) 7.48 (82,708 ) 3.65 Forfeited (71,710 ) 9.95 (65,797 ) 7.45 Balance at September 30 4,212,102 $ 11.04 2,702,629 $ 7.63 Options exercisable at September 30: 1,891,297 $ 7.11 1,440,231 $ 6.26 Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value for options granted during the period: $ 11.38 $ 7.09 The following table summarizes additional information about stock options outstanding and exercisable at September 30, 2024: Schedule of Stock Options Outstanding and Exercisable Options Outstanding Options Exercisable Options Weighted Weighted Aggregate Options Weighted Aggregate 4,212,102 8.16 $ 11.04 $ 18,651,440 1,891,297 $ 7.11 $ 14,838,086 The Company recognized stock-based compensation expense for stock options of $ 1,843,424 1,065,567 4,463,423 3,516,180 776,324 5.50 26,652 30,188 80,063 107,490 83,000 311,000 13.44 15,773 15,773 47,300 49,617 51,000 203,750 5.10 0 3,041 696 16,975 0 The Black-Scholes option-pricing model was used to estimate the fair value of equity-based awards and the Monte Carlo simulation model was used to estimate the fair value of the performance-based awards, with the following weighted-average assumptions for the nine months ended September 30: Schedule of Assumptions for Fair Value of Equity-based Awards 2024 2023 Risk-free interest rate 3.48 4.71 % 3.41 4.61 % Expected volatility 71.2 76.10 % 78.0 79.8 % Expected life (years) 5.25 10.00 5.25 6.08 Expected dividend yield 0 % 0 % The inputs for the Black-Scholes valuation model and the Monte Carlo simulation model require management’s significant assumptions. Prior to the Company’s initial public offering, the price per share of common stock was determined by the Company’s board based on recent prices of common stock sold in private offerings. Subsequent to the initial public offering, the price per share of common stock is determined by using the closing market price on the Nasdaq Capital Market on the grant date. The risk-free interest rates are based on the rate for U.S. Treasury securities at the date of grant with maturity dates approximately equal to the expected life at the grant date. The expected life is based on the simplified method for the time-based awards and the life of the option for the performance-based awards, in accordance with the SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin Nos. 107 and 110. The expected volatility is estimated based on historical volatility information of peer companies that are publicly available in combination with the Company’s calculated volatility since being publicly traded for the time-based awards. For the performance-based awards, the Company’s full historical volatility was used to value the options. All assumptions used to calculate the grant date fair value of non-employee options are generally consistent with the assumptions used for options granted to employees. In the event the Company terminates any of its consulting agreements, the unvested options issued in connection with the agreements would also be cancelled. The Company had 1,079 1,958 no 4,448 4,903 17,773 13,597 The Company initially reserved a maximum of 750,000 102,998 149,189 216,673 255,060 increase automatically on January 1 of each year from 2025 through 2027 by the number of shares equal to 1.0% of the aggregate number of outstanding shares of Company common stock as of the immediately preceding December 31. However, the Company’s board may reduce the amount of the increase in any particular year. At the Annual Meetings held on May 12, 2021 and May 12, 2022, the stockholders approved one-time, 500,000 1,000,000 1,500,000 3,000,000 1,286,511 Total unrecognized compensation cost related to stock options and restricted stock is estimated to be recognized at September 30, 2024: Schedule of Unrecognized Compensation Cost 2024 $ 2,158,997 2025 7,470,910 2026 6,066,260 2027 4,918,768 2028 1,740,835 Total estimated compensation cost to be recognized $ 22,355,770 The Company recognized stock-based compensation expense related to its employee stock purchase plan of $ 83,329 38,167 191,863 129,125 100,000 51,499 74,594 108,337 127,530 number of shares equal to 0.5% of the total outstanding number of shares of Company common stock as of the immediately preceding December 31. 373,739 The Company recognized total stock-based compensation expense as follows for the three and nine months ended September 30: Schedule of Stock-based Compensation Expenses 2024 2023 2024 2023 Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended September September 2024 2023 2024 2023 Stock-based compensation expense in operating expenses: Research and development $ 1,190,424 $ 660,706 $ 3,000,641 $ 1,954,689 General and administrative 740,777 447,931 1,672,418 1,704,213 Total $ 1,931,201 $ 1,108,637 $ 4,673,059 $ 3,658,902 |