Stock-Based Compensation |
7. Stock-Based Compensation The 2018 Omnibus Incentive Compensation Plan (the “2018 Plan”) was unanimously approved by the Company’s Board of Directors on May 24, 2018 and was approved by the Company’s stockholders on June 27, 2018. Under the 2018 Plan, the Company may grant incentive stock options, non-qualified stock options, stock awards, stock units, stock appreciation rights and other stock-based awards to employees, non-employee directors and consultants, and advisors. The maximum aggregate number of shares of the Company’s common stock that may be issued under the 2018 Plan is 26,823. The 2018 Plan was amended and restated following unanimous approval of the Company’s Board of Directors on April 24, 2019 and was approved by the Company’s shareholders on June 17, 2019. The amended 2018 Plan (the “Amended Plan”) allowed for an additional 39,300 shares of the Company’s common stock that may be issued under the Amended Plan with respect to awards made on and after June 17, 2019. The 2021 Incentive Compensation Plan (the “2021 Plan”) was unanimously approved by the Company’s shareholders on July 30, 2021. Upon stockholders’ approval of the 2021 Plan, no further awards will be made under the amended 2018 Plan. Under the 2021 Plan, the Company may grant incentive stock options, non-qualified stock options, stock awards, stock units, stock appreciation rights and other stock-based awards to employees, non-employee directors and consultants, and advisors. The 2021 Plan was amended and restated following unanimous approval of the Company’s Board of Directors on May 23, 2022 and was approved by the Company’s shareholders on August 18, 2022. The amended 2021 Plan (the “Amended 2021 Plan”) allowed for an additional 2,000,000 shares of the Company’s common stock that may be issued under the Amended 2021 Plan with respect to awards made on and after August 18, 2022. At June 30, 2023, there were 1,276,885 shares available for future issuance. Stock-based compensation expense includes stock options granted to employees and non-employees and has been reported in the Company’s statements of operations and comprehensive loss in either research and development expenses or general and administrative expenses depending on the function performed by the optionee. No net tax benefits related to the stock-based compensation costs have been recognized since the Company’s inception. The Company recognized stock-based compensation expense related to stock options and restricted stock units as follows for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Three Months Ended June 30, | | Six Months Ended June 30, | | | | 2023 | | 2022 | | 2023 | | 2022 | | General and administrative | | $ | 168,000 | | $ | 72,000 | | $ | 334,000 | | $ | 259,000 | | Research and development | | | 105,000 | | | 169,000 | | | 275,000 | | | 278,000 | | | | $ | 273,000 | | $ | 241,000 | | $ | 609,000 | | $ | 537,000 | |
A summary of stock option activity for the six months ended June 30, 2023 is as follows: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Options Outstanding | | | | | | | | | | Weighted | | | | | | | | | | Weighted- | | Average | | | | | | | | | Average | | Remaining | | Aggregate | | | | | Number | | Exercise | | Contractual | | Intrinsic | | | | | of Shares | | Price | | Term (in years) | | Value | Balance, December 31, 2022 | | | | 1,397,763 | | $ | 7.15 | | 9.18 | | $ | — | Granted | | | | 478,250 | | $ | 0.75 | | 10.00 | | | — | Exercised | | | | — | | $ | — | | — | | $ | — | Forfeitures/adjustments | | | | (164,216) | | $ | 1.92 | | 9.10 | | | | Balance, June 30, 2023 | | | | 1,711,797 | | $ | 5.11 | | 8.71 | | $ | — | Exercisable at June 30, 2023 | | | | 460,431 | | $ | 15.24 | | 7.34 | | $ | — |
The Company accounts for all stock-based payments made to employees, non-employees and directors using an option pricing model for estimating fair value. Accordingly, stock-based compensation expense is measured based on the estimated fair value of the awards on the date of grant, net of forfeitures. Compensation expense is recognized for the portion that is ultimately expected to vest over the period during which the recipient renders the required services to the Company using the straight-line single option method. The Company uses the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to estimate the fair value of stock options at the grant date. The Black-Scholes model requires the Company to make certain estimates and assumptions, assumptions related to the expected price volatility of the Common Stock, the period during which the options will be outstanding, the rate of return on risk-free investments and the expected dividend yield for the Company’s stock. As of June 30, 2023, there was $1,078,000 of unrecognized compensation expense related to the unvested stock options which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately 1.70 years. The weighted-average assumptions underlying the Black-Scholes calculation of grant date fair value of stock options include the following: | | | | | | | | | | | Six months ended June 30, | | | | | 2023 | | 2022 | | | Risk-free interest rate | | | 3.63 | % | | 2.01 | % | | Expected volatility | | | 121.00 | % | | 121.49 | % | | Expected term | | | 5.85 | years | | 5.85 | years | | Expected dividend yield | | | 0 | % | | 0 | % | | Weighted average grant date fair value | | $ | 0.64 | | $ | 1.51 | | |
The weighted-average valuation assumptions were determined as follows: | ● | Risk-free interest rate: The Company based the risk-free interest rate on the interest rate payable on U.S. Treasury securities in effect at the time of grant for a period that is commensurate with the assumed expected option term. |
| ● | Expected term of options: Due to its lack of sufficient historical data, the Company estimates the expected life of its employee stock options using the “simplified” method, as prescribed in Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) No. 107, whereby the expected life equals the arithmetic average of the vesting term and the original contractual term of the option. |
| ● | Expected stock price volatility: Expected volatility is based on the historical volatility of the Company’s Common Stock. |
| ● | Expected annual dividend yield: The Company has never paid, and does not expect to pay, dividends in the foreseeable future. Accordingly, the Company assumed an expected dividend yield of 0.0%. |
On August 2, 2021, the compensation committee of the Board of Directors approved restricted stock unit grants to the Company’s employees (“2021 RSU”). An aggregate of 104,700 service-based RSUs were issued at a grant date fair value of $5.19. The 2021 RSU awards will be settled in stock, vest 33% on each of the first and second anniversary of the date of grant, and vest 34% on the third anniversary of the date of grant. The 2021 RSU awards were granted under the 2021 Plan. During the six months ended June 30, 2023, there were no vesting events, forfeitures, expirations, or cancelations of 2021 RSUs; there were forfeitures of 9,300 of the 2021 RSUs. On February 7, 2022, the compensation committee of the Board of Directors approved restricted stock unit grants to the Companies employees (“2022 RSU”). An aggregate of 148,343 service-based RSUs were issued at a grant date fair value of $1.82. The 2022 RSU awards will be settled in stock, vest 33% on each of the first and second anniversary of the date of grant, and vest 34% on the third anniversary of the date of grant. During the six months ended June 30, 2023, there was a vesting event for 43,567 of the 2022 RSUs. There were no forfeitures, expirations, or cancelations of the 2022 RSUs during the period; there were forfeitures of 11,667 of the 2022 RSUs. On June 10, 2022, the compensation committee of the Board of Directors approved restricted stock unit grants to certain of the Company’s employees (“2022 RSU2”). An aggregate of 24,200 service-based RSUs were issued at a grant date fair value of $1.33. The 2022 RSU2 awards will be settled in stock, vest 33% on each of the first and second anniversary of the date of grant, and vest 34% on the third anniversary of the date of grant. During the six months ended June 30, 2023, there were no vesting events expirations, or cancelations of the 2022 RSU2s. On March 13, 2023, the compensation committee of the Board of Directors approved restricted stock unit grants to the Companies employees (“2023 RSU”). An aggregate of 169,217 service-based RSUs were issued at a grant date fair value of $0.73. The 2023 RSU awards will be settled in stock, vest 33% on each of the first and second anniversary of the date of grant, and vest 34% on the third anniversary of the date of grant. During the six months ended June 30, 2023, there were no vesting events, expirations, or cancelations of the 2023 RSUs; there were forfeitures of 27,334 of the 2023 RSUs At June 30, 2023, the unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested service-based RSUs was $370,000, which will be recognized over the remaining service period. Grants of PSUs and SARs During 2020 and 2021, the compensation committee of the Board of Directors and the board approved a cash bonus program of cash-settled stock appreciation right (“SAR”) awards to the Company’s employees and non-employee directors, and cash-settled performance stock unit (“PSU”) awards to the Company’s employees. These awards were granted outside of the 2018 Plan and the 2021 Plan. As the Company’s stock price has decreased since these awards, their impact on the results of operations and balance sheet of the Company are not material during 2022 or 2023.
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