SLNO Soleno Therapeutics Inc

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 28, 2025

Registration No. 333-   

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Under

The Securities Act of 1933

SOLENO THERAPEUTICS, INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

100 Marine Pkwy, Suite 400

Redwood City, CA 94065

(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

Amended and Restated 2014 Equity Incentive Plan

(Full title of the plan)

Anish Bhatnagar

Chief Executive Officer

Soleno Therapeutics, Inc.

100 Marine Pkwy, Suite 400

Redwood City, CA 94065

(Name and address of agent for service)

(650) 213-8444

(Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

Copies to:

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 the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act (Check one)

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) registers shares of Common Stock (“Shares”) of Soleno Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Registrant”) reserved for issuance under the Registrant’s Amended and Restated 2014 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2014 Plan”). The number of Shares available for grant and issuance under the 2014 Plan is subject to an annual increase on the first day of each fiscal year, by an amount equal to the lesser of (i) 4.0% of the outstanding shares of all classes of the Registrant’s common stock on the last day of the immediately preceding fiscal year and (ii) such number of Shares determined by the Registrant’s board of directors. This Registration Statement registers 1,828,152 Shares available for grant and issuance under the 2014 Plan, which represents 4.0% of the 45,703,811 shares of the Registrant’s outstanding common stock on December 31, 2024, and all of which became available for grant and issuance under the 2014 Plan on January 1, 2025.

PART I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

The information specified in Item 1 and Item 2 of Part I of Form S-8 is omitted from this Registration Statement in accordance with the provisions of Rule 428 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the introductory note to Part I of Form S-8. The documents containing the information specified in Part I of Form S-8 will be delivered to the participants in the equity benefit plans covered by this Registration Statement as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) under the Securities Act.

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

The Registrant hereby incorporates by reference into this Registration Statement the following documents previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”):

All documents filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act on or after the date of this Registration Statement and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement that indicates that all securities offered have been sold or that deregisters all securities then remaining unsold shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and to be part hereof from the date of filing of such documents; provided, however, that documents or information deemed to have been furnished and not filed in accordance with the rules of the Commission shall not be deemed incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement. Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any subsequently filed document which also is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

Under no circumstances will any information furnished under current items 2.02 or 7.01 of Form 8-K be deemed incorporated herein by reference unless such Form 8-K expressly provides to the contrary.

Item 4. Description of Securities.

Not applicable.

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

Not applicable.

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law authorizes a corporation’s board of directors to grant, and authorizes a court to award, indemnity to officers, directors and other corporate agents.

As permitted by Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law, the Registrant’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation includes provisions that eliminate the personal liability of its directors for monetary damages for breach of their fiduciary duty as directors, excluding liability for any breach of the duty of loyalty.

In addition, as permitted by Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, the amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws of the Registrant provide that:

The Registrant has entered into separate indemnification agreements with each of its directors and officers that provide the maximum indemnity allowed to directors and executive officers by Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law and also to provide for certain additional procedural protections. The Registrant also maintains directors and officers insurance to insure such persons against certain liabilities.

These indemnification provisions and the indemnification agreements entered into between the Registrant and its officers and directors may be sufficiently broad to permit indemnification of the Registrant’s officers and directors for liabilities (including reimbursement of expenses incurred) arising under the Securities Act.

See also the undertakings set out in response to Item 9 herein.

Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed.

Not applicable.

Item 8. Exhibits.

Item 9. Undertakings.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and

Provided, however, that paragraphs (A)(1)(i) and (A)(1)(ii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, 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 Redwood City, California, on the 28th day of February, 2025.

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Anish Bhatnagar as his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent with full power of substitution, for him in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this registration statement on Form S-8 (including post-effective amendments), and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact, proxy and agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully for all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact, proxy and agent, or his substitute, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement on Form S-8 has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Exhibit 5.1

February 28, 2025

Soleno Therapeutics, Inc.

100 Marine Pkwy, Suite 400

Redwood City, CA 94065

Re: Registration Statement on Form S-8

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have examined the Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) to be filed by Soleno Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation, with the Securities and Exchange Commission on or about the date hereof, in connection with the registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, of 1,828,152 shares of Common Stock reserved for issuance pursuant to the Soleno Therapeutics, Inc. 2014 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2014 Plan”), which shares of Common Stock are referred to herein as the “Shares”. As your legal counsel, we have examined the proceedings taken and proposed to be taken in connection with the issuance, sale and payment of consideration for the Shares to be issued under the Plan.

On the basis of the foregoing, and in reliance thereon, we are of the opinion that the Shares, when issued and sold in the manner referred to in the Plan and pursuant to the agreements that accompany the Plan, will be legally and validly issued, fully paid, and nonassessable.

We consent to the use of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, and further consent to the use of our name wherever appearing in the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto.

Exhibit 23.1

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM’S CONSENT

We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement of Soleno Therapeutics, Inc. on Form S-8 of our report dated February 28, 2025, with respect to our audits of the consolidated financial statements of Soleno Therapeutics, Inc. as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2024 and our report dated February 28, 2025 with respect to our audit of internal control over financial reporting of Soleno Therapeutics, Inc. as of December 31, 2024 appearing in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Soleno Therapeutics, Inc. for the year ended December 31, 2024.

Our report on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting expressed an adverse opinion because of the existence of a material weakness.