Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Share-based Compensation

v3.21.2
Share-based Compensation
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2021
Share-based Compensation [Abstract]  
Share-based Compensation
8.
Share-based Compensation
 
Share-based compensation expense was included in general and administrative and research and development costs as follows in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive loss for the three and nine month periods indicated below (in thousands):
 
 
 
Three Months Ended
September 30,
   
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
 
 
2021
   
2020
   
2021
   
2020
 
General and administrative
 
$
322
   
$
224
   
$
804
   
$
426
 
Research and development
   
156
     
392
     
631
     
567
 
Total share-based compensation
 
$
478
   
$
616
   
$
1,435
   
$
993
 

Ocuphire Stock Options
 
2020 Equity Incentive Plan
 
The stockholders of the Company approved the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2020 Plan”) for stock-based awards, which became effective on November 5, 2020.  Under the 2020 Plan, (i) 1,000,000 new shares of common stock were reserved for issuance and (ii) up to 70,325 additional shares of common stock may be issued, consisting of (A) shares that remain available for the issuance of awards under prior equity plans and (B) shares of common stock subject to outstanding stock options or other awards covered by prior equity plans that have been cancelled or expire on or after the date that the 2020 Plan became effective.
 
2018 Equity Incentive Plan 
 
Prior to the 2020 Plan, the Company adopted a 2018 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2018 Plan”) in April 2018 under which 1,241,387 shares of the Company’s common stock were reserved for issuance to employees, directors and consultants upon the amendment of the 2018 Plan in December 2019. The reserve of common stock for the 2018 Plan has been adjusted to give effect to the Exchange Ratio.

Inducement Plan 
  
On February 22, 2021, the Company adopted the Ocuphire Pharma, Inc. Inducement Plan (the “Inducement Plan”), pursuant to which the Company reserved 325,258 shares of its common stock to be used exclusively for grants of awards to individuals who were not previously employees or directors of the Company, as an inducement material to the individual’s entry into employment with the Company within the meaning of Rule 5635(c)(4) of the Nasdaq Listing Rules.

The 2020 Plan, 2018 Plan and Inducement Plan permit the grant of stock options, appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance stock and cash awards, and other share-based awards. Incentive and non-statutory stock options may be granted under the 2020 and 2018 Plans. Only non-statutory options may be granted under the Inducement Plan.

2020 Plan Evergreen Provision 
 
Under the 2020 Plan, the shares reserved automatically increase on January 1st of each year, for a period of not more than ten years from the date the 2020 Plan is approved by the stockholders of the Company, commencing on January 1, 2021 and ending on (and including) January 1, 2030, by an amount equal to 5% of the shares of common stock outstanding as of December 31st of the preceding calendar year. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of Directors may act prior to January 1st of a given year to provide that there will be no January 1st increase in the share reserve for such year or that the increase in the share reserve for such year will be a lesser number of shares of common stock than would otherwise occur pursuant to the preceding sentence. On January 1, 2021, 544,125 shares were added to the 2020 Plan as a result of the evergreen provision. 
 
During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, 128,000 and 387,800 stock options were granted to newly-hired consultants and employees, respectively, generally vesting over a six (6) to forty-eight (48) month period. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, 22,397 and 233,989 stock options to consultants were granted, respectively, generally vesting over an immediate to twenty-eight (28) month period. The Company recognized $452,000 and $616,000 in share-based compensation expense related to stock options during the three months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively, and $1,331,000 and $993,000 during the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively.  During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, 66,056 and 73,442 stock options were exercised, respectively, with an intrinsic value of $271,000 and $345,000, respectively. There were no exercises during the comparable prior year periods.
 
The weighted average fair value per share of options granted during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 was $3.69 and $4.47, respectively. The weighted average fair value per share of options granted during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 was $6.27 and $6.01, respectively. The Company measures the fair value of stock options with service-based and performance-based vesting criteria to employees, directors, consultants and directors on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The Company does not have adequate history to support a calculation of volatility and expected term. As such, the Company has used a weighted-average volatility considering the volatilities of several guideline companies.
 
For purposes of identifying similar entities, the Company considered characteristics such as industry, length of trading history, and stage of life cycle. The assumed dividend yield was based on the Company’s expectation of not paying dividends in the foreseeable future. The average expected life of the options was based on the contractual term for agreements that allow for exercise of vested options through the end of the contractual term upon termination of continuous service, and for all other agreements, was based on the midpoint between the vesting date and the end of the contractual term according to the “simplified method” as described in Staff Accounting Bulletin 110. The risk-free interest rate is determined by reference to implied yields available from U.S. Treasury securities with a remaining term equal to the expected life assumed at the date of grant. The Company records forfeitures when they occur.

The weighted‑average assumptions used in the Black-Scholes option-pricing model are as follows during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020:

 
 
Three Months Ended
September 30,
   
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
 
 
2021
   
2020
   
2021
   
2020
 
Expected stock price volatility
   
99.7
%
   
87.6
%
   
98.0
%
   
94.8
%
Expected life of options (years)
   
5.8
     
10.0
     
5.8
     
10.0
 
Expected dividend yield
   
0
%
   
0
%
   
0
%
   
0
%
Risk free interest rate
   
0.9
%
   
0.7
%
   
0.9
%
   
0.7
%


During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, 95,949 and 328,893 stock options vested, respectively. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, 188,230 and 269,428 stock options vested (as adjusted for the Exchange Ratio), respectively.

During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, zero and 25,558 options were forfeited, respectively. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, 22,399 and 30,323 options were forfeited, respectively. As of September 30, 2021, 922,300 shares were available for future issuance under the 2020 Plan and Inducement Plan. No shares were available for future issuance under the 2018 Plan.
 
Unrecognized share-based compensation cost was $2.8 million as of September 30, 2021. The unrecognized share-based expense is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.3 years.
 
Ocuphire Restricted Stock Awards
 
The Company did not grant any restricted stock awards (RSAs) during any of the periods presented. The RSAs granted in previous periods were subject to various vesting schedules.  During the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, 40,000 and zero RSAs vested, respectively, and no RSAs were forfeited during the periods presented. The share-based compensation expense attributed to the RSAs during the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020 was $22,000 and zero, respectively.

Ocuphire Stock Awards 
 
The Company granted stock awards in the amount of 5,047 and 14,444 common shares to two board members in lieu of cash payments for services performed during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, respectively. The stock-based compensation related to these awards amounted to $26,000 and $82,000 during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, respectively.
 
Former Rexahn Options 
 
Following the closing of the Merger, 82 and 123 outstanding, unexercised and vested options to purchase Common Stock granted under the Rexahn Pharmaceuticals Stock Option Plan, as amended (the “Rexahn 2003 Plan”), remained outstanding as of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. During the nine months ended September 30, 2021, 41 options expired. The exercise price related to the outstanding options granted under the Rexahn 2003 Plan was $182.40 per share with an average remaining contractual life of 0.7 years.