CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc PRE 14A, filed Mar 28, 2024
CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (CNSP)
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. )
Filed by the Registrant x
Filed by a Party other than the Registrant ¨
Check the appropriate box:
| x | Preliminary Proxy Statement |
| o | Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) |
| o | Definitive Proxy Statement |
| o | Definitive Additional Materials |
| o | Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12 |
| CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. |
|
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
|
| (Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant) |
Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
| x | No fee required. |
| o | Fee paid previously with preliminary materials. |
| o | Fee computed on table in exhibit required by Item 25(b) per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11. |
CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
2100 West Loop South, Suite 900
Houston, TX 77027
(800) 946-9185
To the Stockholders of CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc.:
You are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. on April 30, 2024. The Annual Meeting will begin at 3:00 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time virtually at https://agm.issuerdirect.com/cnsp where you will be able to listen to the meeting live, submit questions and vote online.
Information regarding each of the matters to be voted on at the Annual Meeting is contained in the attached Proxy Statement and Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders. We urge you to read the proxy statement carefully. The proxy statement and proxy card are being mailed to all stockholders of record as of March 21, 2024.
Because it is important that your shares be voted at the Annual Meeting, we urge you to complete, date and sign the enclosed proxy card and return it as promptly as possible in the accompanying envelope, whether or not you plan to attend. Even after returning your proxy, if you are a stockholder of record and do attend the meeting and wish to vote your shares in person, you still may do so.
Very truly yours,
CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
| By: | /s/ John Climaco | |
| John Climaco | ||
| Chief Executive Officer |
Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials
for the Annual Shareholder Meeting to be Held on April 30, 2024:
Electronic Copies of the Proxy Statement and our 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K are available at
http://icomproxy.com/cnsp
CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
2100 West Loop South, Suite 900
Houston, TX 77027
(800) 946-9185
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
To Be Held April 30, 2024
TO THE STOCKHOLDERS OF CNS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.:
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”) will be held virtually at https://agm.issuerdirect.com/cnsp, on April 30, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, for the following purposes, as described in the accompanying Proxy Statement:
| 1. | To elect six Board nominees to the Board of Directors of the Company, each to serve until the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders of the Company or until such person’s successor is qualified and elected. | |
| 2. | To ratify the appointment of MaloneBailey, LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2024. | |
| 3. | To grant our Board of Directors authority, in its sole discretion, prior to the one-year anniversary of this Annual Meeting, to effect a reverse stock split of the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock, at a reverse split ratio of between 1-for-2 and 1-for-50 as determined by the Board of Directors, by the filing of an amendment to the Company's Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation. | |
| 4. | To approve an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation to increase the total number of authorized shares of common stock from 75,000,000 shares to 300,000,000 shares. | |
| 5. | To approve amendments to the Company's 2020 Stock Plan including an increase in the number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance under the Company's 2020 Stock Plan. | |
| 6. | To approve, for purposes of complying with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(d), the repricing of certain warrants to purchase up to 3,756,000 shares of common stock issued on October 16, 2023, from $1.28 per share to $0.30 per share and to extend the termination date of such warrants to February 1, 2029. | |
| 7. | To authorize the adjournment of the Annual Meeting, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies if there are not sufficient votes at the time of the Annual Meeting or adjournment or postponement thereof to approve any of the above proposals. |
Only stockholders of record of the Company at the close of business on March 21, 2024, are entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. You will be able to listen to the meeting live, submit questions and vote online at the virtual Annual Meeting. A complete list of these stockholders will be open for the examination of any stockholder of record at the Company’s principal executive offices located at 2100 West Loop South, Suite 900, Houston, TX 77027 for a period of ten days prior to the Annual Meeting. The Annual Meeting may be adjourned or postponed from time to time without notice other than by announcement at the meeting.
WHETHER OR NOT YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE MEETING, PLEASE SIGN AND DATE THE ENCLOSED PROXY AND RETURN IT IN THE ENVELOPE PROVIDED.
| By Order of the Board of Directors, | |
| CNS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. | |
| /s/ John Climaco | |
| Houston, Texas | John Climaco |
| April 8, 2024 | Chief Executive Officer |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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CNS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
PROXY STATEMENT
FOR
ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
To Be Held April 30, 2024
INFORMATION ABOUT THE ANNUAL MEETING AND VOTING
WHY DID YOU SEND ME THIS PROXY STATEMENT?
This proxy statement and the enclosed proxy card are furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Board of Directors of CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Nevada corporation, for use at the Annual Meeting of CNS Pharmaceuticals’ stockholders to be held on April 30, 2024. The Annual Meeting will begin at 3:00 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time virtually at https://agm.issuerdirect.com/cnsp. This proxy statement summarizes the information you need to make an informed vote on the proposals to be considered at the Annual Meeting. However, you do not need to attend the Annual Meeting to vote your shares. Instead, you may simply complete, sign and return the enclosed proxy card using the envelope provided. The terms “CNS Pharmaceuticals,” “Company,” “we,” or “our” refer to CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
WHAT PROPOSALS WILL BE ADDRESSED AT THE ANNUAL MEETING?
We will address the following proposals at the Annual Meeting:
| 1. | To elect six Board nominees to the Board of Directors of the Company, each to serve until the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders of the Company or until such person’s successor is qualified and elected. | |
| 2. | To ratify the appointment of MaloneBailey, LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2024. | |
| 3. | To grant our Board of Directors authority, in its sole discretion, prior to the one-year anniversary of this Annual Meeting, to effect a reverse stock split of the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock, at a reverse split ratio of between 1-for-2 and 1-for-50 as determined by the Board of Directors, by the filing of an amendment to the Company's Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation. | |
| 4. | To approve an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation to increase the total number of authorized shares of common stock from 75,000,000 shares to 300,000,000 shares. | |
| 5. | To approve amendments to the Company's 2020 Stock Plan (the “2020 Plan”) including an increase in the number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance under the Company's 2020 Stock Plan. | |
| 6. | To approve, for purposes of complying with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(d), the repricing of certain warrants to purchase up to 3,756,000 shares of common stock issued on October 16, 2023 (the “October 2023 Warrants”), from $1.28 per share to $0.30 per share and to extend the termination date of such warrants to February 1, 2029 (collectively, the “Nasdaq Proposal”). | |
| 7. | To authorize the adjournment of the Annual Meeting, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies if there are not sufficient votes at the time of the Annual Meeting or adjournment or postponement thereof to approve any of the above proposals. |
WHO MAY VOTE ON THESE PROPOSALS?
We will send this proxy statement, the attached Notice of Annual Meeting and the enclosed proxy card on or about April 8, 2024 to all stockholders as of March 21, 2024 (the “Record Date”). Stockholders who owned shares of our common stock at the close of business on the Record Date are entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting on all matters properly brought before the Annual Meeting.
On the Record Date, we had 10,634,932 shares of issued and outstanding common stock entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting.
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Each share of common stock is entitled to one vote on each matter presented at the Annual Meeting. Cumulative voting is not permitted.
WHY WOULD THE ANNUAL MEETING BE POSTPONED?
The Annual Meeting will be postponed if a quorum is not present on April 30, 2024. The presence in person or by proxy of at least one-third of our common stock outstanding as of the Record Date will constitute a quorum and is required to transact business at the Annual Meeting. If a quorum is not present, the Annual Meeting may be adjourned until a quorum is obtained.
Abstentions and broker non-votes are treated as shares present or represented at the meeting but are not counted as votes cast. Shares held by brokers who do not have discretionary authority to vote on a particular matter and who have not received voting instructions from their customers are not counted or deemed to be present or represented for the purpose of determining whether stockholders have approved that matter, but they are counted as present for the purposes of determining the existence of a quorum at the Annual Meeting.
HOW DO I VOTE WITHOUT ATTENDING THE MEETING?
Vote via Proxy
Whether you plan to attend the Annual Meeting or not, we urge you to complete, sign and date the enclosed proxy card and return it promptly in the envelope provided. Returning the proxy card will not affect your right to attend the Annual Meeting and vote in person.
If you properly fill in your proxy card and send it to us in time to vote, your proxy (one of the individuals named on your proxy card) will vote your shares as you have directed. If you sign the proxy card but do not make specific choices, your proxy will vote your shares as recommended by the Board of Directors as follows:
| 1. | FOR the election of the Board’s six nominees to our Board of Directors. | |
| 2. | FOR ratification of the appointment of MaloneBailey, LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2024. | |
| 3. | FOR granting our Board of Directors authority, in its sole discretion, prior to the one-year anniversary of this Annual Meeting, to effect a reverse stock split of the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock, at a reverse split ratio of between 1-for-2 and 1-for-50 as determined by the Board of Directors, by the filing of an amendment to the Company's Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation. | |
| 4. | FOR approval of an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation to increase the total number of authorized shares of common stock from 75,000,000 shares to 300,000,000 shares. | |
| 5. | FOR approval of amendments to the 2020 Plan including an increase in the number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance under the 2020 Plan. | |
| 6. | FOR approval, for purposes of complying with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(d), of the repricing of certain warrants to purchase up to 3,756,000 shares of common stock issued on October 16, 2023, from $1.28 per share to $0.30 per share and to extend the termination date of such warrants to February 1, 2029 | |
| 7. | FOR approval to authorize the adjournment of the Annual Meeting, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies if there are not sufficient votes at the time of the Annual Meeting or adjournment or postponement thereof to approve any of the proposals. |
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If any other matters are presented, your proxy will vote in accordance with his or her best judgment. At the time this proxy statement was printed, we knew of no matters that needed to be acted on at the Annual Meeting other than those discussed in this proxy statement.
Vote via Telephone
If you are a stockholder of record, you may call (866) 752-683, toll-free in the United States, U.S. territories and Canada, and use any touch-tone telephone to transmit your vote up until 11:59 P.M., Eastern Daylight Time, April 29, 2024 (the day before the Annual Meeting). Have your proxy card in hand when you call and then follow the instructions.
Vote via Internet
If you are a stockholder of record, you may use the Internet to transmit your vote up until 11:59 P.M., Eastern Daylight Time, April 29, 2024 (the day before the Annual Meeting). Visit https://agm.issuerdirect.com/cnsp and have your proxy card in hand when you access the website and follow the instructions. You will need your control number and Request IDs to vote.
If you hold your shares in “street name,” that is through a broker, bank or other nominee, that institution will instruct you as to how your shares may be voted by proxy, including whether telephone or Internet voting options are available.
HOW CAN I VOTE MY SHARES IN PERSON AND PARTICIPATE AT THE ANNUAL MEETING?
To participate in the virtual Annual Meeting, visit https://agm.issuerdirect.com/cnsp and enter the control number on your proxy card, or on the instructions that accompanied your proxy materials. You will need your control number and Request IDs to access and vote the Annual Meeting. We recommend you login to the Annual Meeting at least 15 minutes before the meeting is scheduled to start so that any technical difficulties may be addressed before the meeting begins.
If you do not have your control number or Request ID, contact Issuer Direct Corporation at the phone number or e-mail address below. Beneficial investors who hold shares through a bank, broker or other intermediary, will need to contact them and obtain a legal proxy. Once you have your legal proxy, contact Issuer Direct Corporation to have a control number generated. Issuer Direct Corporation contact information is as follows: phone (919) 481-4000 ext. 100, or email proxy@issuerdirect.com.
Shareholders will also have the option to listen to the Annual Meeting by visiting the link below to register: https://agm.issuerdirect.com/cnsp.
You will not be able to vote or submit questions unless you register for and log in to the Annual Meeting.
If you give a proxy, you may revoke it at any time before it is exercised. You may revoke your proxy in three ways:
| 1. | You may send in another proxy with a later date. |
| 2. | You may notify us in writing (or if the stockholder is a corporation, under its corporate seal, by an officer or attorney of the corporation) at our principal executive offices before the Annual Meeting that you are revoking your proxy. |
| 3. | You may vote in person at the Annual Meeting. |
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WHAT VOTE IS REQUIRED TO APPROVE EACH PROPOSAL?
Proposal 1: Election of Directors.
A plurality of the eligible votes cast is required to elect director nominees, and as such, the six nominees who receive the greatest number of “For” votes cast by stockholders, entitled to vote at the meeting, will be elected. A nominee who receives a plurality means he or she has received more “For” votes than any other nominee for the same director’s seat. Broker non-votes will have no effect on this proposal.
Proposal 2: Ratification of Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
The approval of Proposal 2 requires the number of votes cast in favor of the proposal to exceed the number of votes cast against the action. Abstentions and broker non-votes will have no effect on this proposal.
Proposal 3: To grant our Board of Directors authority, in its sole discretion, prior to the one-year anniversary of this Annual Meeting, to effect a reverse stock split of the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock, at a reverse split ratio of between 1-for-2 and 1-for-50 as determined by the Board of Directors,, by the filing of an amendment to the Company's Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation.
The approval of Proposal 3 requires the number of votes cast in favor of the proposal to exceed the number of votes cast against the action. Abstentions and broker non-votes will have no effect on this proposal.
Proposal 4: To approve an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation to increase the total number of authorized shares of common stock from 75,000,000 shares to 300,000,000 shares.
The approval of Proposal 4 requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock. Broker non-votes and abstentions will have the effect of votes against the proposal.
Proposal 5: To approve amendments to the 2020 Plan including an increase in the number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance under the 2020 Plan.
The approval of Proposal 5 requires the number of votes cast in favor of the proposal to exceed the number of votes cast against the action. Abstentions and broker non-votes will have no effect on this proposal.
Proposal 6: To approve, for purposes of complying with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(d), the repricing of certain warrants to purchase up to 3,756,000 shares of common stock issued on October 16, 2023, from $1.28 per share to $0.30 per share and to extend the termination date of such warrants to February 1, 2029.
The approval of Proposal 6 requires the number of votes cast in favor of the proposal to exceed the number of votes cast against the action. Abstentions and broker non-votes will have no effect on this proposal.
Proposal 7: To authorize the adjournment of the Annual Meeting, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies if there are not sufficient votes at the time of the Annual Meeting or adjournment or postponement thereof to approve any of the proposals.
The approval of Proposal 6 requires the number of votes cast in favor of the proposal to exceed the number of votes cast against the action. Abstentions and broker non-votes will have no effect on this proposal.
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Other Business That Is Properly Brought Before the Annual Meeting
If you do not give instructions to your bank or brokerage firm, it will nevertheless be entitled to vote your shares in its discretion on routine matters. However, absent your instructions, the record holder will not be permitted to vote your shares on a non-routine matter, which are referred to as “broker non-votes”, properly brought before the meeting. Broker non-votes (shares held by brokers that do not have discretionary authority to vote on the matter and have not received voting instructions from their clients) are not counted or deemed to be present or represented for the purpose of determining whether stockholders have approved that proposal, but will be counted in determining whether there is a quorum present.
ARE THERE ANY RIGHTS OF APPRAISAL?
The Board of Directors is not proposing any action for which the laws of the State of Nevada, our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation or our Amended and Restated Bylaws provide a right of a stockholder to obtain appraisal of or payment for such stockholder’s shares.
WHO BEARS THE COST OF SOLICITING PROXIES?
We will bear the cost of soliciting proxies in the accompanying form and will reimburse brokerage firms and others for expenses involved in forwarding proxy materials to beneficial owners or soliciting their execution. In addition, our directors, our executive officers and certain of our employees may, without additional compensation, solicit proxies by mail, in person, by telephone or other electronic means or by means of press release or other public statements. We have engaged InvestorCom to assist us in soliciting proxies for the Annual Meeting. We expect the fees payable to InvestorCom will be approximately $60,000.
WHERE ARE CNS’ PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES?
The principal executive offices of CNS Pharmaceuticals are located at 2100 West Loop South, Suite 900, Houston, TX 77027, and our telephone number is (800) 946-9185.
HOW CAN I OBTAIN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT CNS?
We are subject to the informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which requires that we file reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. The SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding companies, including CNS Pharmaceuticals, that file electronically with the SEC. The SEC’s website address is www.sec.gov. In addition, our filings may be inspected and copied at the public reference facilities of the SEC located at 100 F Street, N.E. Washington, DC 20549.
STOCK OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
The following table sets forth information, as of March 21, 2024, regarding beneficial ownership of our common stock by:
| · | each of our directors; |
| · | each of our named executive officers; |
| · | all directors and officers as a group; and |
| · | each person, or group of affiliated persons, known by us to beneficially own more than five percent of our shares of common stock. |
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Beneficial ownership is determined according to the rules of the SEC, and generally means that person has beneficial ownership of a security if he or she possesses sole or shared voting or investment power of that security and includes warrants and options that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days. Each director or officer, as the case may be, has furnished us with information with respect to beneficial ownership. Except as otherwise indicated, we believe that the beneficial owners of common stock listed below, based on the information each of them has given to us, have sole investment and voting power with respect to their shares, except where community property laws may apply. Except as otherwise noted below, the address for each person or entity listed in the table is c/o CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 2100 West Loop South, Suite 900, Houston, TX 77027.
| Name and address of beneficial owner | Shares Beneficially Owned |
Percentage of Class (1) |
| John Climaco | 576,775 (2)(3) | 5.4% |
| Christopher S. Downs | 252,083 (2)(4) | 2.4% |
| Sandra Silberman | 8,813 (2)(5) | * |
| Faith Charles | 1,555 (2)(6) | * |
| Jerzy (George) Gumulka | 115,625 | * |
| Jeffry R. Keyes | 6,323 | * |
| Bettina Cockroft | 2,563 (7) | * |
| Amy Mahery | 1,380 (8) | * |
| Directors and Officers as a group (10 persons) | 977,820 | 9.2% |
| 5% of greater shareholders | ||
| Armistice Capital, LLC (9) | 676,203 | 6.4% |
____________
| * | Less than 1%. | |
| (1) | Based on 10,634,932 shares of common stock outstanding as of March 21, 2024. | |
| (2) | The restricted stock units granted to Mr. Climaco, Mr. Downs and Dr. Silberman vest, in part, on the achievement of certain stock price and clinical trial milestones. For purposes of the above table, we have assumed that the foregoing milestones have not been achieved until such time as the board of directors makes a determination that they have been achieved. See “Item 11. Executive Compensation – Executive Officer Compensation – Narrative Disclosure to Summary Compensation Table – Long-Term Incentives” for details on the foregoing restricted stock unit grants. | |
| (3) | Includes 1,250 restricted stock units which will vest within 60 days of March 21, 2024. | |
| (4) | Includes 521 restricted stock units which will vest within 60 days of March 21, 2024. | |
| (5) | Includes 260 restricted stock units which will vest within 60 days of March 21, 2024. | |
| (6) | Includes options to purchase 194 shares of common stock which are exercisable within 60 days of March 21, 2024. | |
| (7) | Includes options to purchase 477 shares of common stock which are exercisable within 60 days of March 21, 2024. | |
| (8) | Includes options to purchase 690 shares of common stock which are exercisable within 60 days of March 21, 2024. | |
| (9) | Based solely on a Schedule 13G/A filed with the SEC on February 14, 2024 on behalf of Armistice Capital, LLC and Steven Boyd. Armistice Capital, LLC ("Armistice Capital") is the investment manager of Armistice Capital Master Fund Ltd. (the "Master Fund"), the direct holder of the shares in the table, and pursuant to an Investment Management Agreement, Armistice Capital exercises voting and investment power over our securities held by the Master Fund and thus may be deemed to beneficially own the securities held by the Master Fund. Mr. Boyd, as the managing member of Armistice Capital, may be deemed to beneficially own the securities held by the Master Fund. The Master Fund specifically disclaims beneficial ownership of the securities held by it by virtue of its inability to vote or dispose of such securities as a result of its Investment Management Agreement with Armistice Capital. The address of the principal business office of Armistice Capital and Mr. Boyd is 510 Madison Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, New York 10022. |
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INFORMATION ABOUT DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Directors and Executive Officers
The following table sets forth the names and ages of all of our directors and executive officers as of March 21, 2024. Our officers are appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of, the Board of Directors.
| Name | Age | Position | ||
| John M. Climaco | 55 | Chief Executive Officer and Director | ||
| Christopher S. Downs | 45 | Chief Financial Officer | ||
| Sandra L. Silberman | 69 | Chief Medical Officer | ||
| Donald Picker | 78 | Chief Science Officer | ||
| Faith L. Charles | 62 | Director and Chair of the Board of Directors | ||
| Jerzy (George) Gumulka | 74 | Director | ||
| Jeffry R. Keyes | 51 | Director | ||
| Carl Evans | 77 | Director | ||
| Bettina Cockroft | 57 | Director | ||
| Amy Mahery | 47 | Director |
Set forth below is biographical information about each of the individuals named in the tables above:
John M. Climaco, Esq. – Chief Executive Officer and Director. Mr. Climaco joined CNS in September 2017 as its Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Climaco has served in leadership roles in a variety of healthcare companies. From April 2015 to June 2017 Mr. Climaco served as the Executive Vice-President of Perma-Fix Medical S.A where he managed the development of a novel method to produce Technitium-99. Mr. Climaco also served as President and CEO of Axial Biotech, Inc., a DNA diagnostics company, from January 2003 to January 2013. In the process of taking Axial from inception to product development to commercialization, Mr. Climaco created strategic partnerships with Medtronic, Johnson & Johnson and Smith & Nephew. Mr. Climaco currently serves as a director of several public companies including Moleculin Biotech, Inc., a pharmaceutical company focused on anticancer drug candidates, where he has served since May 2017. Mr. Climaco served on the boards of Digirad, Inc., a leading national provider of imaging services, from May 2012 until April 2020, and Birner Dental Management Services, Inc., a provider of practice management services in the dental industry, since June 2017. Mr. Climaco also served as a director of PDI, Inc., a provider of outsourced commercial services to pharma companies, in 2015, and InfuSystem Holdings, Inc., the largest supplier of infusion services to oncologists in the U.S., from April 2012 to April 2014. Mr. Climaco obtained his Juris Doctorate Degree from the University of California Hastings College of Law in San Francisco, CA in January 2000 and a Bachelor of Philosophy from Middlebury College in Middlebury, VT, in May 1991. Mr. Climaco is active with the State Bar of Utah. We believe Mr. Climaco’s history with our company, coupled with his vast experience with development stage companies and his legal background provides him with the qualifications to serve as a director.
Christopher S. Downs, CPA – Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Downs has served as our chief financial officer since the closing of our initial public offering in November 2019 (the “IPO”). From March 2018 until September 2019, Mr. Downs served as vice president of finance and treasurer of Innovative Aftermarket Systems, L.P., a privately held provider of finance and insurance solutions. Mr. Downs served as director of finance (from June 2011 to September 2013), vice president and treasurer (October 2013 to August 2016), executive vice president and interim chief financial officer (August 2016 to May 2017), and executive vice president, interim chief financial officer and member of the office of the president (May 2017 to March 2018) for InfuSystem Holdings, Inc., a supplier of infusion services to oncologists in the United States. Mr. Downs spent 10 years in investment banking with various firms including Citigroup. Mr. Downs has also served as a director of EBET, Inc., a technology company developing and operating platforms focused on esports and competitive gaming, from March 2021. Mr. Downs is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point where he earned his Bachelor of Science. Mr. Downs earned his MBA at Columbia Business School and his Master of Science in Accounting at the University of Houston-Clear Lake. Mr. Downs is a Certified Public Accountant in Utah and Texas.
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Sandra L. Silberman, MD PhD – Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Silberman joined CNS in December 2017 and currently serves on a part-time basis. Dr. Silberman has served as chief medical officer for new products of Moleculin Biotech, Inc. since November 2017 on a part-time basis. Dr. Silberman advanced several original, proprietary compounds into Phases I through III during her work with leading biopharmaceutical companies, including BristolMyers Squibb, AstraZeneca, Imclone and Roche. Dr. Silberman is a Hematologist/Oncologist who earned her B.A., Sc.M. and Ph.D. from the Johns Hopkins University School of Arts and Sciences, School of Public Health and School of Medicine, respectively, and her M.D. from Cornell University Medical College, and then completed both a clinical fellowship in Hematology/Oncology as well as a research fellowship in tumor immunology at the Brigham & Women’ s Hospital and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA. Dr. Silberman is currently devoting only 50% of her work time to us and provides services as needed to us.
Donald Picker, PhD - Chief Science Officer. Dr. Picker has served as our part-time chief science officer since June 2019. Dr. Picker has served as the chief scientific officer of Moleculin Biotech, Inc. since August 2017 after serving as its chief operating officer from July 2015 until August 2017 and as its president from January 2016 to August 2017. In 2007, Dr. Picker became the chief executive officer of IntertechBio Corp. From 2006 through 2007, Dr. Picker was the President of Tapestry Pharmaceuticals. From 1998 to 2003, Dr. Picker was CEO of Synergy Pharmaceuticals. Synergy was merged into Callisto Pharmaceuticals where he was vice present of research and development until 2006. From 2017 to 2018, Dr. Picker served on our board of directors. Dr. Picker received his B.S. degree from Brooklyn Polytechnic University and his PhD from SUNY Albany in 1975. Dr. Picker is currently devoting only 25% of his work time to us and provides services as needed to us.
Faith L. Charles, JD – Director and Chair of the Board of Directors. Ms. Charles joined our board of directors on December 30, 2022 and currently serves as chair of the board of directors. Ms. Charles has been a corporate transactions and securities partner at the law firm of Thompson Hine, LLP, since 2010. She leads Thompson Hine’s Life Sciences practice and co-heads the securities practice, advising public and emerging biotech and pharmaceutical companies in the U.S. and internationally. Ms. Charles negotiates complex private and public financing transactions, mergers and acquisitions, licensing transactions and strategic collaborations. She serves as outside counsel to a myriad of life sciences companies and is known in the industry as an astute business advisor, providing valuable insights into capital markets, corporate governance and strategic development. Since March 2021, Ms. Charles has served on the Board of Directors and various committees of Abeona Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: ABEO), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing cell and gene therapies for life-threatening rare genetic diseases whose common stock is listed on the Nasdaq. Since May 2022, Ms. Charles has served on the Board of Directors and audit committee of Avenue Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATXI), a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of therapies for the treatment of neurologic diseases whose common stock is listed on the Nasdaq. From 2018 until October 2021, Ms. Charles served on the board of directors and as a member of the audit committee and chair of the compensation committee of Entera Bio, Ltd. (Nasdaq: ENTX), a publicly traded biotechnology company. She has served on the Board of Directors of Conduit Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: CDT), a publicly traded disease agnostic life sciences company providing an efficient model for compound development. Ms. Charles founded the Women in Bio Metro New York chapter and chaired the chapter for five years and served on the national board of Women in Bio. Ms. Charles is also a member of the board of Red Door Community (formerly Gilda’s Club New York City). She has been recognized as a Life Sciences Star by Euromoney’s LMG Life Sciences, has been named a BTI Client Service All-Star, and was named by Crain’s New York Business to the list of 2020 Notable Women in the Law. Ms. Charles holds a J.D. degree from The George Washington University Law School and a B.A. in Psychology from Barnard College, Columbia University. Ms. Charles is a graduate of Women in Bio’s Boardroom Ready Program, an Executive Education Program taught by The George Washington University School of Business. We believe that Ms. Charles is qualified to serve on our Board due to her expertise in legal matters relevant to our business, including in the life sciences industries.
Jerzy (George) Gumulka, PhD – Director. Dr. Gumulka joined our board of directors on November 8, 2017. Dr. Gumulka has been retired since 2016. From 2001 until his retirement, he served as a Global Technology Manager ASC, a Technology Manager, Special Projects/New Technology Platforms, Kraton Polymers US LLC, and a Technical Director of Kraton Polymers do Brasil. Prior to his employment at Shell Chemical Company and Kraton Polymers US LLC, Dr. Gumulka worked at BioSpectrum, Inc. (aka IML) and was involved in the development and application of Human Immune Interferon (INF-γ) and Interleukin-2 in the HIV-focused clinical studies and animal models. Dr. Gumulka co-authored patents on the production and purification of INF-γ and Interleukin-2, and in the field of analytical chemistry, environmental and polymer science. Dr. Gumulka is the recipient of the 2011 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award. Dr. Gumulka served on the Board of Directors of Moleculin LLC from 2010 through 2016. Dr. Gumulka received a Ph.D. from the University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland. We believe Dr. Gumulka’s technical knowledge and experience in the field of biochemistry coupled with his vast experience in corporate leadership provide him with the qualifications to serve as a director.
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Jeffry R. Keyes – Director. Mr. Keyes joined our board on June 25, 2018. Mr. Keyes is currently the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Quantum-Si Incorporated, a publicly traded medical device company, a role he has held since May 2023. From April 2022 to May 2023, Mr. Keyes was the Chief Financial Officer of Spinal Elements, Inc., a private equity backed medical device company. From April 2018 to August 2022, Mr. Keyes was the Chief Financial Officer of Custopharm, Inc., a private equity backed developer of generic sterile injectable pharmaceuticals. From September 2012 to April 2018, Mr. Keyes was the Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary of Digirad Corporation, a publicly traded healthcare services and medical device company. From August 2011 until September 2012, Mr. Keyes was Corporate Controller of Sapphire Energy, Inc., a venture capital backed start-up renewable energy company. From April 2011 to August 2011, Mr. Keyes was the Corporate Controller of Advanced BioHealing, Inc., a venture backed provider of regenerative medicine solutions, until its sale to Shire, PLC in August 2011. Prior to April 2011 Mr. Keyes held a variety of leadership roles in healthcare and medical device companies in finance, accounting, and M&A support, and he started his career in public accounting. Mr. Keyes earned a B.A. degree in accounting from Western Washington University and is a certified public accountant licensed by the Washington State Board of Accountancy. Mr. Keyes is considered a financial expert under relevant rules of the SEC, the NYSE and NASDAQ. We believe Mr. Keyes’ financial knowledge and experience, which qualify him as an Audit Committee Financial Expert, coupled with his vast experience in corporate leadership provides him with the qualifications to serve as a director.
Carl Evans – Director. Mr. Evans joined our board on July 9, 2018. Mr. Evans has been retired since 2015. From 2011 until his retirement Mr. Evans was Executive Vice President – Exploration for KMD Operating Company, LLC. Prior to 2011, he managed international and domestic oil exploration and production projects for several oil companies, including British Petroleum, Texaco, and Pennzoil. Mr. Evans earned Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from the University of California, Los Angeles. We believe Mr. Evan’s vast experience in corporate leadership provides him with the qualifications to serve as a director.
Bettina M. Cockroft, MD – Director. Dr. Cockroft joined our board on May 3, 2023. From September 2019 to May 2023, Dr. Cockroft was Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc., a publicly-held biotechnology company, where she oversaw clinical development activities and operations. She has over 30 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry and has worked across multiple therapeutic areas and led programs in several countries. Prior to joining Sangamo, Dr. Cockroft served on the senior leadership team at Cytokinetics, Inc., a publicly-held biopharmaceutical company, where she was responsible for clinical development of fast skeletal muscle troponin activators in diseases such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Spinal Muscular Atrophy. She served as Vice President, Clinical Research, Neurology, at Cytokinetics from August 2017 to September 2019. From October 2016 to July 2017, Dr. Cockroft served as a pharmaceutical executive consultant, and before that, from September 2013 to September 2016, she served as Chief Medical Officer of Auris Medical AG, a biopharmaceutical company, where she led and grew the clinical development team responsible for two Phase 3 programs. Dr. Cockroft also held roles of increasing responsibility at Merck Serono S.A., Novartis Consumer Health and Menarini Ricerche earlier in her career. Dr. Cockroft has served as a member of the board of directors of Annexon, Inc. since January 2022. Dr. Cockroft received a M.B.A. from MIT Sloan School of Management and a M.D. from the University of Genova. We believe Dr. Cockroft’s extensive experience in the biotechnology field provides her with the qualifications to serve as a director.
Amy Mahery – Director. Ms. Mahery joined our board on February 1, 2024. Since August 2022, Ms. Mahery has served as Chief Commercial Officer of Roivant Sciences. From 2021 until July 2022, Ms. Mahery served as Senior Vice President, Global Franchise Head – Neurology & Immunology for EMD Serono, Inc. and from 2019 until 2021 Ms. Mahery served as Senior Vice President, Head – Global Market Access and Pricing for EMD Serono, Inc. Ms. Mahery holds a B.S. degree from Trinity College-Hartford. We believe Ms. Mahery’s extensive experience in the biopharmaceuticals industry provides her with the qualifications to serve as a director.
No director is related to any other director or executive officer of our company or our subsidiaries, and, there are no arrangements or understandings between a director and any other person pursuant to which such person was elected as director.
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Our Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors oversees the business affairs of CNS Pharmaceuticals and monitors the performance of management. Pursuant to our Amended and Restated Bylaws, the Board of Directors shall consist of no less than one director. Members of the Board of Directors discussed various business matters informally on numerous occasions throughout the year 2023. During 2023 the Board held 9 meetings. In addition to meetings of the full Board of Directors, our Board has established an Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. During 2023, these Board committees held an additional 11 meetings during the year. Specifically, the breakdown of the committee meetings for 2023 are as follows: 4 for the Audit Committee, 7 for the Compensation Committee, and 0 for the Governance Committee. We believe that such interaction between fellow Board members and with management provided proper oversight of the Company. Each incumbent director attended at least 75% of the total number of meetings of the Board of Directors and committee meetings of which such director was a member (held during the period for which such director was in office).
Our Board is currently comprised of seven members, six of which are independent directors per the NASDAQ Stock Market rules. To date, we believe the size of our Board has been sufficient for a company of our size. We further believe that the six directors nominated for election are sufficient for the Company. No current director or executive officer has any family relationship with any other executive officer, director, or director nominee.
Director Independence
The rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market, or the Nasdaq Rules, require a majority of a listed company’s board of directors to be composed of independent directors. In addition, the Nasdaq Rules require that, subject to specified exceptions, each member of a listed company’s audit, compensation and nominating and governance committees be independent. Under the Nasdaq Rules, a director will only qualify as an independent director if, in the opinion of our Board of Directors, that person does not have a relationship that would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. The Nasdaq Rules also require that audit committee members satisfy independence criteria set forth in Rule 10A-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. In order to be considered independent for purposes of Rule 10A-3, a member of an audit committee of a listed company may not, other than in his or her capacity as a member of the audit committee, the board of directors, or any other board committee, accept, directly or indirectly, any consulting, advisory, or other compensatory fee from the listed company or any of its subsidiaries or otherwise be an affiliated person of the listed company or any of its subsidiaries. In considering the independence of compensation committee members, the Nasdaq Rules require that our board of directors must consider additional factors relevant to the duties of a compensation committee member, including the source of any compensation we pay to the director and any affiliations with our company.
Our board of directors undertook a review of the composition of our board of directors and its committees and the independence of each director. Based upon information requested from and provided by each director concerning his background, employment and affiliations, including family relationships, our board of directors has determined that each of our directors, with the exception of Mr. Climaco, are independent as defined under the Nasdaq Rules.
The independent directors meet as often as necessary to fulfill their responsibilities, including meeting at least four times annually in executive session without the presence of non-independent directors and management.
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Board Committees
We established a Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, an Audit Committee and a Compensation Committee. Our Board of Directors has adopted and approved a charter for each of these standing committees. The charters, which include the functions and responsibilities of each of the committees, can be found in the “Investors - Corporate Governance” section on our web site at www.cnspharma.com.
Audit Committee. The members of the Audit Committee are Mr. Keyes (Chair), Mr. Evans, and Ms. Mahery. Each member of the Audit Committee is independent as defined by the Nasdaq Rules. In addition, each member of the Audit Committee satisfies the additional requirements of the SEC and Nasdaq Rules for audit committee membership, including the additional independence requirements and the financial literacy requirements. The Board has determined that at least one member of the Audit Committee, Mr. Keyes, is an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in the SEC’s rules and regulations. The primary purpose of the Audit Committee is to oversee the quality and integrity of our accounting and financial reporting processes and the audit of our financial statements. The Audit Committee is responsible for selecting, compensating, overseeing and terminating the selection of our independent registered public accounting firm. Andrzej Andraczke was a member of the audit committee prior to his resignation effective February 1, 2024.
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The members of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are Dr. Cockroft (Chair) and Ms. Charles. Each member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is independent as defined by Nasdaq Rules. The primary functions and responsibilities of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are to: (a) determine the qualifications, qualities, skills, and other expertise required to be a director; (b) identify and screen individuals qualified to become members of the Board; (c) make recommendations to the Board regarding the selection and approval of the nominees for director; and (d) review and assess the adequacy of our corporate governance policies and procedures.
Compensation Committee. The members of the Compensation Committee are Dr. Gumulka (Chair), Mr. Keyes and Dr. Cockroft. Each member of the Compensation Committee is independent as defined by Nasdaq Rules.
The Compensation Committee is responsible for, among other things, reviewing and making recommendations to the Board of Directors with respect to the annual compensation for our Chief Executive Officer. The Compensation Committee also is responsible for reviewing and making recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding the annual compensation and benefits for our other executive officers. The Compensation Committee also, among other things, reviews compensation of the Board, reviews and makes recommendations on all new executive compensation programs that are proposed for adoption and administers the Company’s equity incentive plans. The Compensation Committee is responsible for reviewing director compensation for service on the Board and Board committees at least once a year and to recommend any changes to the Board.
Our Chief Executive Officer reviews the performance of our other executive officers (other than himself) and, based on that review, our Chief Executive Officer makes recommendations to the Compensation Committee about the compensation of executive officers (other than himself). Our Chief Executive Officer does not participate in any deliberations or approvals by the Board or the Compensation Committee with respect to his own compensation.
Board Member Attendance at Annual Meetings
We do not have a formal policy regarding Board attendance at our annual meetings, however, all of our directors are invited to the annual meeting. Two of our directors attended our 2023 annual meeting.
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Board Leadership Structure and Role in Risk Oversight
During 2022, John Climaco served as both our Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson of the Board. In December 2022, Ms. Charles joined our Board of Directors and assumed the position of Chairperson. Our Board of Directors has no policy with regard to the separation of the offices of Chairperson of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, and believes, given the size of our company, it was appropriate for Mr. Climaco to serve in both roles during 2022.
Our management is responsible for managing risks, including cybersecurity risks, in our business, and develops processes to manage and monitor risks. The Board views its role as one of oversight and reviews and assesses these risks regularly. The Board focuses on understanding management’s risk management systems, the effectiveness of those systems, and the way in which management proactively manages risks. In addition, the Board utilizes the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, the Audit Committee and the Compensation Committee to manage risks that arise under each committee’s area of focus.
Nomination of Director Candidates
We receive suggestions for potential director nominees from many sources, including members of the Board, advisors, and stockholders. Any such nominations, together with appropriate biographical information, should be submitted to the Chairperson of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee in the manner discussed below. Any candidates submitted by a stockholder or stockholder group are reviewed and considered in the same manner as all other candidates.
Qualifications for consideration as a Board nominee may vary according to the particular areas of expertise being sought as a complement to the existing board composition. However, minimum qualifications include high level leadership experience in business activities, breadth of knowledge about issues affecting the Company, experience on other boards of directors, preferably public company boards, and time available for meetings and consultation on Company matters. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee does not have a formal policy with regard to the consideration of diversity in identifying director candidates, but seeks a diverse group of candidates who possess the background, skills and expertise to make a significant contribution to the Board, to the Company and our stockholders. Candidates whose evaluations are favorable are recommended by our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee to the full Board for consideration. The full Board selects and recommends candidates for nomination as directors for stockholders to consider and vote upon at the annual meeting.
A stockholder wishing to nominate a candidate for election to our Board of Directors at any annual meeting at which the Board of Directors has determined that one or more directors will be elected must submit a written notice of his or her nomination of a candidate to the Chairperson of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (c/o the Corporate Secretary), providing the candidates name, biographical data and other relevant information together with a consent from the nominee. Pursuant to our Amended and Restated Bylaws, the submission must be received at our principal executive offices 120 days prior to the anniversary date of the mailing date of our previous year’s proxy statement so as to permit the Board of Directors time to evaluate the qualifications of the nominee.
In 2022 and 2023, we employed and paid executive search firms to assist us in locating qualified candidates for director positions as the Board sought to expand and diversify its membership. Ms. Charles, Dr. Cockroft and Ms. Mahery were identified through the search firms.
In addition to satisfying the foregoing requirements under our Amended and Restated Bylaws, stockholders who intend to solicit proxies in support of director nominees other than our nominees must comply with the additional requirements of Rule 14a-19(b) under the Exchange Act to comply with the universal proxy rules. The requirements under the universal proxy rules are in addition to the applicable procedural requirements under our Amended and Restated Bylaws described above.
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Diversity of Directors
The following table summarizes certain self-identified characteristics of our directors, utilizing the categories and terms set forth in applicable Nasdaq rules and related guidance (as of March 21, 2024):
|
Board Diversity Matrix (As of March 21, 2024)
| ||
| Total Number of Directors | 7 | |
| Male | Female | |
| Gender | ||
| Directors | 4 | 3 |
| Number of Directors who identify in Any of the Categories Below: | ||
| White | 4 | 3 |
Stockholder Communications with Directors
Persons wishing to write to our Board of Directors, or to a specified director or committee of the Board, should send correspondence to the Corporate Secretary at 2100 West Loop South, Suite 900, Houston, TX 77027. Electronic submissions of stockholder correspondence will not be accepted.
The Corporate Secretary will forward to the directors all communications that, in his or her judgment, are appropriate for consideration by the directors. Examples of communications that would not be appropriate for consideration by the directors include commercial solicitations and matters not relevant to the stockholders, to the functioning of the Board or to the affairs of CNS. Any correspondence received that is addressed generically to the Board of Directors will be forwarded to the Chairperson of the Board.
Insider Trading Policy
Our insider trading policy, which is included in our code of ethics, that prohibits our directors, executive officers, employees from the purchasing or selling our securities while being aware of material, non-public information about the Company as well as disclosing such information to others who may trade in securities of the Company.
Anti-Hedging Policy
Our policies prohibit directors, officers and other employees from purchasing financial instruments (including prepaid variable forward contracts, equity swaps, collars, and exchange funds), or otherwise engaging in transactions, that hedge or offset, or are designed to hedge or offset, any decrease in the market value of our equity securities without our prior approval.
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Code of Ethics
We have adopted a written code of ethics that applies to our directors, principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller and any persons performing similar functions. The code of ethics is on the “Investors - Governance - Governance Documents” section of our web site at www.cnspharma.com. We intend to disclose any future amendments to, or waivers from, the code of ethics within four business days of the waiver or amendment through a website posting or by filing a Current Report on Form 8-K with the SEC.
Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports
Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires that our executive officers and directors, and persons who own more than 10% of our common stock, file reports of ownership and changes of ownership with the SEC. Such directors, executive officers and 10% stockholders are required by SEC regulation to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file.
SEC regulations require us to identify anyone who filed a required report late during the most recent fiscal year. Based solely on our review of copies of such forms that we have received, or written representations from reporting persons, we believe that during 2023, all executive officers, directors and greater than 10% stockholders complied with all applicable SEC filing requirements; other than (i) Dr. Gumulka filed a Form 4 on April 17, 2023 reporting one transaction that occurred on April 10, 2023; (ii) Waldemar Priebe who filed a Form 4 on August 1, 2023 reporting 17 transactions that occurred from December 6, 2022 until March 28, 2023.
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COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Our named executive officers for the years ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, which consist of our principal executive officer and our two other most highly compensated executive officers, are: (i) John Climaco, our chairman and chief executive officer; (ii) Chris Downs, our chief financial officer; and (ii) Sandra Silberman, our chief medical officer.
Summary Compensation Table – 2023
| Name and Principal Position | Year | Salary ($) |
Stock Awards ($)(1) |
Option awards ($) (1) |
Nonequity incentive plan compensation ($) |
Total ($) |
| John Climaco, Chief Executive Officer | 2023 | 525,000 | – | – | 60,638 | 585,638 |
| 2022 | 525,000 | – | 14,178 | 288,750 | 827,928 | |
| Christopher Downs, Chief Financial Officer | 2023 | 340,000 | – | – | 42,160 | 382,160 |
| 2022 | 340,000 | – | 5,224 | 136,000 | 481,224 | |
| Sandra Silberman, Chief Medical Officer | 2023 | 200,000 | – | – | 61,200 | 261,200 |
| 2022 | 200,000 | – | 1,306 | 80,000 | 281,306 |
(1) Represents the full grant date fair value of the awards calculated in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. These amounts do not necessarily correspond to the actual value that may be realized by the named executive officer. For a summary of the assumptions made in the valuation of the awards, please see Note 5 to our financial statements as of and for the period ended December 31, 2022 included in our Form 10-K. Option awards for the 2022 calendar year were granted in March 2023.
Narrative Disclosure to Summary Compensation Table
We review compensation annually for all employees, including our executives. In setting executive base salaries and bonuses and granting equity incentive awards, we consider compensation for comparable positions in the market, the individual executive’s performance as compared to our expectations and objectives, our desire to motivate our employees to achieve short and long-term results that are in the best interests of our stockholders and a long-term commitment to our company. We do not target a specific competitive position or a specific mix of compensation among base salary, bonus or long-term incentives. Our Compensation Committee typically reviews and discusses management’s proposed compensation with the Chief Executive Officer for all executives other than the Chief Executive Officer. Based on those discussions and its discretion, the Compensation Committee then determines the compensation for each executive officer. Our Compensation Committee, without members of management present, discusses and ultimately approves the compensation of our executive officers.
Annual Base Salary
For 2023, the base salaries for Mr. Climaco, Mr. Downs, and Dr. Silberman did not change from the prior year and were $525,000, $340,000, and $200,000, respectively.
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Annual Bonus and Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation
We seek to motivate and reward our executives for achievements relative to our corporate goals and objectives for each fiscal year. For the 2023 compensation year, the target bonus for Mr. Climaco, Mr. Downs and Dr. Silberman were 55%, 40%, and 40%, respectively, of their base salary.
The actual performance-based annual bonus paid is calculated by multiplying the executive’s annual base salary, target bonus percentage, the percentage attainment of the corporate goals established by the Board for such year. However, the Compensation Committee is not required to calculate bonuses in this manner and retains discretion in the amounts it awards and the factors it takes into consideration in determining bonus amounts. At the end of the year, the Compensation Committee reviews our performance against our goals and objectives and approves the extent to which we achieved each of our corporate goals and objectives, and, for each named executive officer, the amount of the bonus awarded.
For 2023, bonuses were awarded based on our achievement of specified corporate goals, including the clinical trial progress of Berubicin, our ability to maintain sufficient funding, and certain intellectual property development goals. Based on the level of achievement, our Compensation Committee awarded Mr. Climaco, Mr. Downs and Dr. Silberman 21%, 31% and 76.5% of their potential bonuses for 2023 payable only upon the completion of a financing of sufficient size as determined by the board of directors. These actual bonus amounts are reflected in the “Non-Equity Incentive Plans” column of the Summary Compensation Table above.
For 2024, bonuses will be awarded at the discretion of the board of directors based on our achievement of specified corporate goals.
Long-Term Incentives
Each year our Compensation Committee provides for equity grants to each of our named executive officers to provide for long-term performance incentive. Awards in 2024 for services provided in 2023 are expected to be made prior to the Annual Meeting.
Recoupment Policy
We adopted the CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Dodd-Frank Restatement Recoupment Policy effective as of October 2, 2023. In the event that we are required to prepare a financial restatement, the Committee will recoup all erroneously awarded incentive-based compensation calculated on a pre-tax basis received after October 2, 2023, by a person (i) after beginning service as an executive officer, (ii) who served as an executive officer at any time during the performance period for that incentive-based compensation, and (iii) during the three completed fiscal years immediately preceding the date that the Company is required to prepare a Restatement, and any transition period (that results from a change in the Company’s fiscal year) of less than nine months within or immediately following those three completed fiscal years. “clawback” or recoupment policy in our executive compensation program contributes to creating and maintaining a culture that emphasizes integrity and accountability and reinforces the performance-based principles underlying our executive compensation program.
Employment Agreements
John Climaco
On September 1, 2017, we entered into an employment agreement with John Climaco pursuant to which Mr. Climaco agreed to serve as our Chief Executive Officer commencing on such date for an initial term of three years. On September 1, 2020, we entered into an amendment to the employment agreement. The amendment extends the term of employment under the employment agreement for additional twelve-month periods, unless and until either the Company or Mr. Climaco provides written notice to the other party not less than sixty days before such anniversary date that such party is electing not to extend the term. If the Company provides notice of its election not to extend the term, Mr. Climaco may terminate his employment at any time prior to the expiration of the term by giving written notice to the Company at least thirty days prior to the effective date of termination, and upon the earlier of such effective date of termination or the expiration of the term, Mr. Climaco shall be entitled to receive the same severance benefits as are provided upon a termination of employment by the Company without cause. Pursuant to the amendment, the severance benefits shall be twelve months of Mr. Climaco’s base salary. Such severance payment shall be made in a single lump sum sixty days following the termination, provided that Mr. Climaco has executed and delivered to the Company, and has not revoked a general release of the Company.
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Other Executive Arrangements
On June 28, 2019, our we entered into employment letters with Drs. Silberman and Picker. Dr. Silberman agreed to commit 50% of her time to our matters and Dr. Picker agreed to commit 25% of his time to our matters.
Outstanding Equity Awards
The following table sets forth certain information concerning our outstanding options for our named executive officers on December 31, 2023.
Outstanding Equity Awards At Fiscal Year-End —2023
| Option Awards | Stock Awards (2) | ||||||||||||||||
| Name | Grant Date of Equity Award |
Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#) Exercisable (1) |
Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#) Unexercisable (1) |
Option Exercise ($) |
Option Expiration Date |
Number of shares or units of stock that have not vested (#) |
Market value of shares of units of stock that have not vested ($) (3) | ||||||||||
| John Climaco | 3/29/2023 | 16,467 | 0.996 | 3/27/2033 | |||||||||||||
| 4/28/2022 | 18,750 | 23,813 | |||||||||||||||
| 2/5/2021 | 5,167 | 5,167 | 100.80 | 2/5/2031 | |||||||||||||
| 6/28/2019 | 14,650 | – | 60.00 | 6/28/2029 | |||||||||||||
| Christopher | 3/29/2023 | 6,067 | 0.996 | 3/27/2033 | |||||||||||||
| Downs | 4/28/2022 | 7,815 | 9,925 | ||||||||||||||
| 2/5/2021 | 2,184 | 2,183 | 100.80 | 2/5/2031 | |||||||||||||
| 11/13/2019 | 9,992 | – | 120.00 | 11/13/2029 | |||||||||||||
| Sandra Silberman | 3/29/2023 | 3,337 | 0.996 | 3/27/2033 | |||||||||||||
| 4/28/2022 | 3,907 | 4,962 | |||||||||||||||
| 2/5/2021 | 700 | 700 | 100.80 | 2/5/2031 | |||||||||||||
| 6/28/2019 | 4,167 | – | 60.00 | 6/28/2029 | |||||||||||||
| 12/22/2017 | 2,500 | – | 1.35 | 12/22/2027 | |||||||||||||
(1) The shares underlying the options vest in equal annual installments over a four-year period (i.e., one-quarter of each grant vests on the first, second, third and fourth anniversary of the grant date).
(2) Consists of restricted stock unit awards that vest as follows:
| · | 25% of the RSU grant will vest in four (4) equal annual installments over 4 years, provided officer is serving in such position on each vesting date; |
| · | 25% of the RSU grant will vest if within 24 months from grant the average the closing price of the Company’s common stock over a ten trading day period exceeds $60.00 (subject to pro rata adjustment for stock splits or similar events); |
| · | 25% of the RSU grant will vest if within 36 months from grant the average the closing price of the Company’s common stock over a ten trading day period exceeds $120.00 (subject to pro rata adjustment for stock splits or similar events); |
| · | 25% of the RSU grant will vest if within 24 months from issuance the Company achieves “Positive Interim, Clinical Data” as defined by the Board of Directors. |
(3) Based on the closing price of our common stock on December 29, 2023 of $1.27.
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Director Compensation
The following table sets forth the total compensation earned by our non-employee directors in 2023 (Mr. Climaco did not earn additional compensation during 2023 for his services on the Board, and his compensation is fully reflected in the “—Summary Compensation Table” above):
| Name | Fees earned or paid in cash ($) | Option Awards ($) (1) | Total ($) |
| Faith L. Charles | 70,000 | 42,640 | 112,640 |
| Jerzy (George) Gumulka | 51,200 | 63,963 | 115,163 |
| Jeffry R. Keyes | 71,500 | 63,963 | 135,463 |
| Andrzej Andraczke(2) | 49,500 | 63,963 | 113,463 |
| Carl Evans | 51,000 | 63,963 | 114,963 |
| Bettina Cockroft | 26,667 | 31,639 | 58,305 |
(1) Represents the full grant date fair value of the awards calculated in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. These amounts do not necessarily correspond to the actual value that may be realized by the director. The assumptions made in the valuation of the awards were: (i) fair value of common stock on measurement date between $1.90 and $2.27; (ii) risk free interest rate between 3.38% and 4.37%; (iii) volatility between 114.30% and 118.09%; (iv) dividend yield of zero; and (iv) expected term (in years) between 5.5 and 6.3. As of December 31, 2023, the aggregate number of shares outstanding under all options to purchase our common stock held by our non-employee directors were: Dr. Gumulka – 45,428 shares; Mr. Keyes – 45,428 shares; Mr. Andraczke – 45,428 shares; Mr. Evans – 45,428 shares; Ms. Charles – 29,815 shares; Ms. Cockroft – 18,074 shares. None of our non-employee directors held stock awards other than options as of December 31, 2023.
(2) Andrzej Andraczke resigned from the Board effective February 1, 2024.
In July 2021, our compensation committee recommended to our Board and our Board approved the following policy for compensating non-employee members of the Board. Each independent director shall receive annual cash compensation of $40,000. In addition, the chairperson of the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee shall receive an annual compensation of $12,000, $7,700 and $5,500, respectively; the other members of such committees shall receive an annual compensation of $5,500, $4,000 and $3,500, respectively; and the lead independent director shall receive annual compensation of $12,000. On December 30, 2022, concurrent with the appointment of Ms. Charles to the Board as a director and election as Chair of the Board, our compensation committee recommended to our Board and our Board approved the following policy for compensating a non-executive Chair of the Board of Directors: an additional $30,000 annual cash compensation.
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On December 28, 2017, we obtained the rights to a worldwide, exclusive royalty-bearing, license to the chemical compound commonly known as Berubicin from Houston Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“HPI”) in an agreement we refer to as the HPI License. Dr. Waldemar Priebe, our founder, controls HPI. Under the HPI License we obtained the exclusive right to develop certain chemical compounds for use in the treatment of cancer anywhere in the world. In the HPI License we agreed to pay HPI: (i) development fees of $750,000 over a three-year period beginning after our IPO; (ii) a 2% royalty on net sales; (iii) a $50,000 per year license fee; (iv) milestone payments of $100,000 upon the commencement of a Phase II trial and $1.0 million upon the approval of an NDA for Berubicin; and (v) 200,000 shares of our common stock. Unrelated to this agreement we purchased $441,075 of pharmaceutical products from HPI for use in our clinical trials during 2021.
On August 30, 2018, we entered into a sublicense agreement with WPD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“WPD”). Pursuant to the agreement, the Company granted WPD an exclusive sublicense, even as to us, for the patent rights we licensed pursuant to the HPI License within the following countries: Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Macedonia, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Chechnya, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Greece, Austria, and Russia. The sublicense agreement provides that WPD must use commercially reasonable development efforts to attempt to develop and commercialize licensed products in the above-mentioned territories, which means the expenditure of at least $2.0 million on the development, testing, regulatory approval or commercialization of the licensed products during the three-year period immediately following the date of the sublicense agreement. In the event that WPD fails to use commercially reasonable development efforts by the foregoing three-year deadline, we have the right to terminate this sublicense agreement. As of December 31, 2021, the Company had received reports of the WPD expenditures related to this agreement, had conducted due inquiry into validating those expenditures, and determined that WPD had exercised commercially reasonable development efforts and had therefore fulfilled the terms of the agreement necessary to secure their rights under the sublicense in perpetuity subject to the ongoing obligations of the sublicense. In consideration for the rights granted under the sublicense agreement, to the extent we are required to make any payments to HPI pursuant to the HPI License as a result of this sublicense agreement, WPD agreed to advance us such payments, and to pay us a royalty equal to 1% of such payments. WPD is a Polish corporation that is majority-owned by an entity controlled by our founder Dr. Priebe.
On February 19, 2021, CNS entered into an Investigational Medicinal Product Supply Agreement with WPD. CNS agreed to sell the Berubicin drug product to WPD at historical cost of manufacturing without markup so that WPD may conduct the clinical trials contemplated by the sublicense agreement. WPD agreed to pay CNS the following payments: (i) an upfront payment of $131,073 upon execution of the agreement, (ii) a payment of $262,145 upon final batch release and certification performed by WPD's subcontractor, and (iii) a final payment of $262,145 upon Clinical Trial Application acceptance by the relevant regulatory authority. All three milestones had been met as of December 31, 2021. In addition, as of December 31, 2021, the drug product with a cost of approximately $655,000 had been delivered to WPD and was being held at a third-party depot. As such, the full amount of approximately $655,000 was due from WPD. As of December 31, 2021, CNS had invoiced the three amounts plus pass through cost for a total of $656,938. As of December 31, 2022, the Company had received payments for the first and second amounts due for a total of $393,182 and entered into a settlement agreement whereby WPD agreed to return 168 vials (approximately 40% of the total) to us in settlement of the final amount owed. On October 24, 2022, the Company received confirmation from our third-party depot service provider that the vials had been transferred into our inventory. As such, this matter is now fully resolved.
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On August 31, 2018, we entered into a sublicense agreement with Animal Life Sciences, LLC, or ALI, pursuant to which we granted ALI an exclusive sublicense, even as to us, for the patent rights we licensed pursuant to the HPI License solely for the treatment of cancer in non-human animals through any type of administration. In consideration for the rights granted under the sublicense agreement, ALI agreed to issue us membership interests in ALI equal to 1.52% of the outstanding ALI membership interests. As additional consideration for the rights granted, to the extent we are required to make any payments to HPI pursuant to the HPI License as a result of this sublicense agreement, ALI agreed to advance us such payments, and to pay us a royalty equal to 1% of such payments. Dr. Priebe holds 38% of the membership interests of ALI.
Our scientific advisory board included Dr. Priebe until August 25, 2022, after which time he was no longer a member of the scientific advisory board. On July 15, 2021, our compensation committee recommended to our board and our board approved cash compensation to each scientific advisory board member of $68,600 annually. On March 14, 2024, our board approved the termination of the cash compensation plan for the scientific advisory board members.
Policies and Procedures for Related Party Transactions
Our audit committee charter provides that our audit committee is responsible for reviewing and approving in advance any related party transaction. This will cover, with certain exceptions set forth in Item 404 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act, any transaction, arrangement or relationship, or any series of similar transactions, arrangements or relationships in which we were or are to be a participant, where the amount involved exceeds $120,000 and a related person had or will have a direct or indirect material interest, including, without limitation, purchases of goods or services by or from the related person or entities in which the related person has a material interest, indebtedness, guarantees of indebtedness and employment by us of a related person. In determining whether to approve a proposed transaction, our Audit Committee will consider all relevant facts and circumstances including: (i) the materiality and character of the related party’s direct or indirect interest; (ii) the commercial reasonableness of the terms; (iii) the benefit or perceived benefit, or lack thereof, to us; (iv) the opportunity cost of alternate transactions; and (v) the actual or apparent conflict of interest of the related party.
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ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
Our Board of Directors currently consists of seven members: John Climaco, Jerzy (George) Gumulka, Jeffry R. Keyes, Carl Evans, Faith Charles, Bettina Cockroft, and Amy Mahery. The Nominating and Governance Committee nominated, and the Board approved and recommended, John Climaco, Jerzy (George) Gumulka, Jeffry R. Keyes, Faith Charles, Bettina Cockroft, and Amy Mahery for re-election. As Mr. Evans will to not stand for re-election when his current term expires at the Annual Meeting, the size of the Board will be reduced to six members upon the expiration of his term. All nominees have consented to being named herein and have indicated their intention to serve as our directors, if elected. The Board has no reason to believe that any nominee would be unable or unwilling to serve if elected. Unless authority to do so is withheld, the persons named as proxies will vote the shares represented by such proxies for the election of the named director nominees. In case any of the nominees becomes unavailable for election to the Board the persons named as proxies will have full discretion and authority to vote or refrain from voting for any other nominees in accordance with their judgment. The Board nominees, if elected, will serve until the next annual meeting of shareholders or until each successor is duly elected and qualified.
Biographical information for our directors is provided above in the section entitled “Information About Directors and Executive Officers.”
Vote Required and Recommendation of the Board of Directors
A plurality of the eligible votes cast is required to elect director nominees, and as such, the six nominees who receive the greatest number of votes cast by stockholders, entitled to vote at the meeting, will be elected. A nominee who receives a plurality means he or she has received more votes than any other nominee for the same director’s seat. Broker non-votes will have no effect on this proposal. The Board recommends that stockholders vote FOR each of the six nominees for election to our Board of Directors.
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TO RATIFY THE APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Our Audit Committee has selected MaloneBailey LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm to audit our financial statements for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024. Our stockholders are being asked to ratify this appointment. In the event that ratification of this selection of auditors is not approved by the stockholders, we will reassess our selection of auditors. Representatives of MaloneBailey LLP are expected to be present at the Annual Meeting, will be available to respond to appropriate questions, and will have the opportunity to make a statement at the Annual Meeting.
Aggregate fees for professional services rendered by MaloneBailey, LLP for their services for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, were as follows:
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| Audit Fees | $ | 126,000 | $ | 129,000 | ||||
| Audit-related fees | 25,000 | 39,000 | ||||||
| Tax fees | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| All other fees | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| TOTAL | $ | 151,000 | $ | 168,000 | ||||
Audit Fees
Audit fees represent the aggregate fees billed for professional services rendered by our independent accounting firm for the audit of our annual financial statements, review of financial statements included in our quarterly reports, review of registration statements or services that are normally provided in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements for those fiscal years.
Audit-Related Fees
Audit-related fees represent the aggregate fees billed for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of our financial statements and are not reported under Audit Fees.
Tax Fees
Tax fees represent the aggregate fees billed for professional services rendered by our principal accountants for tax compliance, tax advice, and tax planning for such years.
All Other Fees
All other fees represent the aggregate fees billed for products and services other than the services reported in the other categories.
Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures
The Audit Committee on an annual basis reviews audit and non-audit services performed by the independent auditors. All audit and non-audit services are pre-approved by the Audit Committee, which considers, among other things, the possible effect of the performance of such services on the auditors’ independence.
Vote Required and Recommendation of the Board of Directors
Proposal 2 shall be approved if the number of votes cast in favor of the action exceed the number of votes cast against the action. Broker non-votes and abstentions will not be taken into account in determining the outcome of the proposal. The Board recommends that stockholders vote FOR the ratification of the appointment of MaloneBailey, LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024.
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TO GRANT OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS AUTHORITY, IN ITS SOLE DISCRETION, PRIOR TO THE ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THIS ANNUAL MEETING, TO EFFECT A REVERSE STOCK SPLIT OF THE OUTSTANDING SHARES OF THE COMPANY’S COMMON STOCK, AT A REVERSE SPLIT RATIO OF BETWEEN 1-FOR-2 AND 1-FOR-50 AS DETERMINED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, BY THE FILING OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE COMPANY'S AMENDED AND RESTATED ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION
General
Our Board is recommending that our stockholders grant our Board the authority, in its sole discretion, prior to the one-year anniversary of this Annual Meeting, to effect a reverse stock split of the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock, at a reverse split ratio of between 1-for-2 and 1-for-50 as determined by the Board of Directors, by the filing of an amendment to the Company's Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation in substantially the form attached hereto as Annex A. If the stockholders approve and adopt the proposed amendment to effect the reverse stock split, and our Board decides to implement it, the reverse stock split will become effective on the date of the filing of the proposed amendment with the Secretary of State of the State of Nevada.
If implemented, the reverse stock split will be realized simultaneously for all outstanding common stock and the ratio determined by our Board will be the same for all outstanding shares of common stock. The reverse stock split will affect all holders of shares of our common stock uniformly and each stockholder will hold the same percentage of our common stock outstanding immediately following the reverse stock split as that stockholder held immediately prior to the reverse stock split, except for adjustments that may result from the treatment of fractional shares as described below. The proposed amendment will not reduce the number of authorized shares of common stock (which will remain at 75,000,000, or at 300,000,000 if Proposal 4 is approved) or preferred stock (which will remain at 5,000,000) or change the par values of our common stock (which will remain at $0.001 per share) or preferred stock (which will remain at $0.001 per share).
Background
Our common stock is currently quoted on The NASDAQ Capital Market (“NASDAQ”), and we are therefore subject to its continued listing requirements, including requirements with respect to the market value of publicly-held shares, market value of listed shares, minimum bid price per share, and minimum stockholder's equity, among others, and requirements relating to board and committee independence. If we fail to satisfy one or more of the requirements, we may be delisted from NASDAQ.
The minimum closing bid price requirement set forth in NASDAQ Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) is $1.00. On March 21, 2024, the last reported sales price for the common stock was $0.351 per share.
Purpose of the Proposed Reverse Stock Split
Our Board’s primary objective in proposing the reverse stock split is to raise the per share trading price of our common stock. In particular, this will help us to maintain the listing of our common stock on NASDAQ.
Delisting from NASDAQ may adversely affect our ability to raise additional financing through the public or private sale of equity securities, may significantly affect the ability of investors to trade our securities and may negatively affect the value and liquidity of our common stock. Delisting also could have other negative results, including the potential loss of employee confidence, the loss of institutional investors or interest in business development opportunities.
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If we are delisted from NASDAQ and we are not able to list our common stock on another exchange, our common stock could be quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board or in the “pink sheets.” As a result, we could face significant adverse consequences including, among others:
| · | a limited availability of market quotations for our securities; | |
| · | a determination that our common stock is a “penny stock” which will require brokers trading in our common stock to adhere to more stringent rules and possibly result in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our securities; | |
| · | a limited amount of news and little or no analyst coverage for us; | |
| · | we would no longer qualify for exemptions from state securities registration requirements, which may require us to comply with applicable state securities laws; and | |
| · | a decreased ability to issue additional securities (including pursuant to short-form registration statements on Form S-3) or obtain additional financing in the future. |
Our Board believes that the proposed reverse stock split is a potentially effective means for us to maintain compliance with the listing rules of NASDAQ and to avoid, or at least mitigate, the likely adverse consequences of our common stock being delisted from the NASDAQ by producing the immediate effect of increasing the bid price of our common stock.
Increase the Market Price of our Common Stock to a Level More Appealing for Investors
We also believe that the reverse stock split could enhance the appeal of our common stock to the financial community, including institutional investors, and the general investing public. We believe that a number of institutional investors and investment funds are reluctant to invest in lower-priced securities and that brokerage firms may be reluctant to recommend lower-priced securities to their clients, which may be due in part to a perception that lower-priced securities are less promising as investments, are less liquid in the event that an investor wishes to sell its shares, or are less likely to be followed by institutional securities research firms and therefore more likely to have less third-party analysis of the Company available to investors. We believe that the reduction in the number of issued and outstanding shares of our common stock caused by the reverse stock split, together with the anticipated increased stock price immediately following and resulting from the reverse stock split, may encourage interest and trading in our common stock and thus possibly promote greater liquidity for our stockholders, thereby resulting in a broader market for the common stock than that which currently exists.
We cannot assure you that all or any of the anticipated beneficial effects on the trading market for our common stock will occur. Our Board cannot predict with certainty what effect the reverse stock split will have on the market price of our common stock, particularly over the longer term. Some investors may view a reverse stock split negatively, which could result in a decrease in our market capitalization. Additionally, any improvement in liquidity due to increased institutional or brokerage interest or lower trading commissions may be offset by the lower number of outstanding shares. We cannot provide you with any assurance that our shares will continue to qualify for listing on NASDAQ. As a result, the trading liquidity of our common stock may not improve. In addition, investors might consider the increased proportion of unissued authorized shares (particularly if Proposal 4 is approved) to issued shares to have an anti-takeover effect under certain circumstances, since the proportion allows for dilutive issuances.
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Determination of Ratio
The ratio of the reverse stock split, if approved and implemented, will be a ratio of 1-for-2 through 1-for-50, as determined by the Board of Directors in its sole discretion, prior to the one-year anniversary of this Annual Meeting. Even if approved, the Board will have discretion to delay or not to implement the reverse stock split.
In determining the reverse stock split ratio, our Board will consider numerous factors, including:
| · | the historical and projected performance of our common stock; | |
| · | general economic and other related conditions prevailing in our industry and in the marketplace; | |
| · | the projected impact of the selected reverse stock split ratio on trading liquidity in our common stock; | |
| · | our capitalization (including the number of shares of our common stock issued and outstanding); | |
| · | the prevailing trading price for our common stock and the volume level thereof; and | |
| · | potential devaluation of our market capitalization as a result of a reverse stock split. |
The purpose of asking for authorization to implement the reverse stock split at a ratio to be determined by the Board, as opposed to a ratio fixed in advance, is to give our Board the flexibility to take into account then-current market conditions and changes in price of our common stock and to respond to other developments that may be deemed relevant when considering the appropriate ratio.
Principal Effects of the Reverse Stock Split
A reverse stock split refers to a reduction in the number of outstanding shares of a class of a corporation’s capital stock, which may be accomplished, as in this case, by reclassifying and combining all of our outstanding shares of common stock into a proportionately smaller number of shares. For example, if our Board decides to implement a 1-for-5 reverse stock split of our common stock, then a stockholder holding 10,000 shares of our common stock before the reverse stock split would instead hold 2,000 shares of our common stock immediately after the reverse stock split. The reverse stock split will affect all of our stockholders uniformly and will not affect any stockholder’s percentage ownership interests in our company or proportionate voting power, except for minor adjustments due to the additional net share fraction that will need to be issued as a result of the treatment of fractional shares. No fractional shares will be issued in connection with the reverse stock split. Instead, we will issue one full share of the post-reverse stock split common stock to any stockholder who would have been entitled to receive a fractional share as a result of the process.
The principal effect of the reverse stock split will be that (i) the number of shares of common stock issued and outstanding will be reduced from 10,634,932 shares as of March 21, 2024 to a number of shares between and including one-half to one-fiftieth that amount, as the case may be based on the ratio for the reverse stock split as determined by our Board, and (ii) all outstanding options and warrants entitling the holders thereof to purchase shares of common stock will enable such holders to purchase, upon exercise of their options or warrants, as applicable, between and including one-half to one-fiftieth of the number of shares of common stock which such holders would have been able to purchase upon exercise of their options or warrants, as applicable, immediately preceding the reverse stock split at an exercise price equal to between and including two to fifty times the exercise price specified before the reverse stock split, resulting in essentially the same aggregate price being required to be paid therefor upon exercise thereof immediately preceding the reverse stock split, as the case may be based on the ratio for the reverse stock split as determined by our Board.
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The following table, which is for illustrative purposes only, illustrates the effects of the reverse stock split at certain exchange ratios within the foregoing range, without giving effect to any adjustments for fractional shares of common stock, on our outstanding shares of common stock and authorized shares of capital stock as of March 21, 2024.
| Before reverse stock split | After Reverse Stock Split | |||||||
| 1-for-2 | 1-for-10 | 1-for-15 | 1-for-20 | 1-for-30 | 1-for-40 | 1-for-50 | ||
| Common Stock Authorized (1) | 75,000,000 | 75,000,000 | 75,000,000 | 75,000,000 | 75,000,000 | 75,000,000 | 75,000,000 | 75,000,000 |
| Preferred Stock Authorized | 5,000,000 | 5,000,000 | 5,000,000 | 5,000,000 | 5,000,000 | 5,000,000 | 5,000,000 | 5,000,000 |
| Common Stock Issued and Outstanding | 10,634,932 | 5,317,466 | 1,063,494 | 708,996 | 531,747 | 354,498 | 265,874 | 212,699 |
| Common Stock Underlying Options and Warrants | 40,196,621 | 20,098,312 | 4,019,665 | 2,679,777 | 2,009,834 | 1,339,890 | 1,004,918 | 803,934 |
| Common Stock Available for Grant under 2020 Stock Equity Plan (2) | 533,190 | 266,595 | 53,319 | 35,546 | 26,660 | 17,773 | 13,330 | 10,664 |
| Common Stock authorized and unreserved | 23,635,258 | 11,817,629 | 2,363,526 | 1,575,684 | 1,181,763 | 787,842 | 590,882 | 472,706 |
| (1) | Assumes Proposal 4 is not approved. If Proposal 4 is approved, the number of shares authorized would increase to 300,000,000 shares. | |
| (2) | Assumes Proposal 5 is approved. |
The amendment will not change the terms of our common stock. The shares of new common stock will have the same voting rights and rights to dividends and distributions and will be identical in all other respects to the common stock now authorized. The common stock issued pursuant to the reverse stock split will remain fully paid and non-assessable. The reverse stock split is not intended as, and will not have the effect of, a “going private transaction” covered by Rule 13e-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). We will continue to be subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act.
Accounting Matters
The reverse stock split will not affect the par value of our common stock. As a result, on the effective date of the reverse stock split, the stated capital on our balance sheet attributable to the common stock will be reduced to between and including one-half to one-fiftieth of its present amount, as the case may be based on the ratio for the reverse stock split as determined by our Board, and the additional paid-in capital account shall be credited with the amount by which the stated capital is reduced. The per share net loss and net book value of our common stock will be retroactively increased for each period because there will be fewer shares of our common stock outstanding.
Effect of Authorized but Unissued Shares
The reverse stock split will have the effect of significantly increasing the number of authorized but unissued shares of common stock. The number of authorized shares of common stock will not be decreased and will remain at 75,000,000 (or 300,000,000 if Proposal 4 is approved). Because the number of outstanding shares will be reduced as a result of the reverse stock split, the number of shares available for issuance will be increased. See the table above under the caption “Principal Effects of the Reverse Stock Split” that shows the number of unreserved shares of common stock that would be available for issuance at various reverse stock split ratios.
Our Board believes that we will need to raise additional capital in the ordinary course of business. In addition, we may issue shares to acquire other companies or assets or engage in business combination transactions. As of the date of this Proxy Statement, we have no specific plans, arrangements or understandings, whether written or oral, with respect to the increase in shares available for issuance as a result of the reverse stock split.
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Potential Anti-Takeover and Dilutive Effects
The purpose of the reverse stock split is not to establish any barriers to a change of control or acquisition of the Company. However, because the number of authorized shares of common stock will remain at 75,000,000 (or 300,000,000 if Proposal 4 is approved), this proposal, if adopted and implemented, will result in a relative increase in the number of authorized but unissued shares of our common stock as compared to the outstanding shares of our common stock and could, under certain circumstances, have an anti-takeover effect. Shares of common stock that are authorized but unissued provide our Board with flexibility to effect, among other transactions, public or private financings, mergers, acquisitions, stock dividends, stock splits and the granting of equity incentive awards. However, these authorized but unissued shares may also be used by our Board, consistent with and subject to its fiduciary duties, to deter future attempts to gain control of us or make such actions more expensive and less desirable. After implementation of the proposed amendment, our Board will continue to have authority to issue additional shares from time to time without delay or further action by the stockholders except as may be required by applicable law or the NASDAQ listing standards, assuming the Company remains listed on NASDAQ. Our Board is not aware of any attempt to take control of our business and has not considered the reverse stock split to be a tool to be utilized as a type of anti-takeover device. We currently have no plans, proposals or arrangements to issue any shares of common stock that would become newly available for issuance as a result of the reverse stock split.
In addition, if we do issue additional shares of our common stock, the issuance could have a dilutive effect on earnings per share and the book or market value of the outstanding common stock, depending on the circumstances, and would likely dilute a stockholder’s percentage voting power in the Company. Holders of common stock are not entitled to preemptive rights or other protections against dilution. Our Board intends to take these factors into account before authorizing any new issuance of shares.
Certain Risks Associated with the Reverse Stock Split
Before voting on this proposal, you should consider the following risks associated with the implementation of the reverse stock split:
| · | Although we expect that the reverse stock split will result in an increase in the market price of our common stock, we cannot assure you that the reverse stock split, if implemented, will increase the market price of our common stock in proportion to the reduction in the number of shares of common stock outstanding or result in a permanent increase in the market price. The effect the reverse stock split may have upon the market price of our common stock cannot be predicted with any certainty, and the history of similar reverse stock splits for companies in similar circumstances to ours is varied. The market price of our common stock is dependent on many factors, including our business and financial performance, general market conditions, prospects for future success and other factors detailed from time to time in the reports we file with the SEC. Accordingly, the total market capitalization of our common stock after the proposed reverse stock split may be lower than the total market capitalization before the proposed reverse stock split and, in the future, the market price of our common stock following the reverse stock split may not exceed or remain higher than the market price prior to the proposed reverse stock split. | |
| · | The reverse stock split may result in some stockholders owning “odd lots” of less than 100 shares of our common stock on a post-split basis. These odd lots may be more difficult to sell, or require greater transaction costs per share to sell, than shares in “round lots” of even multiples of 100 shares. | |
| · | While our Board believes that a higher stock price may help generate investor interest, there can be no assurance that the reverse stock split will result in a per share price that will attract institutional investors or investment funds or that such share price will satisfy the investing guidelines of institutional investors or investment funds. As a result, the trading liquidity of our common stock may not necessarily improve. |
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Procedure for Effecting Reverse Stock Split and Exchange of Stock Certificates
If the reverse stock split is approved by our stockholders, the reverse stock split would become effective at such time prior to the one-year anniversary of this Annual Meeting as it is deemed by our Board to be in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders and we file the amendment to our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Nevada, if the Board determines such filing is required. Even if the reverse stock split is approved by our stockholders, our Board has discretion not to carry out or to delay in carrying out the reverse stock split. Upon the filing of the amendment, if the Board determines such filing is required, all the old common stock will be converted into new common stock as set forth in the amendment.
As soon as practicable after the effective time of the reverse stock split, stockholders will be notified that the reverse stock split has been effected. If you hold shares of common stock in a book-entry form, you will receive a transmittal letter from our transfer agent as soon as practicable after the effective time of the reverse stock split with instructions on how to exchange your shares. After you submit your completed transmittal letter, a transaction statement will be sent to your address of record as soon as practicable after the effective date of the reverse stock split indicating the number of post-reverse stock split shares of common stock you hold.
Some stockholders hold their shares of common stock in certificate form or a combination of certificate and book-entry form. Our transfer agent will act as exchange agent for purposes of implementing the exchange of stock certificates, if applicable. If you are a stockholder holding pre-split shares in certificate form, you will receive a transmittal letter from our transfer agent as soon as practicable after the effective time of the reverse stock split. The transmittal letter will be accompanied by instructions specifying how you can exchange your certificate representing the pre-split shares of our common stock for a statement of holding. When you submit your certificate representing the pre-split shares of our common stock, your post-split shares of our common stock will be held electronically in book-entry form in the Direct Registration System. This means that, instead of receiving a new stock certificate, you will receive a statement of holding that indicates the number of post-split shares you own in book-entry form. We will no longer issue physical stock certificates unless you make a specific request for a share certificate representing your post-split ownership interest.
Stockholders should not destroy any stock certificate(s) and should not submit any certificate(s) until requested to do so.
Beginning on the effective time of the reverse stock split, each certificate representing pre-split shares will be deemed for all corporate purposes to evidence ownership of post-split shares.
Fractional Shares
No fractional shares will be issued in connection with the reverse stock split. Instead, we will issue one full share of the post-reverse stock split common stock to any stockholder who would have been entitled to receive a fractional share as a result of the process. Each common stockholder will hold the same percentage of the outstanding common stock immediately following the reverse stock split as that stockholder did immediately prior to the reverse stock split, except for minor adjustment due to the additional net share fraction that will need to be issued as a result of the treatment of fractional shares.
No Dissenter’s Rights
Under the Nevada Law, our stockholders are not entitled to dissenter’s rights with respect to the reverse stock split or the corresponding amendment to our amended and restated articles of incorporation to effect the reverse stock split and we will not independently provide our stockholders with any such right.
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Federal Income Tax Consequences of the Reverse Stock Split
The following is a summary of important tax considerations of the reverse stock split. It addresses only stockholders who hold our common stock as capital assets. It does not purport to be complete and does not address stockholders subject to special rules, such as financial institutions, tax-exempt organizations, insurance companies, dealers in securities, foreign stockholders, stockholders who hold their pre-reverse stock split shares as part of a straddle, hedge or conversion transaction, and stockholders who acquired their pre-reverse stock split shares pursuant to the exercise of employee stock options or otherwise as compensation. This summary is based upon current law, which may change, possibly even retroactively. It does not address tax considerations under state, local, foreign and other laws. The tax treatment of a stockholder may vary depending upon the particular facts and circumstances of such stockholder. Each stockholder is urged to consult with such stockholder’s own tax advisor with respect to the tax consequences of the reverse stock split.
Generally, a reverse stock split will not result in the recognition of gain or loss for federal income tax purposes. The adjusted basis of the new shares of common stock will be the same as the adjusted basis of the common stock exchanged for such new shares. The holding period of the new, post-reverse stock split shares of the common stock resulting from implementation of the reverse stock split will include the stockholder’s respective holding periods for the pre-reverse stock split shares. Stockholders who acquired their shares of our common stock on different dates or at different prices should consult their tax advisors regarding the allocation of the tax basis of such shares.
The foregoing views are not binding on the Internal Revenue Service or the courts. Accordingly, each stockholder should consult with his or her own tax advisor with respect to all of the potential tax consequences to him or her of the reverse stock split.
Vote Required and Recommendation of the Board of Directors
The approval of Proposal 3 requires the number of votes cast in favor of the proposal to exceed the number of votes cast against the action. Abstentions and broker non-votes will have no effect on this proposal. The Board recommends that stockholders vote FOR the granting to our Board of Directors authority, in its sole discretion, prior to the one-year anniversary of this Annual Meeting, to effect a reverse stock split of the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock, at a reverse split ratio of between 1-for-2 and 1-for-50 as determined by the Board of Directors, by the filing of an amendment to the Company's Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, if the Board determines such filing is required.
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APPROVAL OF AMENDMENT TO THE COMPANY’S AMENDED AND RESTATED ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION TO INCREASE THE TOTAL NUMBER OF AUTHORIZED NUMBER OF SHARES OF COMMON STOCK FROM 75,000,000 SHARES TO 300,000,000 SHARES.
General
Our Board is recommending that our stockholders approve a proposed amendment to our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation in substantially the form attached hereto as Annex B (the “Share Increase Amendment”), providing for an increase in the number of our common voting shares, having a par value of $0.001 per share, from 75,000,000 to 300,000,000. If adopted and approved by the stockholders, the Share Increase Amendment will become effective upon the filing with the Secretary of State of the State of Nevada. If the Share Increase Amendment is approved by stockholders at the Annual Meeting, we intend to file the Share Increase Amendment as soon as practicable following the Annual Meeting.
Purposes of the Proposed Amendment
We do not have any present plan, arrangement or understanding to designate and issue any of the shares of common stock that will become available as a result of the Share Increase Amendment. Although, at present, our Board has no immediate plans to issue the additional shares of common stock, it desires to have the shares available to provide additional flexibility to use our common stock for business and financial purposes in the future. The additional 225,000,000 authorized shares of common stock would be available for issuance for various purposes, as our Board may deem advisable, such as for future financings, to satisfy the issuance of shares of common stock on the conversion or exercise of our options, warrants, convertible notes, or other convertible securities, to provide equity incentive to employees, consultants, officers and directors, to make stock-based acquisitions and for other general corporate purposes. Furthermore, we may utilize our securities to make future acquisitions. Acquisitions can be a key component of growth and, from time to time, consideration for acquisitions may include the issuance of common stock.
In addition to fund-raising opportunities, we also engage in periodic discussions with potential partners, strategic investments and acquisition candidates. If any of these discussions came to a definitive understanding, it is possible that we could use some of the newly authorized shares in connection with one or more such transactions. We also plan to continue to issue shares of common stock pursuant to our equity incentive plans. We currently have no agreement, commitment, or arrangement, regarding the issuance of common stock in connection with one or more such strategic transactions subsequent to the increase in the number of authorized shares. In addition, we do not have any agreements, commitments or arrangements regarding the issuance of common stock in connection with a fund-raising opportunity or any other purposes not specifically set forth in this proxy statement.
The newly authorized common stock would be available for issuance without further action by stockholders except as required by law, our Amended and Restated Bylaws or applicable stock exchange requirements. Any such issuance could have the effect of diluting existing stockholders. Our Amended and Restated Bylaws do not include any preemptive or other rights of stockholders to subscribe for any shares of common stock which may in the future be issued by us, which means that current stockholders do not have a prior right to purchase any new issue of common stock in order to maintain their proportionate ownership of common stock.
Rights of Additional Authorized Shares
The additional common stock to be authorized by stockholder approval of this Proposal 4 would have rights identical to the currently outstanding shares of our common stock.
Possible Anti-Takeover Effects of the Proposed Amendment
In addition to the corporate purposes mentioned above, an increase in the number of authorized shares of our common stock may make it more difficult to, or discourage an attempt to, obtain control of the Company by means of a takeover bid that the Board determines is not in the best interest of our Company and our stockholders. However, our Board of Directors is not aware of any attempt to take control of our company, and our Board of Directors has not presented this proposal with the intent that it be utilized as a type of anti-takeover device.
Vote Required and Recommendation of the Board of Directors
The approval of this Proposal 4 requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock. Broker non-votes and abstentions will have the same effect as votes against the proposal. The Board recommends that stockholders vote FOR the approval of the amendment to our amended and restated articles of incorporation to increase the total number of authorized shares of common stock from 75,000,000 shares to 300,000,000 shares.
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TO APPROVE AMENDMENTS TO THE 2020 PLAN INCLUDING AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF SHARES OF COMMON STOCK AUTHORIZED FOR ISSUANCE UNDER THE 2020 PLAN.
In March 2024, the compensation committee of the Board approved an amendment to the CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2020 Stock Plan (the “2020 Plan”) to increase the number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance under the 2020 Plan by 3,500,000 shares. These amendments require stockholder approval, which the Company is seeking at this stockholders’ meeting.
Overview
The 2020 Plan became effective in June 2020. Equity awards have been historically and, we believe, will continue to be, an integral component of our overall compensation program for our employees, directors and consultants. Approval of the share increase will allow us to continue to grant equity awards at levels we determine to be appropriate in order to attract new employees and directors, retain our existing employees and directors and to provide incentives for such persons to exert maximum efforts for our success. The share increase will allow us to continue to utilize a broad array of equity incentives with flexibility in designing equity incentives, including stock option grants, stock appreciation rights, stock awards, and stock unit awards.
We believe it is critical for our long-term success that the interests of our employees and directors are tied to our success as “owners” of our business. The equity incentive programs we have in place are intended to build stockholder value by attracting and retaining talented employees and directors. We believe we must continue to offer competitive equity compensation packages in order to retain and motivate the talent necessary for our continued growth and success. We carefully monitor the equity compensation and equity holdings of our employees, directors and consultants as well as the type of equity awards we grant to ensure these awards continue to provide incentives for the recipients to work towards our success. To date, stock options and restricted stock units have been the primary components of our equity program. The potential value of stock options is realized only if our share price increases, and so stock options provide a strong incentive for individuals to work to build stockholder value.
As of the Record Date, we had 533,190 shares remaining available for grant under the 2020 Plan. There are a total of 341,190 stock options outstanding with a weighted average exercise price of $19.62 per share, and restricted/performance stock units outstanding representing a total of 35,708 shares of our common stock. We have and we expect to continue to experience growth in personnel as we progress our business and advance our lead drug candidate through clinical trials. If our stockholders do not approve the amendment to the 2020 Plan, we believe that we will be unable to successfully use equity as part of our compensation program, as most of our competitors in the industry do, putting us at a significant disadvantage. Therefore, we believe that approval of this request is in the best interest of our stockholders and our company.
Key Features Designed to Protect Stockholders’ Interests
The design of the 2020 Plan reflects our commitment to corporate governance and the desire to preserve stockholder value as demonstrated by the following features of the plan:
Independent administrator. The compensation committee of the board of directors, which is comprised solely of non-employee directors, administers the 2020 Plan.
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No evergreen feature. The maximum number of shares available for issuance under the 2020 Plan is fixed and cannot be increased without stockholder approval.
Repricing prohibited. Stockholder approval is required for any repricing of any stock options or stock appreciation rights.
Limitations on Dividend Payments on Awards. Dividends and dividend equivalents on all stock units and stock awards are paid only to the extent the awards vest, and no dividends or dividend equivalents are ever paid on stock options or stock appreciation rights.
No discount awards; maximum term specified. Stock options and stock appreciation rights must have an exercise price or base price no less than the fair market value on the date the award is granted and a term no longer than ten years’ duration.
Award design flexibility. Different kinds of awards may be granted under the 2020 Plan, giving us the flexibility to design our equity incentives to compliment the other elements of compensation and to support the attainment of our strategic goals.
Share counting. The number of shares available for grant under the 2020 Plan is reduced by the gross number of shares subject to awards, and shares withheld for taxes in connection with awards or tendered in payment of an option’s exercise price cannot be used for future grants.
Non-employee director limits. The 2020 Plan contains a limit on the compensation that may be paid to any non-employee member of our Board in any calendar year.
No tax gross-ups. The 2020 Plan does not provide for tax gross-ups.
Fixed term. The 2020 Plan has a fixed term of ten years from its initial effective date, or April 6, 2030.
Description of the 2020 Plan
The 2020 Plan is a stock-based compensation plan that provides for discretionary grants of stock options, stock awards, stock unit awards and stock appreciation rights to key employees, non-employee directors and consultants. The material features of the 2020 Plan are outlined below. The following description of the 2020 Plan is a summary only and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the complete text of the 2020 Plan. Stockholders are urged to read the actual text of the 2020 Plan in its entirety, which is appended to this Proxy Statement as Annex A.
Administration. The 2020 Plan is administered by our compensation committee of the board of directors (we refer to the body administering the 2020 Plan as the "Committee"). The Committee, which is comprised of directors who satisfy the non-employee director definition under Rule 16b-3 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, has full authority to select the individuals who will receive awards under the 2020 Plan, determine the form and amount of each of the awards to be granted and establish the terms and conditions of awards.
Limit on Non-Employee Director Compensation. Under the 2020 Plan, the following limits apply to non-employee directors. The aggregate value of all compensation granted or paid, as applicable, to any individual for service as a non-employee director with respect to any calendar year, including awards granted under the 2020 Plan and cash fees paid to such non-employee director, will not exceed $300,000 in total value. For purposes of these limitations, the value of awards is calculated based on the grant date fair value of such awards for financial reporting purposes.
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Number of Shares of Common Stock. As of the Record Date, 533,190 shares remain available for issuance under the 2020 Plan, which currently provides for up to 845,800 shares to be issued. If this proposal is approved, the number of shares of the common stock that may be issued under the 2020 Plan will be 4,345,800 (this includes the 3,500,000 share increase being requested in this proxy statement), of which 4,033,190 shares will be available for future issuance.
Shares issuable under the 2020 Plan may be authorized but unissued shares or treasury shares. If there is a lapse, forfeiture, expiration, termination or cancellation of any award made under the 2020 Plan for any reason, the shares subject to the award will again be available for issuance. Any shares subject to an award that are delivered to us by a participant, or withheld by us on behalf of a participant, as payment for an award or payment of withholding taxes due in connection with an award will not again be available for issuance, and all such shares will count toward the number of shares issued under the 2020 Plan. The number of shares of common stock issuable under the 2020 Plan is subject to adjustment, in the event of any reorganization, recapitalization, stock split, stock distribution, merger, consolidation, split-up, spin-off, combination, subdivision, consolidation or exchange of shares, any change in the capital structure of the company or any similar corporate transaction. In each case, the Committee has the discretion to make adjustments it deems necessary to preserve the intended benefits under the 2020 Plan. No award granted under the 2020 Plan may be transferred, except by will, the laws of descent and distribution.
Eligibility. All employees designated as key employees for purposes of the 2020 Plan, all non-employee directors and consultants are eligible to receive awards under the 2020 Plan. As of March 21, 2024, 5 employees and all non-employee directors were eligible to participate in the 2020 Plan.
Awards to Participants. The 2020 Plan provides for discretionary awards of stock options, stock awards, stock unit awards and stock appreciation rights to participants. Each award made under the 2020 Plan will be evidenced by a written award agreement specifying the terms and conditions of the award as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, consistent with the terms of the 2020 Plan.
Stock Options. The Committee has the discretion to grant non-qualified stock options or incentive stock options to participants and to set the terms and conditions applicable to the options, including the type of option, the number of shares subject to the option and the vesting schedule; provided that the exercise price of each stock option will be the closing price of the common stock on the date on which the option is granted ("fair market value"), each option will expire ten years from the date of grant and no dividend equivalents may be paid with respect to stock options.
In addition, an incentive stock option granted to a key employee is subject to the following rules: (i) the aggregate fair market value (determined at the time the option is granted) of the shares of common stock with respect to which incentive stock options are exercisable for the first time by a key employee during any calendar year (under all incentive stock option plans of the company and its subsidiaries) cannot exceed $100,000, and if this limitation is exceeded, that portion of the incentive stock option that does not exceed the applicable dollar limit will be an incentive stock option and the remainder will be a non-qualified stock option; (ii) if an incentive stock option is granted to a key employee who owns stock possessing more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all class of stock of the company, the exercise price of the incentive stock option will be 110% of the closing price of the common stock on the date of grant and the incentive stock option will expire no later than five years from the date of grant; and (iii) no incentive stock option can be granted after ten years from the initial effective date of the 2020 Plan.
Stock Appreciation Rights. The Committee has the discretion to grant stock appreciation rights to participants. The Committee determines the exercise price for a stock appreciation right, which cannot be less than 100% of the fair market value of our common stock on the date of grant. Upon the exercise of a stock appreciation right, we will pay the participant in common stock or in cash, at our discretion, an amount equal to the product of (1) the excess of the per share fair market value of our common stock on the date of exercise over the exercise price, multiplied by (2) the number of shares of common stock with respect to which the stock appreciation right is exercised. The Committee has the discretion to set the terms and conditions applicable to the award, including the number of shares subject to the stock appreciation right and the vesting schedule, provided that each stock appreciation right will expire not more than ten years from the date of grant and no dividends or dividend equivalents shall be paid with respect to any stock appreciation right prior to the exercise of the stock appreciation right.
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Stock Awards. The Committee has the discretion to grant stock awards to participants. Stock awards will consist of shares of common stock granted without any consideration from the participant or shares sold to the participant for appropriate consideration as determined by the Board. The number of shares awarded to each participant, and the restrictions, terms and conditions of the award, will be at the discretion of the Committee. Subject to the restrictions, a participant will be a shareholder with respect to the shares awarded to him or her and will have the rights of a shareholder with respect to the shares, including the right to vote the shares and receive dividends on the shares; provided that dividends otherwise payable on any stock award subject to restrictions will be held by us and will be paid to the holder of the stock award only to the extent the restrictions on such stock award lapse.
Stock Units. The Committee has the discretion to grant stock unit awards to participants. Each stock unit entitles the participant to receive, on a specified date or event set forth in the award agreement, one share of common stock or cash equal to the fair market value of one share on such date or event, as provided in the award agreement. The number of stock units awarded to each participant, and the terms and conditions of the award, will be at the discretion of the Committee. Unless otherwise specified in the award agreement, a participant will not be a shareholder with respect to the stock units awarded to him prior to the date they are settled in shares of common stock. The award agreement may provide that until the restrictions on the stock units lapse, the participant will be paid an amount equal to the dividends that would have been paid had the stock units been actual shares; provided that such dividend equivalents will be held by us and paid only to the extent the restrictions lapse.
Award Limits. The 2020 Plan contains a limit on the number of shares of common stock as to which any one recipient may receive stock options or stock appreciation rights in any calendar year to $1,500,000 in total value (calculating the value of any such awards based on the grant date fair value of such awards for financial reporting purposes). In addition, the 2020 Plan contains a limit on the number of shares of common stock that may be used for stock awards and/or stock unit awards to any one recipient in any calendar year to $1,500,000 in total value (calculating the value of any such awards based on the grant date fair value of such awards for financial reporting purposes). We believe these limits will prevent the volatility of our stock price from effecting our ability to plan future awards.
Payment for Stock Options and Withholding Taxes. The Committee may make one or more of the following methods available for payment of any award, including the exercise price of a stock option, and for payment of the tax obligation associated with an award: (i) cash; (ii) cash received from a broker-dealer to whom the holder has submitted an exercise notice together with irrevocable instructions to deliver promptly to us the amount of sales proceeds from the sale of the shares subject to the award to pay the exercise price or withholding tax; (iii) by directing us to withhold shares of common stock otherwise issuable in connection with the award having a fair market value equal to the amount required to be withheld; and (iv) by delivery of previously acquired shares of common stock that are acceptable to the Committee and that have an aggregate fair market value on the date of exercise equal to the exercise price or withholding tax, or certification of ownership by attestation of such previously acquired shares.
Provisions Relating to a "Change in Control" of the Company. Notwithstanding any other provision of the 2020 Plan or any award agreement, in the event of a "Change in Control" of the company, the Committee has the discretion to provide that all outstanding awards will become fully exercisable, all restrictions applicable to all awards will terminate or lapse, and performance goals applicable to any stock awards will be deemed satisfied at the target level. In addition, upon such Change in Control, the Committee has sole discretion to provide for the purchase of any outstanding stock option for cash equal to the difference between the exercise price and the then fair market value of the common stock subject to the option had the option been currently exercisable, make such adjustment to any award then outstanding as the Committee deems appropriate to reflect such Change in Control and cause any such award then outstanding to be assumed by the acquiring or surviving corporation after such Change in Control.
Amendment of Award Agreements; Amendment and Termination of the 2020 Plan; Term of the 2020 Plan. The Committee may amend any award agreement at any time, provided that no amendment may adversely affect the right of any participant under any agreement in any material way without the written consent of the participant, unless such amendment is required by applicable law, regulation or stock exchange rule.
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The Board may terminate, suspend or amend the 2020 Plan, in whole or in part, from time to time, without the approval of the stockholders, unless such approval is required by applicable law, regulation or stock exchange rule, and provided that no amendment may adversely affect the right of any participant under any outstanding award in any material way without the written consent of the participant, unless such amendment is required by applicable law, regulation or rule of any stock exchange on which the shares are listed.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, neither the 2020 Plan nor any outstanding award agreement can be amended in a way that results in the repricing of a stock option. Repricing is broadly defined to include reducing the exercise price of a stock option or stock appreciation right or cancelling a stock option or stock appreciation right in exchange for cash, other stock options or stock appreciation rights with a lower exercise price or other stock awards. (This prohibition on repricing without stockholder approval does not apply in case of an equitable adjustment to the awards to reflect changes in the capital structure of the company or similar events.)
No awards may be granted under the 2020 Plan on or after the tenth anniversary of the initial effective date of the 2020 Plan, or April 6, 2030.
U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences
The information set forth below is a summary only and does not purport to be complete. The information is based upon current U.S. federal income tax rules and therefore is subject to change when those rules change. Because the tax consequences to any recipient of an award may depend on his or her particular situation, each recipient should consult the recipient’s tax adviser regarding the federal, state, local, and other tax consequences of the grant or exercise of an award or the disposition of shares acquired as a result of an award. The 2020 Plan will not be qualified under the provisions of section 401(a) of the Code and will not be subject to any of the provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.
Non-Qualified Stock Options. A participant will not recognize any income at the time of grant. On the date the participant exercises the non-qualified stock option, the participant will recognize ordinary income in an amount equal to the excess of the fair market value of the shares on the date of exercise over the exercise price. The participant will be responsible for remitting to us the withholding tax obligation that arises at the time the option is exercised. We generally will receive a tax deduction for the same amount of ordinary income recognized by the participant. When the participant sells these shares, any gain or loss recognized by the participant is treated as either short-term or long-term capital gain or loss depending on whether the participant has held the shares more than one year.
Incentive Stock Options. A participant will not recognize any income at the time of grant. If the participant is issued shares pursuant to the exercise of an incentive stock option, and if the participant does not make a disqualifying disposition of the shares within one year after the date of exercise or within two years after the date of grant, the participant will not recognize any income, for federal income tax purposes, at the time of the exercise. When the participant sells the shares issued pursuant to the incentive stock option, the participant will be taxed, for federal income tax purposes, as a long-term capital gain on any amount recognized by the participant in excess of the exercise price, and any loss sustained by the participant will be a long-term capital loss. No deduction will be allowed to us for federal income tax purposes. If, however, the participant sells the shares before the expiration of the holding periods, the participant will recognize ordinary income on the difference between the exercise price and the fair market value at exercise, and we generally will receive a tax deduction in the same amount. Upon exercise of an incentive stock option, the excess of the fair market value over the exercise price is an item of tax preference to the participant for purposes of determining the alternative minimum tax.
In order to qualify as an incentive stock option, the option must be exercised within three months after the participant’s termination of employment for any reason other than death or disability and within one year after termination of the participant’s employment due to disability. If the option is not exercised within this time period, it will be treated as a non-qualified stock option and taxed accordingly.
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Stock Awards/Stock Units. If a participant receives a stock award, the participant will recognize ordinary income upon becoming entitled to transfer the shares at the end of the restriction period without forfeiture. A participant generally will recognize ordinary income when he receives cash or shares pursuant to the settlement of stock units, provided that if the shares are subject to any further restrictions on transfer, the participant will recognize ordinary income upon becoming entitled to transfer the shares at the end of the restriction period without forfeiture. The amount of income the participant recognizes will be equal to the fair market value of the shares on such date, or the amount of cash received, less the amount paid by the participant for the shares. This amount will also be the participant’s tax basis for the shares. The participant will be responsible for remitting to us the withholding tax obligation that arises at the time the ordinary income is recognized. In addition, the holding period begins on the day the restrictions lapse, or the date the shares are received if not subject to any restrictions, for purposes of determining whether the participant has long-term or short-term capital gain or loss on a subsequent sale of the shares. We generally will be entitled to a deduction with respect to the ordinary income recognized by the participant.
If a participant who receives a stock award subject to restrictions makes an election under Section 83(b) of the Code within 30 days after the date of the grant, the participant will have ordinary income equal to the fair market value on the date of grant, less the amount paid by the participant for the shares, and the participant will recognize no additional income until the participant subsequently sells the shares. The participant will be responsible for remitting to us the withholding tax obligation that arises at the time the ordinary income is recognized. When the participant sells the shares, the tax basis will be equal to the fair market value on the date of grant and the holding period for capital gains purposes begins on the date of the grant. If the participant forfeits the shares subject to the Section 83(b) election, the participant will not be entitled to any deduction, refund, or loss for tax purposes (other than a capital loss with respect to the amount of ordinary income previously recognized by the participant), and we will have to include the amount that was previously deducted from our gross income in the taxable year of the forfeiture.
Stock Appreciation Rights. A participant will not recognize any income at the time of the grant of a stock appreciation right. Upon exercise of the stock appreciation right, the participant will recognize ordinary income equal to the amount received upon exercise. The participant will be responsible for remitting to us the withholding tax obligation that arises at the time the ordinary income is recognized. We generally will be entitled to a deduction with respect to the ordinary income recognized by the participant.
Awards Granted Under the 2020 Plan
The following awards have been granted under the Plan:
| Name and Position | Number of Units | |
| John Climaco, President - Chief Executive Officer |
41,451 Stock Options and 20,000 Restricted Stock Units | |
| Christopher S. Downs, Chief Financial Officer |
20,434 Stock Options and 8,336 Restricted Stock Units | |
| Sandra Silberman, Chief Medical Officer |
11,404 Stock Options and 4,168 Restricted Stock Units | |
| Executive Group: |
73,289 Stock Options and 32,504 Restricted Stock Units | |
| Non-Executive Director Group: | 196,593 Stock Options | |
| Non-Executive Officer Employee Group: |
15,886 Stock Options and 5,588 Restricted Stock Units |
On March 21, 2024, the last reported sales price for the common stock was $0.351 per share.
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New Plan Benefits
It is not possible at this time to determine the specific awards that will be made in the future under the 2020 Plan, including with regard to the individuals and groups listed above under the heading “Awards Granted Under the 2020 Plan.”
Securities Authorized for Issuance under Equity Compensation Plans
The following table sets forth information regarding our equity compensation plans at December 31, 2023:
| Plan category |
Number of securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options, warrants and rights (a) |
Weighted-average exercise price of outstanding options, warrants and rights (b) |
Number of securities (by class) remaining available for future issuance under equity compensation plans (excluding securities reflected in column (a)) (c) |
|||||||||
| Equity compensation plans approved by security holders (1) | 341,190 | $ | $19.62 | 533,190 | ||||||||
| Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders (2) | 216,942 | $ | $9.31 | – | ||||||||
| (1) | Represents shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding stock options and rights under our 2017 and 2020 Stock Plans. |
| (2) | Consists of warrants issued to the underwriter in our IPO and follow-on offerings and to consultants. |
Vote Required and Recommendation of the Board of Directors
The approval of this Proposal 5 requires the number of votes cast in favor of the proposal to exceed the number of votes cast against the action. Abstentions and broker non-votes will have no effect on this proposal. The Board recommends that stockholders vote FOR the amendments to the 2020 Plan including an increase in the number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance under the 2020 Plan.
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TO APPROVE, FOR PURPOSES OF COMPLYING WITH NASDAQ LISTING RULE 5635(D), THE REPRICING OF CERTAIN WARRANTS TO PURCHASE UP TO 3,756,000 SHARES OF COMMON STOCK ISSUED ON OCTOBER 16, 2023, FROM $1.28 PER SHARE TO $0.30 PER SHARE AND TO EXTEND THE TERMINATION DATE OF SUCH WARRANTS TO FEBRUARY 1, 2029.
We are asking stockholders to approve, for purposes of complying with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(d), the repricing of certain warrants to purchase up to 3,756,000 shares of common stock issued on October 16, 2023, from $1.28 per share to $0.30 per share and to extend the termination date of such warrants to February 1, 2029., as described in more detail below.
On January 29, 2024, we entered into a warrant amendment agreement (the “Warrant Amendment”) pursuant to which we agreed, subject to shareholder approval, to amend certain existing warrants (the “Warrants”) to purchase up to an aggregate of 3,756,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $1.28 per share and a termination date of October 16, 2028, so that the Warrants will have a reduced exercise price of $0.30 per share and a new termination date of February 1, 2029. If shareholder approval is not received, such Warrants will have an exercise price equal to the Nasdaq minimum price on August 1, 2024 and a new termination date of February 1, 2029. The other terms of such Warrants will remain unchanged.
As required by Nasdaq Listing Rules 5635(d), the repricing of the Warrants will only occur, prior to the August 1, 2024 date, on the effective date of the approval of our shareholders of this proposal at the Annual Meeting. We agreed to hold a meeting of our stockholders in order to seek such approval prior to May 1, 2024, and if we do not obtain such approval at the first meeting, we have agreed to call a meeting every 30 days thereafter to seek such approval.
Description of Warrants
The following is a description of the Warrants.
The Warrants will be exercisable on April 16, 2024 and may be exercised for a period of five years therefrom. The exercise price and number of shares of common stock issuable upon exercise is subject to appropriate proportional adjustment in the event of share dividends, share splits, reorganizations or similar events affecting our common stock and the exercise price.
A holder of the Warrants may not exercise any portion of the Warrants to the extent that the holder, together with its affiliates and any other persons acting as a group together with any such persons, would own more than 4.99% (or, at the election of the purchaser, 9.99%) of the number of shares of common stock outstanding immediately after exercise (the “Beneficial Ownership Limitation”); provided that a holder with a Beneficial Ownership Limitation of 4.99%, upon notice to us and effective sixty-one (61) days after the date such notice is delivered to us, may increase the Beneficial Ownership Limitation so long as it in no event exceeds 9.99% of the number of shares of common stock outstanding immediately after exercise.
In the event of a fundamental transaction, as described in the Warrants and generally including any reorganization, recapitalization or reclassification of our common stock, the sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all of our properties or assets, our consolidation or merger with or into another person, the acquisition of more than 50% of our outstanding shares of common stock, the holders of the Warrants will be entitled to receive upon exercise of the Warrants the kind and amount of securities, cash or other property that the holders would have received had they exercised the Warrants immediately prior to such fundamental transaction. Additionally, in the event of a fundamental transaction, we or any successor entity will, at the option of the holder of a Warrant exercisable at any time concurrently with or within 30 days after the consummation of the fundamental transaction (or, if later, the date of the public announcement thereof), purchase the Warrant from the holder by paying to the holder an amount of consideration equal to the value of the remaining unexercised portion of such Warrant on the date of consummation of the fundamental transaction based on the Black-Scholes option pricing model, determined pursuant to a formula set forth in the Warrants. The consideration paid to the holder will be the same type or form of consideration that was offered and paid to the holders of shares of common stock in connection with the fundamental transaction; provided that if no such consideration was offered or paid, the holders of common stock will be deemed to have received common stock of the successor entity in such fundamental transaction for purposes of this provision of Inducement Warrants.
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Purpose of the Nasdaq Proposal
Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market. Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(d) requires stockholder approval of transactions other than public offerings of greater than 20% of the outstanding common stock of the issuer at a price that is less than the lower of: (i) the Nasdaq Official Closing Price (as reflected on Nasdaq.com) immediately preceding the signing of the binding agreement; or (ii) the average Nasdaq Official Closing Price of the common stock (as reflected on Nasdaq.com) for the five trading days immediately preceding the signing of the binding agreement (the “Minimum Price”).
Since our agreement to reprice the Warrants occurred within six months of the original issuance of the Warrants, and since the repriced exercise price is below the Minimum Price at the time of the original issuance of the Warrants, in order to permit the repricing prior to August 1, 2024 we require shareholder approval. This proposal is included in this proxy statement for purposes of seeking this approval.
Potential Consequences if the proposal is Not Approved
The Board is not seeking the approval of our stockholders to issue the Warrants, as the offering was already completed and the Warrants have already been issued. We are only asking for approval to allow the repricing of the Warrants.
We agreed to hold a meeting of stockholders before May 1, 2024 for the purpose of obtaining approval of this proposal, with the recommendation of our Board of Directors that such proposal be approved. If we do not obtain approval of this proposal at this Annual Meeting, we are required to call a new meeting every 30 days to seek approval of this proposal until the earlier of the date we receive approval of this proposal, or August 1, 2024. As such, the failure of our stockholders to approve this proposal will mean that we may incur substantial costs and expenses in the future in connection with calling additional meetings every 30 days. The costs and expenses associated with seeking such approval could adversely impact our ability to fund our operations.
In addition, to the extent this proposal is approved and if the Warrants are exercised by the holders for cash, we would receive up to $1.12 million in proceeds. If this proposal is not approved, the Warrants will have an exercise price substantially above our current market price and it is unlikely the Warrants will be exercised and we will receive any proceeds.
Potential Adverse Effects of the Approval of the Proposal
If this proposal is approved, existing stockholders will suffer dilution in their ownership interests in the future as a result of the potential issuance of shares of common stock upon exercise of the Warrants. Assuming the full exercise of the Warrants, an aggregate of 3,756,000 additional shares of common stock will be outstanding and the ownership interest of our existing stockholders would be correspondingly reduced.
The sale into the public market of these shares also could materially and adversely affect the market price of our common stock.
Vote Required and Recommendation of the Board of Directors
The approval of Proposal 6 requires the number of votes cast in favor of the proposal to exceed the number of votes cast against the action. Abstentions and broker non-votes will have no effect on this proposal. The Board recommends that stockholders vote FOR the approval, for purposes of complying with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(d), of the repricing of certain warrants to purchase up to 3,756,000 shares of common stock issued on October 16, 2023, from $1.28 per share to $0.30 per share and to extend the termination date of such warrants to February 1, 2029.
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AUTHORIZATION TO ADJOURN THE ANNUAL MEETING
If the Annual Meeting is convened and a quorum is present, but there are not sufficient votes to approve the above proposals, one or more of our proxy holders may move to adjourn the Annual Meeting at that time in order to enable our Board to solicit additional proxies.
In this proposal, we are asking our stockholders to authorize one or more of our proxy holders to adjourn the Annual Meeting to another time and place, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies in the event that there are not sufficient votes to approve the above proposals. If our stockholders approve this proposal, one or more of our proxy holders can adjourn the Annual Meeting and any adjourned session of the Annual Meeting to allow for additional time to solicit additional proxies, including the solicitation of proxies from our stockholders that have previously voted. Among other things, approval of this proposal could mean that, even if we had received proxies representing a sufficient number of votes to defeat any or all of the above proposals, we could adjourn the Annual Meeting without a vote on such proposals and seek to convince our stockholders to change their votes in favor of such proposals.
If it is necessary to adjourn the Annual Meeting, no notice of the adjourned meeting is required to be given to our stockholders, other than an announcement at the Annual Meeting of the time and place to which the Annual Meeting is adjourned, so long as the meeting is adjourned for 60 days or less and no new record date is fixed for the adjourned meeting. At the adjourned meeting, we may transact any business which might have been transacted at the original meeting.
Vote Required and Recommendation of the Board of Directors
The approval of Proposal 7 requires the number of votes cast in favor of the proposal to exceed the number of votes cast against the action. Abstentions and broker non-votes will have no effect on this proposal. The Board recommends that stockholders vote FOR the approval to authorize the adjournment of the Annual Meeting, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies if there are not sufficient votes in favor of the above proposals.
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The Audit Committee assists the Board of Directors with its oversight responsibilities regarding the Company’s financial reporting process. The Company’s management is responsible for the preparation, presentation and integrity of the Company’s financial statements and the reporting process, including the Company’s accounting policies, internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures. MaloneBailey LLP, the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, is responsible for performing an audit of the Company’s financial statements.
We have reviewed and discussed with management and MaloneBailey LLP the Company’s audited financial statements. We discussed with MaloneBailey LLP the overall scope and plans of their audit. We met with MaloneBailey LLP, with and without management present, to discuss the results of its examinations, its evaluation of the Company’s internal controls, and the overall quality of the Company’s financial reporting.
With regard to the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, the Audit Committee (i) reviewed and discussed with management the Company’s audited financial statements as of December 31, 2023, and for the year then ended; (ii) discussed with MaloneBailey LLP the matters required by Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) and the Securities and Exchange Commission; (iii) received the written disclosures and the letter from MaloneBailey LLP required by applicable requirements of the PCAOB regarding MaloneBailey LLP’s communications with the Audit Committee regarding independence; and (iv) discussed with MaloneBailey LLP their independence.
Based on the review and discussions described above, the Audit Committee recommended to the Company’s Board of Directors that the Company’s audited financial statements be included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, for filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Jeffry Keyes (Chair)
Carl Evans
Amy Mahery
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AVAILABILITY OF ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K
A copy of our 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K has been mailed concurrently with this proxy statement to stockholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting, provided that we have not included the exhibits to the Form 10-K. We will provide copies of these exhibits without cost upon request by eligible stockholders. Requests for copies of such exhibits should be mailed to CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 2100 West Loop South, Suite 900, Houston, TX 77027, Attention: Corporate Secretary.
Our Board of Directors does not intend to bring any other matters before the Annual Meeting, nor does it know of any matters which other persons intend to bring before the Annual Meeting. If, however, other matters not mentioned in this proxy statement properly come before the Annual Meeting, the persons named in the accompanying form of proxy will vote thereon in accordance with the recommendation of the Board of Directors.
HOUSEHOLDING OF PROXY MATERIALS
The SEC has adopted rules that permit companies and intermediaries (e.g., brokers) to satisfy the delivery requirements for proxy materials with respect to two or more stockholders sharing the same address by delivering a single proxy statement addressed to those stockholders. This process, which is commonly referred to as “householding,” potentially means extra convenience for stockholders and cost savings for companies.
This year, a number of brokers with account holders who are the Company’s stockholders may be “householding” our proxy materials. A single copy of the proxy materials may be delivered to multiple stockholders sharing an address unless contrary instructions have been received from the affected stockholders. Once you have received notice from your broker that they will be householding communications to your address, householding will continue until you are notified otherwise or until you revoke your consent. If, at any time, you no longer wish to participate in householding and would prefer to receive a separate copy of the proxy materials, please (1) notify your broker, or (2) direct your written request to CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 2100 West Loop South, Suite 900, Houston, TX 77027, Attention: Corporate Secretary. Stockholders who currently receive multiple copies of the proxy materials at their address and would like to request householding of their communications should contact their brokers. In addition, upon written request to the address set forth above, we will promptly deliver a separate copy of the proxy materials to any stockholder at a shared address to which a single copy of the documents was delivered.
STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS AND SUBMISSIONS
In order to be eligible for inclusion in our proxy statement and form of proxy for our 2025 Annual Meeting, a proposal of a stockholder, including the submission of a stockholder nominee for election to our Board of Directors, must be received at our principal executive offices located in Houston, Texas no later than February 15, 2025 (the “Deadline”). For any proposal that a stockholder wishes to propose for consideration at the 2025 Annual Meeting but does not wish to include in the proxy materials for that meeting, our Amended and Restated Bylaws require a notice of the proposal to be delivered not less than 120 days prior to the anniversary of the mailing date of our proxy materials for the preceding annual meeting of stockholders. The notice of the proposal also must comply with the content requirements for such notices set forth in our Amended and Restated Bylaws.
Whether or not you expect to be present at the Annual Meeting, please sign and return the enclosed proxy promptly. Your vote is important. If you are a stockholder of record and attend the Annual Meeting and wish to vote in person, you may withdraw your proxy at any time prior to the vote.
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By Order of the Board of Directors CNS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. |
|
| /s/ JOHN CLIMACO | |
| John Climaco | |
| Chief Executive Officer |
Houston, Texas
April 8, 2024
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ANNEX A
CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT
OF THE Amended and Restated ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION OF
CNS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
3.1The Corporation shall have the authority to issue 300,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”).
At the Effective Time every [●] outstanding shares of Common Stock shall without further action by the corporation or the holder thereof be combined into and automatically become one share of Common Stock (the “Reverse Stock Split”); provided, however, no fractional shares of Common Stock shall be issued in connection with the Reverse Stock Split, and instead, the Corporation shall issue one full share of post-Reverse Stock Split Common Stock to any stockholder who would have been entitled to receive a fractional share of Common Stock as a result of the Reverse Stock Split.”
* The Board of Directors will have the discretion to effect the Reverse Split at a ratio of any whole number between 1-for-2 and 1-for-50.
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ANNEX B
CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT
TO THE AMENDED AND RESTATED ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION OF
CNS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Nevada (the “Company”) for the purpose of amending its Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation in accordance with Chapter 78 of the Nevada Revised Statutes, does hereby make and execute this Certificate of Amendment to the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, as amended, and does hereby certify that:
1. The provisions of the present Article 3 of the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of the Corporation are amended by amending and restating the second sentence of Article, with no changes to be made to the previous or subsequent sentences and provisions of Article 3:
2. The total number of shares of all classes of stock that the Corporation shall have the authority to issue is Three Hundred Million (300,000,000), having a par value of $0.001 per share.
3. The foregoing amendment has been duly adopted in accordance NRS 78.385 by the vote of a majority of stockholders of the Company entitled to vote thereon.
4. This amendment shall be effective as of [●] p.m., Eastern Time, on [●].
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have signed this Certificate this [●] day of [●].
| CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. By: _________________________ Name: John Climaco Title: Chief Executive Officer |
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Annex C
CNS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
2020 EQUITY PLAN
(Amended and Restated)
______________________
| Section 1. | Establishment and Purpose. |
1.1The Board of Directors of CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”) established the CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2020 Equity Plan (the “Plan”) effective as of April 6, 2020, which was approved by the Company’s stockholders at the Company’s annual meeting on June 8, 2020. The Plan was amended effective as of August 9, 2023, and on March 26, 2024, subject to approval by the Company’s stockholders at the Company’s annual meeting on April 30, 2024.
1.2The purpose of the Plan is to attract and retain outstanding individuals as Key Employees, Directors and Consultants of the Company and its Subsidiaries, to recognize the contributions made to the Company and its Subsidiaries by Key Employees, Directors and Consultants, and to provide such Key Employees, Directors and Consultants with additional incentive to expand and improve the profits and achieve the objectives of the Company and its Subsidiaries, by providing such Key Employees, Directors and Consultants with the opportunity to acquire or increase their proprietary interest in the Company through receipt of Awards.
| Section 2. | Definitions. |
As used in the Plan, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:
2.1“Award” means any award or benefit granted under the Plan, which shall be a Stock Option, a Stock Award, a Stock Unit Award or an SAR.
2.2“Award Agreement” means, as applicable, a Stock Option Agreement, Stock Award Agreement, Stock Unit Award Agreement or SAR Agreement evidencing an Award granted under the Plan.
2.3“Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.
2.4“Change in Control” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.2 of the Plan.
2.5“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.
2.6“Committee” means the Compensation Committee of the Board or such other committee as may be designated by the Board from time to time to administer the Plan, or, if no such committee has been designated at the time of any grants, it shall mean the Board.
2.7“Common Stock” means the Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company.
2.8“Company” means CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Nevada corporation.
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2.9“Consultant” means any person, including an advisor, who is engaged by the Company or an affiliate to render consulting or advisory services and is compensated for such services. However, service solely as a Director, or payment of a fee for such service, will not cause a Director to be considered a “Consultant” for purposes of the Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a person is treated as a Consultant under this Plan only if a Form S-8 Registration Statement under the Securities Act is available to register either the offer or the sale of the Company’s securities to such person.
2.10“Director” means a director of the Company who is not an employee of the Company or a Subsidiary.
2.11“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time.
2.12“Fair Market Value” means as of any date, the closing price of a share of Common Stock on the national securities exchange on which the Common Stock is listed, or, if the Common Stock is not listed on a national securities exchange, the over-the-counter market on which the Common Stock trades, or, if the Common Stock is not listed on a national securities exchange or an over-the-counter market, as determined by the Board as of such date, or, if no trading occurred on such date, as of the trading day immediately preceding such date.
2.13“Incentive Stock Option” or “ISO” means a Stock Option granted under Section 5 of the Plan that meets the requirements of Section 422(b) of the Code or any successor provision.
2.14“Key Employee” means an employee of the Company or any Subsidiary selected to participate in the Plan in accordance with Section 3. A Key Employee may also include a person who is granted an Award (other than an Incentive Stock Option) in connection with the hiring of the person prior to the date the person becomes an employee of the Company or any Subsidiary, provided that such Award shall not vest prior to the commencement of employment.
2.15“Non-Qualified Stock Option” or “NSO” means a Stock Option granted under Section 5 of the Plan that is not an Incentive Stock Option.
2.16“Participant” means a Key Employee, Director or Consultant selected to receive an Award under the Plan.
2.17“Plan” means the CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2020 Equity Plan.
2.18“Stock Appreciation Right” or “SAR” means a grant of a right to receive shares of Common Stock or cash under Section 8 of the Plan.
2.19“Stock Award” means a grant of shares of Common Stock under Section 6 of the Plan.
2.20“Stock Option” means an Incentive Stock Option or a Non-Qualified Stock Option granted under Section 5 of the Plan.
2.21“Stock Unit Award” means a grant of a right to receive shares of Common Stock or cash under Section 7 of the Plan.
2.22“Subsidiary” means an entity of which the Company is the direct or indirect beneficial owner of not less than 50% of all issued and outstanding equity interest of such entity.
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| Section 3. | Administration. |
3.1The Committee.
The Plan shall be administered by the Committee, which shall be comprised of at least two members of the Board who satisfy the “non-employee director” definition set forth in Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act, unless the Board otherwise determines.
3.2Authority of the Committee.
(a) The Committee, in its sole discretion, shall determine the Key Employees, Consultants and Directors to whom, and the time or times at which Awards will be granted, the form and amount of each Award, the expiration date of each Award, the time or times within which the Awards may be exercised, the cancellation of the Awards and the other limitations, restrictions, terms and conditions applicable to the grant of the Awards. The terms and conditions of the Awards need not be the same with respect to each Participant or with respect to each Award.
(b) To the extent permitted by applicable law, regulation, and rules of a stock exchange on which the Common Stock is listed or traded, the Committee may delegate its authority to grant Awards to Key Employees and to determine the terms and conditions thereof to such officer of the Company as it may determine in its discretion, on such terms and conditions as it may impose, except with respect to Awards to officers subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act.
(c) The Committee may, subject to the provisions of the Plan, establish such rules and regulations as it deems necessary or advisable for the proper administration of the Plan, and may make determinations and may take such other action in connection with or in relation to the Plan as it deems necessary or advisable. Each determination or other action made or taken pursuant to the Plan, including interpretation of the Plan and the specific terms and conditions of the Awards granted hereunder, shall be final and conclusive for all purposes and upon all persons.
(d) No member of the Board or the Committee shall be liable for any action taken or determination made hereunder in good faith. Service on the Committee shall constitute service as a Director so that the members of the Committee shall be entitled to indemnification and reimbursement as Directors of the Company pursuant to the Company’s Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws.
3.3Award Agreements.
(a) Each Award shall be evidenced by a written Award Agreement specifying the terms and conditions of the Award. In the sole discretion of the Committee, the Award Agreement may condition the grant of an Award upon the Participant’s entering into one or more of the following agreements with the Company: (i) an agreement not to compete with the Company and its Subsidiaries which shall become effective as of the date of the grant of the Award and remain in effect for a specified period of time following termination of the Participant’s employment with the Company; (ii) an agreement to cancel any employment agreement, fringe benefit or compensation arrangement in effect between the Company and the Participant; and (iii) an agreement to retain the confidentiality of certain information. Such agreements may contain such other terms and conditions as the Committee shall determine. If the Participant shall fail to enter into any such agreement at the request of the Committee, then the Award granted or to be granted to such Participant shall be forfeited and cancelled.
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| Section 4. | Shares of Common Stock Subject to Plan. |
4.1Total Number of Shares.
(a) The total number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued under the Plan shall be 4,345,800 (which reflects the 845,800 shares previously authorized under the Plan and 3,500,000 shares to be issued under the Plan pursuant to this amendment and restatement). Such shares may be either authorized but unissued shares or treasury shares, and shall be adjusted in accordance with the provisions of Section 4.3 of the Plan.
(b) The number of shares of Common Stock delivered by a Participant or withheld by the Company on behalf of any such Participant as full or partial payment of an Award, including the exercise price of a Stock Option or of any required withholding taxes, shall not again be available for issuance pursuant to subsequent Awards, and shall count towards the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued under the Plan. Any shares of Common Stock purchased by the Company with proceeds from a Stock Option exercise shall not again be available for issuance pursuant to subsequent Awards, shall count against the aggregate number of shares that may be issued under the Plan and shall not increase the number of shares available under the Plan.
(c) If there is a lapse, forfeiture, expiration, termination or cancellation of any Award for any reason (including for reasons described in Section 3.3), or if shares of Common Stock are issued under such Award and thereafter are reacquired by the Company pursuant to rights reserved by the Company upon issuance thereof, the shares of Common Stock subject to such Award or reacquired by the Company shall again be available for issuance pursuant to subsequent Awards, and shall not count towards the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued under the Plan.
4.2Shares Under Awards.
Of the shares of Common Stock authorized for issuance under the Plan pursuant to Section 4.1:
(a) The maximum number of shares of Common Stock as to which a Key Employee may receive Stock Options or SARs in any calendar year will not exceed $1,500,000 in total value (calculating the value of any such Stock Options or SARs based on the grant date fair value of such Stock Options or SARs for financial reporting purposes). For the avoidance of doubt, shares of Common Stock that may be used for Stock Awards and/or Stock Unit Awards pursuant to Section 4.2(c) shall not be included in the foregoing calculation.
(b) The maximum number of shares of Common Stock that may be subject to Stock Options (ISOs and/or NSOs) is the total number of shares set forth in Section 4.1(a).
(c) The maximum number of shares of Common Stock that may be used for Stock Awards and/or Stock Unit Awards that may be granted to any Key Employee in any calendar year will not exceed $1,500,000 in total value (calculating the value of any such Stock Awards and/or Stock Unit Awards based on the grant date fair value of such Stock Awards and/or Stock Unit Awards for financial reporting purposes). For the avoidance of doubt, shares of Common Stock that may be used for Stock Options and/or SARs pursuant to Section 4.2(a) shall not be included in the foregoing calculation.
(d) The maximum number of shares of Common Stock subject to Awards granted under the Plan or otherwise during any one calendar year to any Director, taken together with any cash fees paid by the Company to such Director during such calendar year for service on the Board, will not exceed $300,000 in total value (calculating the value of any such Awards based on the grant date fair value of such Awards for financial reporting purposes).
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The numbers of shares described herein shall be as adjusted in accordance with Section 4.3 of the Plan.
4.3Adjustment.
In the event of any reorganization, recapitalization, stock split, stock distribution, merger, consolidation, split-up, spin-off, combination, subdivision, consolidation or exchange of shares, any change in the capital structure of the Company or any similar corporate transaction, the Committee shall make such adjustments as it deems appropriate, in its sole discretion, to preserve the benefits or intended benefits of the Plan and Awards granted under the Plan. Such adjustments may include: (a) adjustment in the number and kind of shares reserved for issuance under the Plan; (b) adjustment in the number and kind of shares covered by outstanding Awards; (c) adjustment in the exercise price of outstanding Stock Options or SARs or the price of Stock Awards or Stock Unit Awards under the Plan; (d) adjustments to any of the shares limitations set forth in Section 4.1 or 4.2 of the Plan; and (e) any other changes that the Committee determines to be equitable under the circumstances.
| Section 5. | Grants of Stock Options. |
5.1Grant.
Subject to the terms of the Plan, the Committee may from time to time grant Stock Options to Participants. Unless otherwise expressly provided at the time of the grant, Stock Options granted under the Plan to Key Employees will be NSOs. Stock Options granted under the Plan to Directors or Consultants who, in each case are not employees of the Company or any Subsidiary will be NSOs.
5.2Stock Option Agreement.
The grant of each Stock Option shall be evidenced by a written Stock Option Agreement specifying the type of Stock Option granted, the exercise period, the exercise price, the terms for payment of the exercise price, the expiration date of the Stock Option, the number of shares of Common Stock to be subject to each Stock Option and such other terms and conditions established by the Committee, in its sole discretion, not inconsistent with the Plan.
5.3Exercise Price and Exercise Period.
With respect to each Stock Option granted to a Participant:
(a) The per share exercise price of each Stock Option shall be not less than the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock subject to the Stock Option on the date on which the Stock Option is granted.
(b) Each Stock Option shall become vest and exercisable as provided in the Stock Option Agreement; provided that the Committee shall have the discretion to accelerate the date as of which any Stock Option shall become exercisable in the event of the Participant’s termination of employment with the Company, or service on the Board or as a Consultant, without cause (as determined by the Board in its sole discretion).
(c) No dividends or dividend equivalents shall be paid with respect to any shares subject to a Stock Option prior to the exercise of the Stock Option.
(d) Each Stock Option shall expire, and all rights to purchase shares of Common Stock thereunder shall expire, on the date ten years after the date of grant.
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5.4Required Terms and Conditions of ISOs.
In addition to the foregoing, each ISO granted to a Key Employee shall be subject to the following specific rules:
(a) The aggregate Fair Market Value (determined with respect to each ISO at the time such Option is granted) of the shares of Common Stock with respect to which ISOs are exercisable for the first time by a Key Employee during any calendar year (under all incentive stock option plans of the Company and its Subsidiaries) shall not exceed $100,000. If the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined at the time of grant) of the Common Stock subject to an ISO which first becomes exercisable in any calendar year exceeds the limitation of this Section 5.4(a), so much of the ISO that does not exceed the applicable dollar limit shall be an ISO and the remainder shall be a NSO; but in all other respects, the original Stock Option Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.
(b) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if an ISO is granted to a Key Employee who owns stock possessing more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company (or its parent or subsidiaries within the meaning of Section 422(b)(6) of the Code): (i) the purchase price of each share of Common Stock subject to the ISO shall be not less than 110% of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock on the date the ISO is granted; and (ii) the ISO shall expire, and all rights to purchase shares of Common Stock thereunder shall expire, no later than the fifth anniversary of the date the ISO was granted.
(c) No ISOs shall be granted under the Plan after ten years from the earlier of the date the Plan is adopted or approved by shareholders of the Company.
5.5Exercise of Stock Options.
(a) A Participant entitled to exercise a Stock Option may do so by delivering written notice to that effect specifying the number of shares of Common Stock with respect to which the Stock Option is being exercised and any other information the Committee may prescribe. All notices or requests provided for herein shall be delivered to the Chief Financial Officer of the Company.
(b) The Committee in its sole discretion may make available one or more of the following alternatives for the payment of the Stock Option exercise price: (i) in cash; (ii) in cash received from a broker-dealer to whom the Participant has submitted an exercise notice together with irrevocable instructions to deliver promptly to the Company the amount of sales proceeds from the sale of the shares subject to the Stock Option to pay the exercise price; (iii) by directing the Company to withhold such number of shares of Common Stock otherwise issuable in connection with the exercise of the Stock Option having an aggregate Fair Market Value equal to the exercise price; (iv) by delivering previously acquired shares of Common Stock that are acceptable to the Committee and that have an aggregate Fair Market Value on the date of exercise equal to the Stock Option exercise price; (v) by certifying to ownership by attestation of such previously acquired shares of Common Stock; or (vi) by combination of any of the foregoing methods.
The Committee shall have the sole discretion to establish the terms and conditions applicable to any alternative made available for payment of the Stock Option exercise price.
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| Section 6. | Stock Awards. |
6.1Grant.
The Committee may, in its discretion, (a) grant shares of Common Stock under the Plan to any Participant without consideration from such Participant or (b) sell shares of Common Stock under the Plan to any Participant for such amount of cash, Common Stock or other consideration as the Committee deems appropriate.
6.2Stock Award Agreement.
Each share of Common Stock granted or sold hereunder shall be subject to such restrictions, conditions and other terms as the Board may determine at the time of grant or sale, the general provisions of the Plan, the restrictions, terms and conditions of the related Stock Award Agreement, and the following specific rules:
(a) The Award Agreement shall specify whether the shares of Common Stock are granted or sold to the Participant and such other provisions, not inconsistent with the terms and conditions of the Plan, as the Committee shall determine.
(b) The restrictions to which the shares of Common Stock awarded hereunder are subject shall lapse as provided in Stock Award Agreement; provided that the Committee shall have the discretion to accelerate the date as of which the restrictions lapse with respect to any Award held by a Participant in the event of the Participant’s termination of employment with the Company, or service on the Board or as a Consultant, without cause (as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion).
(c) Except as provided in this subsection © and unless otherwise set forth in the related Stock Award Agreement, the Participant receiving a grant of or purchasing Common Stock pursuant to an Award Agreement shall thereupon be a stockholder with respect to such shares and shall have the rights of a stockholder with respect to such shares, including the right to vote such shares and to receive dividends and other distributions paid with respect to such shares; provided that any dividends or other distributions payable with respect to the Stock Award shall be accumulated and held by the Company and paid to the Participant only upon, and to the extent, the restrictions lapse in accordance with the terms of the applicable Stock Award Agreement. Any such dividends or other distributions held by the Company attributable to the portion of a Stock Award that is forfeited shall also be forfeited.
| Section 7. | Stock Unit Awards. |
7.1Grant.
The Committee may, in its discretion, grant Stock Unit Awards to any Participant. Each Stock Unit subject to the Award shall entitle the Participant to receive, on the date or the occurrence of an event (including the attainment of performance goals) as described in the Stock Unit Award Agreement, a share of Common Stock or cash equal to the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock on such date or the date of such event as provided in the Stock Unit Award Agreement.
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7.2Stock Unit Agreement.
Each Stock Unit Award shall be subject to such restrictions, conditions and other terms as the Committee may determine at the time of grant, the general provisions of the Plan, the restrictions, terms and conditions of the related Stock Unit Award Agreement and the following specific rules:
(a) The Stock Unit Agreement shall specify such provisions, not inconsistent with the terms and conditions of the Plan, as the Committee shall determine.
(b) The restrictions to which the shares of Stock Units awarded hereunder are subject shall lapse as provided in Stock Unit Agreement; provided that the Committee shall have the discretion to accelerate the date as of which the restrictions lapse with respect to any Award held by a Participant in the event of the Participant’s termination of employment with the Company, or service on the Board or as a Consultant, without cause (as determined by the Board in its sole discretion).
(c) Except as provided in this subsection (c) and unless otherwise set forth in the Stock Unit Agreement, the Participant receiving a Stock Unit Award shall have no rights of a stockholder, including voting or dividends or other distributions rights, with respect to any Stock Units prior to the date they are settled in shares of Common Stock; provided that a Stock Unit Award Agreement may provide that until the Stock Units are settled in shares or cash, the Participant shall be entitled to receive on each dividend or distribution payment date applicable to the Common Stock an amount equal to the dividends or other distributions that the Participant would have received had the Stock Units held by the Participant as of the related record date been actual shares of Common Stock. Such amounts shall be accumulated and held by the Company and paid to the Participant only upon, and to the extent, the restrictions lapse in accordance with the terms of the applicable Stock Unit Award Agreement. Such amounts held by the Company attributable to the portion of the Stock Unit Award that is forfeited shall also be forfeited.
| Section 8. | SARs. |
8.1Grant.
The Committee may grant SARs to Participants. Upon exercise, an SAR entitles the Participant to receive from the Company the number of shares of Common Stock having an aggregate Fair Market Value equal to the excess of the Fair Market Value of one share as of the date on which the SAR is exercised over the exercise price, multiplied by the number of shares with respect to which the SAR is being exercised. The Committee, in its discretion, shall be entitled to cause the Company to elect to settle any part or all of its obligations arising out of the exercise of an SAR by the payment of cash in lieu of all or part of the shares it would otherwise be obligated to deliver in an amount equal to the Fair Market Value of such shares on the date of exercise. Cash shall be delivered in lieu of any fractional shares. The terms and conditions of any such Award shall be determined at the time of grant.
8.2SAR Agreement.
(a) Each SAR shall be evidenced by a written SAR Agreement specifying the terms and conditions of the SAR as the Committee may determine, including the SAR exercise price, expiration date of the SAR, the number of shares of Common Stock to which the SAR pertains, the form of settlement and such other terms and conditions established by the Committee, in its sole discretion, not inconsistent with the Plan.
(b) The per Share exercise price of each SAR shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date the SAR is granted.
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(c) Each SAR shall expire and all rights thereunder shall cease on the date fixed by the Committee in the related SAR Agreement, which shall not be later than the ten years after the date of grant; provided however, if a Participant is unable to exercise an SAR because trading in the Common Stock is prohibited by law or the Company’s insider-trading policy, the SAR exercise date shall be extended to the date that is 30 days after the expiration of the trading prohibition.
(d) Each SAR shall become exercisable as provided in the related SAR Agreement; provided that notwithstanding any other Plan provision, the Committee shall have the discretion to accelerate the date as of which any SAR shall become exercisable in the event of the Participant’s termination of employment, or service on the Board or as a Consultant, without cause (as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion).
(e) No dividends or dividend equivalents shall be paid with respect to any SAR prior to the exercise of the SAR.
(f) A person entitled to exercise an SAR may do so by delivery of a written notice in accordance with procedures established by the Committee specifying the number of shares of Common Stock with respect to which the SAR is being exercised and any other information the Committee may prescribe. As soon as reasonably practicable after the exercise of an SAR, the Company shall (i) issue the total number of full shares of Common Stock to which the Participant is entitled and cash in an amount equal to the Fair Market Value, as of the date of exercise, of any resulting fractional share, and (ii) if the Committee causes the Company to elect to settle all or part of its obligations arising out of the exercise of the SAR in cash, deliver to the Participant an amount in cash equal to the Fair Market Value, as of the date of exercise, of the shares it would otherwise be obligated to deliver.
| Section 9. | Change in Control. |
9.1Effect of a Change in Control.
(a) Notwithstanding any of the provisions of the Plan or any outstanding Award Agreement, upon a Change in Control of the Company (as defined in Section 9.2), the Board is authorized and has sole discretion to provide that (i) all outstanding Awards shall become fully exercisable, (ii) all restrictions applicable to all Awards shall terminate or lapse and (iii) performance goals applicable to any Awards shall be deemed satisfied at the highest level, as applicable, in order that Participants may realize the benefits thereunder.
(b) In addition to the Board’s authority set forth in Section 3, upon such Change in Control of the Company, the Board is authorized and has sole discretion as to any Award, either at the time such Award is granted hereunder or any time thereafter, to take any one or more of the following actions: (i) provide for the purchase of any outstanding Stock Option, for an amount of cash equal to the difference between the exercise price and the then Fair Market Value of the Common Stock covered thereby had such Stock Option been currently exercisable; (ii) make such adjustment to any such Award then outstanding as the Board deems appropriate to reflect such Change in Control; and (iii) cause any such Award then outstanding to be assumed by the acquiring or surviving corporation after such Change in Control.
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9.2Definition of Change in Control.
“Change in Control” of the Company shall be deemed to have occurred if at any time during the term of an Award granted under the Plan any of the following events occurs:
(a) any Person (other than the Company, a trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company, or a corporation owned directly or indirectly by the shareholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of shares of Common Stock of the Company) is or becomes the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing 30% or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (“Person” and “Beneficial Owner” being defined in Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations of the Exchange Act);
(b) the Company is party to a merger, consolidation, reorganization or other similar transaction with another corporation or other Person unless, following such transaction, more than 50% of the combined voting power of the outstanding securities of the surviving, resulting or acquiring corporation or Person or its parent entity entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (or Persons performing similar functions) is then beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by all or substantially all of the individuals and entities who were the beneficial owners of the Company’s outstanding securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors immediately prior to such transaction, in substantially the same proportions as their ownership, immediately prior to such transaction, of the Company’s outstanding securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors;
(c) the election to the Board, without the recommendation or approval of two-thirds of the incumbent Board, of the lesser of: (i) three Directors; or (ii) Directors constituting a majority of the number of Directors of the Company then in office; provided, however, that Directors whose initial assumption of office is in connection with an actual or threatened election contest, including but not limited to a consent solicitation, relating to the election of Directors of the Company will not be considered as incumbent members of the Board for purposes of this Section; or
(d) there is a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company, or the Company sells all or substantially all of its business and/or assets to another corporation or other Person unless, following such sale, more than 50% of the combined voting power of the outstanding securities of the acquiring corporation or Person or its parent entity entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (or Persons performing similar functions) is then beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by all or substantially all of the individuals and entities who were the beneficial owners of the Company’s outstanding securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors immediately prior to such sale, in substantially the same proportions as their ownership, immediately prior to such sale, of the Company’s outstanding securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors.
In no event, however, shall a Change in Control be deemed to have occurred, with respect to a Participant, if that Participant is part of a purchasing group which consummates the Change in Control transaction. A Participant shall be deemed “part of a purchasing group” for purposes of the preceding sentence if the Participant is an equity participant or has agreed to become an equity participant in the purchasing company or group (except for (a) passive ownership of less than 3% of the shares of the purchasing company; or (b) ownership of equity participation in the purchasing company or group which is otherwise not deemed to be significant, as determined prior to the Change in Control by a majority of the disinterested Directors).
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| Section 10. | Payment of Taxes. |
(a) In connection with any Award, and as a condition to the issuance or delivery of any shares of Common Stock to the Participant in connection therewith, the Company shall require the Participant to pay the Company the minimum amount of federal, state, local or foreign taxes required to be withheld, and in the Company’s sole discretion, the Company may permit the Participant to pay the Company up to the maximum individual statutory rate of applicable withholding.
(b) The Company in its sole discretion may make available one or more of the following alternatives for the payment of such taxes: (i) in cash; (ii) in cash received from a broker-dealer to whom the Participant has submitted notice together with irrevocable instructions to deliver promptly to the Company the amount of sales proceeds from the sale of the shares subject to the Award to pay the withholding taxes; (iii) by directing the Company to withhold such number of shares of Common Stock otherwise issuable in connection with the Award having an aggregate Fair Market Value equal to the minimum amount of tax required to be withheld; (iv) by delivering previously acquired shares of Common Stock of the Company that are acceptable to the Board that have an aggregate Fair Market Value equal to the amount required to be withheld; or (v) by certifying to ownership by attestation of such previously acquired shares of Common Stock.
The Committee shall have the sole discretion to establish the terms and conditions applicable to any alternative made available for payment of the required withholding taxes.
| Section 11. | Postponement. |
The Committee may postpone any grant or settlement of an Award or exercise of a Stock Option or SAR for such time as the Board in its sole discretion may deem necessary in order to permit the Company:
(a) to effect, amend or maintain any necessary registration of the Plan or the shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to an Award, including upon the exercise of a Stock Option or SAR, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the securities laws of any applicable jurisdiction;
(b) to permit any action to be taken in order to (i) list such shares of Common Stock on a stock exchange if shares of Common Stock are then listed on such exchange or (ii) comply with restrictions or regulations incident to the maintenance of a public market for its shares of Common Stock, including any rules or regulations of any stock exchange on which the shares of Common Stock are listed; or
(c) to determine that such shares of Common Stock and the Plan are exempt from such registration or that no action of the kind referred to in (b)(ii) above needs to be taken; and the Company shall not be obligated by virtue of any terms and conditions of any Award or any provision of the Plan to sell or issue shares of Common Stock in violation of the Securities Act of 1933 or the law of any government having jurisdiction thereof.
Any such postponement shall not extend the term of an Award and neither the Company nor its Directors or officers shall have any obligation or liability to a Participant, the Participant’s successor or any other person with respect to any shares of Common Stock as to which the Award shall lapse because of such postponement.
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| Section 12. | Nontransferability. |
Awards granted under the Plan, and any rights and privileges pertaining thereto, may not be transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated in any manner, or be subject to execution, attachment or similar process, by operation of law or otherwise, other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution.
| Section 13. | Delivery of Shares. |
Shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to a Stock Award, the exercise of a Stock or SAR or the settlement of a Stock Unit Award shall be represented by stock certificates or on a non-certificated basis, with the ownership of such shares by the Participant evidenced solely by book entry in the records of the Company’s transfer agent; provided, however, that upon the written request of the Participant, the Company shall issue, in the name of the Participant, stock certificates representing such shares of Common Stock. Notwithstanding the foregoing, shares granted pursuant to a Stock Award shall be held by the Secretary of the Company until such time as the shares are forfeited or settled.
| Section 14. | Termination or Amendment of Plan and Award Agreements. |
14.1Termination or Amendment of Plan.
(a) Except as described in Section 14.3 below, the Board may terminate, suspend, or amend the Plan, in whole or in part, from time to time, without the approval of the stockholders of the Company, unless such approval is required by applicable law, regulation or rule of any stock exchange on which the shares of Common Stock are listed. No amendment or termination of the Plan shall adversely affect the right of any Participant under any outstanding Award in any material way without the written consent of the Participant, unless such amendment or termination is required by applicable law, regulation or rule of any stock exchange on which the shares of Common Stock are listed. Subject to the foregoing, the Committee may correct any defect or supply an omission or reconcile any inconsistency in the Plan or in any Award granted hereunder in the manner and to the extent it shall deem desirable, in its sole discretion, to effectuate the Plan.
(b) The Board shall have the authority to amend the Plan to the extent necessary or appropriate to comply with applicable law, regulation or accounting rules in order to permit Participants who are located outside of the United States to participate in the Plan.
14.2Amendment of Award Agreements.
The Committee shall have the authority to amend any Award Agreement at any time; provided however, that no such amendment shall adversely affect the right of any Participant under any outstanding Award Agreement in any material way without the written consent of the Participant, unless such amendment is required by applicable law, regulation or rule of any stock exchange on which the shares of Common Stock are listed.
14.3No Repricing of Stock Options.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, and except as described in Section 4.3, there shall be no amendment to the Plan or any outstanding Stock Option Agreement or SAR Agreement that results in the repricing of Stock Options or SARs without stockholder approval. For this purpose, repricing includes (i) a reduction in the exercise price of the Stock Option or SARs or (ii) the cancellation of a Stock Option in exchange for cash, Stock Options or SARs with an exercise price less than the exercise price of the cancelled Options or SARs, other Awards or any other consideration provided by the Company, but does not include any adjustment described in Section 4.3.
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| Section 15. | No Contract of Employment. |
Neither the adoption of the Plan nor the grant of any Award under the Plan shall be deemed to obligate the Company or any Subsidiary to continue the employment or service of any Participant for any particular period, nor shall the granting of an Award constitute a request or consent to postpone the retirement date of any Participant.
| Section 16. | Applicable Law. |
All questions pertaining to the validity, construction and administration of the Plan and all Awards granted under the Plan shall be determined in conformity with the laws of the State of Nevada, without regard to the conflict of law provisions of any state, and, in the case of Incentive Stock Options, Section 422 of the Code and regulations issued thereunder.
| Section 17. | Effective Date and Term of Plan. |
17.1Effective Date.
(a) The Plan as amended and restated has been adopted by the Board, and is effective, as of April 6, 2020, subject to the approval of the Plan by the stockholders of the Company.
(b) In the event the Plan is not approved by stockholders of the Company within 12 months of the date hereof, the Plan as amended and restated shall have no effect, and the Plan as in effect prior to August 9, 2023 shall continue.
17.2Term of Plan.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, no Awards shall be granted on or after April 6, 2030.
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CNS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON
April 30, 2024
The undersigned stockholder acknowledges receipt of the Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and the Proxy Statement, each dated April 8, 2024, and hereby appoints John Climaco and Christopher Downs, or either of them, proxies for the undersigned, each with full power of substitution, to vote all of the undersigned's shares of common stock of CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”) at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of the Company to be held virtually at https://agm.issuerdirect.com/cnsp, on April 30, 2024 at 3:00 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, and at any adjournments or postponements thereof.
| 1. | o | For All | The Board of Directors has nominated the following seven persons for election as directors of the Company: John Climaco, Jerzy (George) Gumulka, Jeffry R. Keyes, Faith Charles, Bettina Cockroft and Amy Mahery. Their term will expire at the 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, or until their successors are duly elected and qualified. | ||||
| o | Withhold All | ||||||
| o | For All Except | ||||||
| 2. | o | For | o | Against | o | Abstain | To ratify the appointment of MaloneBailey, LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2024. |
| 3. | o | For | o | Against | o | Abstain | To grant our Board of Directors authority, in its sole discretion, prior to the one-year anniversary of this Annual Meeting, to effect a reverse stock split of the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock, at a reverse split ratio of between 1-for-2 and 1-for-50 as determined by the Board of Directors, by the filing of an amendment to the Company's Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation. |
| 4. | o | For | o | Against | o | Abstain | To approve an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation to increase the total number of authorized shares of common stock from 75,000,000 shares to 300,000,000 shares. |
| 5. | o | For | o | Against | o | Abstain | To approve amendments to the Company's 2020 Stock Plan including an increase in the number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance under the Company's 2020 Stock Plan. |
| 6. | o | For | o | Against | o | Abstain | To approve, for purposes of complying with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(d), the repricing of certain warrants to purchase up to 3,756,000 shares of common stock issued on October 16, 2023, from $1.28 per share to $0.30 per share and to extend the termination date of such warrants to February 1, 2029 |
| 7. | o | For | o | Against | o | Abstain | To authorize the adjournment of the Annual Meeting, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies if there are not sufficient votes at the time of the Annual Meeting or adjournment or postponement thereof to approve the above proposals. |
NOTE:In their discretion, upon such other matters as may properly come before the meeting.
The board of directors recommends a vote FOR the nominees and proposals above and if no specification is made, the shares will be voted for such nominees and proposals.
| Dated _______________________________________ 2024 | |
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| Stockholder's Signature | |
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| Stockholder's Signature |
Signature should agree with name printed hereon. If stock is held in the name of more than one person, EACH joint owner should sign. Executors, administrators, trustees, guardians, and attorneys should indicate the capacity in which they sign. Attorneys should submit powers of attorney.
PLEASE SIGN, DATE AND RETURN THE PROXY IN THE ENVELOPE ENCLOSED. THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED IN THE MANNER DIRECTED HEREIN BY THE UNDERSIGNED STOCKHOLDER. IF NO DIRECTION IS MADE, THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED FOR THE NOMINEES SET FORTH IN PROPOSAL 1, AND FOR THE PROPOSALS SET FORTH IN ITEM 2, ITEM 3, ITEM 4, AND ITEM 5. THIS PROXY WILL REVOKE ALL PRIOR PROXIES SIGNED BY YOU.
Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials
for the Annual Shareholder Meeting to be Held on April 30, 2024:
Electronic Copies of the Proxy Statement and our 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K are available at
http://icomproxy.com/cnsp