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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

 

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934 

Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): April 27, 2023

 

 

 

     
Gain Therapeutics, Inc.
(Exact Name of the Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   001-40237   85-1726310
(State or Other Jurisdiction
of Incorporation)
  (Commission
File Number)
  (IRS Employer
Identification No.)

 

4800 Montgomery Lane, Suite 220

Bethesda, Maryland 20814

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

 

 

 

 

(301) 500-1556

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

 

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 

¨Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
¨Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
¨Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
¨Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class Trading symbol(s) Name of exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $0.0001 par value GANX The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

 

Emerging growth company x

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

 

 

 

 

 

Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

 

Separation Agreement

 

On April 27, 2023, Gain Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”), through its subsidiary, GT Gain Therapeutics SA, entered into a separation agreement and release with Salvatore Calabrese, the Company’s former Chief Financial Officer, effective as of April 27, 2023 (the “Separation Agreement”).

 

Pursuant to the Separation Agreement, Mr. Calabrese’s employment terminates effective April 30, 2023 (the “Termination Date”), and Mr. Calabrese is entitled to payment of accrued and unpaid salary through such date as well as €41,638 (approximately $45,802 based on the exchange rate as of April 27, 2023 of $1.10) constituting Mr. Calabrese’s discretionary annual bonus for 2022, paid in accordance with the Company’s standard payroll cycle. In addition, subject to Mr. Calabrese’s execution, non-revocation and delivery of, and compliance with the terms of, the Separation Agreement, Mr. Calabrese is entitled to payment of the following amounts on or prior to May 10, 2023: (A) an aggregate cash payment of approximately €266,482 (approximately $293,130 based on the exchange rate as of April 27, 2023 of $1.10), representing (i) 12 months’ base salary in effect as of the Termination Date (the “Severance Payment”) and (ii) the value of unused paid vacation accrued through the Termination Date, plus (B) reimbursement of attorney’s costs and fees in connection with the termination of Mr. Calabrese’s employment agreement with GT Gain Therapeutics SA, effective November 2, 2020 (the “Employment Agreement”), and with the review and negotiation of the Separation Agreement.

 

The Separation Agreement further provides that, subject to Mr. Calabrese’s execution, non-revocation and delivery of, and compliance with the terms of, the Separation Agreement, Mr. Calabrese’s outstanding unvested equity awards as of the Termination Date shall vest 100% as of the Termination Date, and Mr. Calabrese’s options to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock shall be exercisable for a period of 12 months following the Termination Date.

 

In addition, in the event of a “Change of Control,” as defined in the Employment Agreement, occurring on or prior to April 30, 2024, Mr. Calabrese will be entitled to the Change of Control benefits as set forth in Section 11.6 of the Employment Agreement, less the amount of the Severance Payment.

 

The Separation Agreement further provides that if the Company does not comply with its severance and other specified obligations under the Separation Agreement on or prior to May 10, 2023, the Separation Agreement will be considered null and void in its entirety, and the Employment Agreement will continue in effect through October 31, 2023.

 

The foregoing summary of the Separation Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Separation Agreement, which is filed as Exhibit 10.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated by reference herein.

 

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d) Exhibits

 

Exhibit No.   Description
10.1   Separation Agreement and Release, by and between GT Gain Therapeutics SA and Salvatore Calabrese, dated April 27, 2023.
104   Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document).

 

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SIGNATURE

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

 GAIN THERAPEUTICS, INC.
  
 By: /s/ Matthias Alder
   Name:  Matthias Alder
   Title:    Chief Executive Officer
    
Date: April 28, 2023 

 

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Exhibit 10.1

 

SEPARATION AGREEMENT AND RELEASE

 

This Separation Agreement and Release (“Agreement”) is entered into between GT Gain Therapeutics SA and its affiliates (jointly, “Company”) and Salvatore Calabrese (“Employee”).

 

WHEREAS, the Company and the Employee entered into an employment agreement effective November 2, 2020 Employment Agreement;

 

WHEREAS, the Company has provided Employee with notice of termination of employment (“Termination Notice”) in accordance with the terms of the Employment Agreement, which termination will take effect on October 31, 2023;

 

WHEREAS, the Company wishes to extend certain severance benefits to the Employee in exchange for a reduction of the notice period and a full release of all claims related to Employee’s employment with and termination of employment by the Company;

 

WHEREAS, the Employee wishes to obtain the severance benefits offered by the Company in exchange for a reduction of the notice period and a full release of all claims related to Employee’s employment with and termination of employment by the Company;

 

THEREFORE, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

1.Termination Date

 

Employee’s employment with Company and the Employment Agreement is terminated effective as of April 30, 2023 (“Termination Date”). Any extension of this end date of employment due to sickness, accident, or any other reason as per art. 336c of the Swiss Code of Obligations or residual paternity leave is excluded. Employee’s base salary due for April 2023 and Employee’s discretionary bonus for 2022 in the amount of Euro 41,638 will be paid in accordance with the Company’s standard payroll cycle.

 

2.Termination Payments and Severance Benefits

 

Subject at all times to Employee’s execution, non-revocation and delivery of, and compliance with this Agreement, the Company will make the following payments and provide Employee with the following severance benefits on or before May 10, 2023 (“Severance Benefits”):

 

1.Euro 249,826.50 corresponding to the amount of twelve (12) months of Employee’s base salary (“Severance Payment”);

 

2.Euro 16,655.10 corresponding to the value of accrued but unused vacation days as of the Termination Date;

 

3.Acceleration of vesting of all equity incentives granted to the Employee as of the Termination Date as detailed in Appendix A;

 

4.Issuance of 34,900 Gain Therapeutics, Inc. restricted stock unit to the Employee custody account;

 

5.Extension of the exercise period for all vested equity incentives for twelve (12) months from the Termination Date;

 

6.If a “Change of Control” as defined in the Employment Agreement occurs on or before April 30, 2024, Employee will be entitled to receive the payments as set forth in Section 11.6 of the Employment Agreement, less the Severance Payment received by Employee pursuant to this Agreement;

 

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7.Reimbursement of attorney’s costs incurred by Employee for legal advice received in connection with the termination of the Employment Agreement and the review and negotiation of this Agreement; and,

 

8.Remove the Employee from the Board of Directors of GT Gain Therapeutics SA and release him for any responsibility.

 

If all of the above obligations are not executed correctly by the Company by the end of the day on May 10, 2023, this Agreement will be considered null and void in its entirety, and the Employment Agreement will be valid again with the effects of the dismissal notified by the Company, with the end of the contract on October 31, 2023.

 

3.Release of Claims

 

The Employee hereby releases and discharges the Company, its affiliates, subsidiaries and owners, and each and every one of their former or current directors, shareholders, officers, employees, members, agents, successors, predecessors, subsidiaries, affiliates, assignees and attorneys (hereinafter the “Released Parties”) of and from all actions, causes of action, claims or complaints, known or unknown, in law or equity which Employee (or Employee’s heirs, executors, administrators, successors, assigns, agents, representatives or attorneys) ever had or now has, from the beginning of time through the date Employee signs this Agreement, by reason of any matter, cause or thing whatsoever at any time up to and including the date of execution of the Agreement, arising out of or under federal, state or local law in connection with employment by Company (collectively, “Claims”).

 

This release includes all claims for compensation of any kind, such as bonuses, commissions, paid time off, and expense reimbursements, and for any impairment of Employee’s ability to obtain subsequent employment and any permanent or temporary loss of future earnings.

 

Employee intends to release all Claims to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. Employee understands and agrees that, while Employee may hereafter discover claims or facts in addition to or different from those which Employee now knows or believes to be true with respect to the subject matters of this Agreement, it is Employee’s intention by signing this Agreement to fully, finally and forever release any and all Claims whether now known or unknown, suspected or unsuspected, which now exist, may exist, or previously have existed, notwithstanding any later-discovered additional facts, as set forth above.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in the Agreement seeks to waive claims for unemployment compensation, claims for vested benefits under the terms of any employee pension or welfare benefit plan or program of Company, and claims for workers’ compensation benefits, but Employee represents not having suffered any type of injury which Employee believes to be work-related. Employee further represents that Employee is not aware of any failure by the Company to comply with any of its regulatory or legal obligations or, if Employee is so aware, that Employee has reported such awareness to the Company.

 

Except as provided in this Agreement, Employee further agrees not to sue or otherwise institute, or cause to be instituted, any complaint against Company or any of the other Released Parties in any legal matters or applicable courts.

 

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4.Mutual Non-Disparagement

 

The Company and the Employee agree that neither will assert through conversation or otherwise, to any person or entity that the other party hereto or any of the Released Parties committed any wrongful act in connection with Employee’s employment or separation from employment, or disparage, or encourage others to disparage the other party hereto or the other Released Parties. Both parties further agree that neither will take any other action that could reasonably be anticipated to cause damage to the reputation, goodwill or businesses of the other party hereto or any of the other Released Parties. However, statements made in the course of sworn testimony in legal proceedings will not be subject to this non-disparagement obligation.

 

5.Cooperation

 

Employee agrees to cooperate with and provide requested assistance to Company with respect to the transition of duties, responsibilities, and pending matters. Employee also agrees to cooperate with respect to any claim, cause of action, litigation, or other matter involving the Company in which the Employee has significant knowledge or was intimately involved during the course of employment with Company at a daily rate of Euro 1,500. Company will provide Employee with reasonable notice of its desire to request cooperation and assistance. Company will reimburse Employee for reasonable expenses incurred as part of compliance with this provision.

 

6.Severability

 

If any portion of the agreement is void or deemed unenforceable for any reason, the unenforceable portion will be deemed severed from the remaining portions of the agreement which will otherwise remain in full force and effect.

 

7.Applicable Law and Jurisdiction

 

This Agreement will be governed by the laws of Switzerland. Any disputes arising in connection with this Agreement or the termination of Employee’s employment will be adjudicated by the courts of applicable jurisdiction in Switzerland.

 

8.Entire Agreement

 

The Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties and supersedes any and all prior agreements or understandings between them relating to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement, however, does not affect the validity or enforceability of any obligations that Employee undertook pursuant to the Employment Agreement that survive the termination of the Employment Agreement, including the applicable provisions of Section 7 thereof. These obligations remain in effect and will continue to be binding as set forth therein.

 

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THE PARTIES’ SIGNATURES BELOW INDICATE THAT THEY HAVE CAREFULLY READ THIS AGREEMENT AND FULLY UNDERSTAND ITS PROVISIONS. THE PARTIES ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEIR SIGNATURES CONSTITUTE A KNOWING AND VOLUNTARY EXECUTION OF THIS AGREEMENT. THE PARTIES AFFIRM THAT THEY ARE SIGNING THIS AGREEMENT OF THEIR OWN FREE WILL AND THAT IT IS THEIR INTENTION TO BE BOUND THEREBY. 

 

Employee:

 

/s/ Salvatore Calabrese  

Salvatore Calabrese

 

Date: 04/27/2023

 

GT Gain Therapeutics SA

 

/s/ Matthias Alder   /s/ Manolo Bellotto
Matthias Alder   Manolo Bellotto
Director   Chief Strategy Officer and General Manager
     
Date: 04/26/2023   Date: 04/26/2023

 

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Appendix A

 

Table of Equity Incentives

 

Contract Number Name Last Name Type Quantity Ex Price Grant Date Expiring Date Total Outstanding
2 Salvatore Calabrese Stock Option    83,674 3.375 9/25/2020 9/25/2030        83,674
81 Salvatore Calabrese Stock Option    59,400 4.01 07/15/2022 07/14/2032        59,400
RSU - 2 Salvatore Calabrese RSU      9,900 - 07/15/2022 07/14/2032          9,900
new grant 2023 Salvatore Calabrese Stock Option    50,000 4.84 3/23/2023 3/23/2033        50,000
new grant 2023 Salvatore Calabrese RSU    25,000 - 3/23/2023 3/23/2033        25,000

 

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