v3.25.2
Share-Based Compensation
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2025
Share-Based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]  
Share-Based Compensation

13. Share-Based Compensation

2020 Employee Share Purchase Plan

In June 2020, the Company’s board of directors adopted, and the Company’s shareholders approved the 2020 Employee Share Purchase Plan (“ESPP”). The number of shares reserved and available for issuance under the ESPP will automatically increase each January 1, beginning on January 1, 2021 and each January 1 thereafter through January 31, 2030, by the lesser of (1) 1.0% of the total number of common shares outstanding on December 31 of the preceding calendar year, (2) 3,300,000 common shares, or (3) such smaller number of common shares as the Company’s board of directors may designate.

The Company issued 73,239 common shares under the ESPP for the six months ended June 30, 2025, at a weighted-average price per share of $1.08, for aggregate proceeds of $0.1 million.

As of June 30, 2025, the number of common shares that may be issued under the ESPP is 2,059,261.

2020 Equity Incentive Plan

In June 2020, the Company’s board of directors adopted, and the Company’s shareholders approved the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2020 Plan”). The 2020 Plan became effective on the effective date of the Company's initial public offering (the “IPO”), at which time the Company ceased making awards under the Option Plan. The 2020 Plan allows the Company’s compensation committee to make equity-based and cash-based incentive awards to the Company’s officers, employees, directors and consultants including but not limited to stock options and restricted share units. The aggregate number of common shares reserved and available for issuance under the 2020 Plan has automatically increased on January 1 of each year beginning on January 1, 2021 and will continue to increase on January 1 of each year through and including January 1, 2030, by 5% of the outstanding number of common shares on the immediately preceding December 31, or such lesser number of shares as determined by the Company’s board of directors.

As of June 30, 2025, the number of common shares reserved for issuance under the 2020 Plan is 14,507,782.

Inducement Plan

In April 2024, the Company’s board of directors approved the adoption of the 2024 Inducement Plan (the “Inducement Plan”), to be used exclusively for grants of awards to individuals who were not previously employees or directors (or following a bona fide period of non-employment) as a material inducement to such individuals’ entry into employment with the Company, pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4). The terms and conditions of the Inducement Plan are substantially similar to those of the 2020 Plan.

As of June 30, 2025, the number of common shares that may be issued under the Inducement Plan is 327,800.

Warrants

In November 2024, the Company issued a warrant, as compensation for services to a consultant, to purchase up to 35,000 common shares of the Company at an exercise price of $3.61 per share, vesting in equal quarterly installments over a two-year period. The warrant expires 5 years after the grant date.

During the three and six months ended June 30, 2025, the Company recognized $0.02 million and $0.04 million, respectively, of share-based compensation expense under general and administrative expenses.

Stock Options

The following table summarizes the Company’s stock option activity:

 

 

Number of
shares

 

 

Weighted
average
exercise price

 

Outstanding, January 1, 2025

 

 

10,883,904

 

 

$

12.79

 

Granted

 

 

1,950,500

 

 

$

1.14

 

Cancelled or forfeited

 

 

(2,313,920

)

 

$

12.52

 

Outstanding, June 30, 2025

 

 

10,520,484

 

 

$

10.69

 

 

The fair value of stock options, and the assumptions used in the Black Scholes option-pricing model to determine the grant date fair value of stock options granted to employees and non-employees were as follows, presented on a weighted average basis:

 

 

Three Months Ended
June 30,

 

 

Six Months Ended
June 30,

 

 

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fair value of stock options

 

$

0.80

 

 

$

2.67

 

 

$

0.88

 

 

$

4.72

 

Risk-free interest rate

 

 

4.01

%

 

 

4.30

%

 

 

4.07

%

 

 

4.21

%

Expected terms (in years)

 

 

5.50

 

 

 

5.33

 

 

 

6.28

 

 

 

5.97

 

Expected volatility

 

 

91.21

%

 

 

83.57

%

 

 

90.95

%

 

 

83.08

%

Expected dividend yield

 

 

0.00

%

 

 

0.00

%

 

 

0.00

%

 

 

0.00

%

Restricted Share Units

The following table summarizes the Company’s restricted share unit activity:

 

 

Number of
shares

 

 

Weighted
average
grant date fair value

 

Outstanding, January 1, 2025

 

 

764,159

 

 

$

9.22

 

Awarded

 

 

182,000

 

 

$

1.17

 

Vested and released

 

 

(375,225

)

 

$

9.57

 

Forfeited

 

 

(224,849

)

 

$

7.18

 

Outstanding, June 30, 2025

 

 

346,085

 

 

$

5.93

 

The fair value of each restricted share unit is estimated on the date of grant based on the fair value of the Company's common shares on that same date.

Share-Based Compensation

Share-based compensation expense for all awards was allocated as follows:

 

 

Three Months Ended
June 30,

 

 

Six Months Ended
June 30,

 

 

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

 

 

(in thousands)

 

Research and development

 

$

1,018

 

 

$

3,694

 

 

$

3,325

 

 

$

7,113

 

General and administrative

 

 

1,037

 

 

 

2,825

 

 

 

2,688

 

 

 

5,881

 

Total share-based compensation expense

 

$

2,056

 

 

$

6,519

 

 

$

6,014

 

 

$

12,994

 

Share-based compensation expense by type of award was as follows:

 

 

Three Months Ended
June 30,

 

 

Six Months Ended
June 30,

 

 

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

 

 

(in thousands)

 

Stock options

 

$

1,730

 

 

$

5,605

 

 

$

4,455

 

 

$

11,290

 

Restricted share units

 

 

310

 

 

 

803

 

 

 

1,511

 

 

 

1,512

 

ESPP

 

 

16

 

 

 

111

 

 

 

48

 

 

 

192

 

Total share-based compensation expense

 

$

2,056

 

 

$

6,519

 

 

$

6,014

 

 

$

12,994

 

 

The three and six months ended June 30, 2025 include a cumulative-effect adjustment, which reduced overall share-based compensation expense by $0.7 million and $3.6 million, respectively, as a result of the resignation of certain executives during the period. As part of their severance arrangements, the Company approved an acceleration in vesting of their stock option and restricted share unit awards. The Company accounted for the award modifications under ASC 718, Compensation - Stock Compensation, and reflected the decrease in fair value of such modified awards as a cumulative-effect adjustment in the three and six months ended June 30, 2025.

As of June 30, 2025, there was $6.8 million and $1.5 million of unrecognized share-based compensation expense to be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.1 years and 1.3 years related to unvested stock options and unvested restricted share units, respectively.