UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K/A
| (Mark One) | |
| x | ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the year ended December 31, 2020
Or
| ¨ | TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
| For the transition period from to | |
Commission File Number 001-36856
HEPION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
|
Delaware
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization) |
46-2783806
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
|
|
399 Thornall Street, First Floor
Edison, New Jersey (Address of Principal Executive Offices) |
08837
(Zip Code) |
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (732) 902-4000
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Name of each exchange on which registered | |
| Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share | The Nasdaq Capital Market |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ¨ No x
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes o No x
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes x No o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes x No o
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. x
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.:
| Large accelerated filer o | Accelerated filer o | Non-accelerated filer x | Smaller reporting company x | Emerging growth company o |
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. o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes o No x
As of June 30, 2020 (the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter), the aggregate market value of the registrant’s voting stock held by non-affiliates was approximately $25.6 million based on the last reported sale price of the registrant’s common stock on June 30, 2020.
The number of shares of the registrant’s Common Stock outstanding as of February 28, 2021 was 32,025,153.
Documents Incorporated by Reference:
None.
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The purpose of this Amendment No. 1 on Form 10-K/A (the “Amendment”) is to amend and restate Part III, Items 10 through 14, of the previously filed Annual Report on Form 10-K of Hepion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”) for the year ended December 31, 2020, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 31, 2021 (the “Original Form 10-K”), to include information previously omitted in reliance on General Instruction G to Form 10-K, which provides that registrants may incorporate by reference certain information from a definitive proxy statement prepared in connection with the election of directors. The Company has determined to include such Part III information by amendment of the Original Form 10-K rather than incorporation by reference to the proxy statement. Accordingly, Part III of the Original Form 10-K is hereby amended and restated as set forth below.
As a result of this Amendment, the Company is also filing the certifications required under Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 as exhibits to this Amendment.
Except as described above, no other changes have been made to the Original Form 10-K. Among other things, forward-looking statements made in the Original Form 10-K have not been revised to reflect events that occurred or facts that became known to us after the filing of the Original Form 10-K, and such forward-looking statements should be read in their historical context.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.
Executive Officers and Directors
Set forth below is certain information with respect to the individuals who are our directors and executive officers as of April 28, 2021:
| Name | Age | Position(s) | |||
| Gary S. Jacob, Ph.D. | 74 | Chairman of the Board of Directors | |||
| Robert Foster, Ph.D. | 62 | Chief Executive Officer and Director | |||
| John Cavan | 62 | Chief Financial Officer | |||
| John P. Brancaccio | 73 | Director | |||
| Thomas Adams, Ph.D. | 78 | Director | |||
| Timothy Block, Ph.D. | 66 | Director | |||
| Arnold Lippa, Ph.D. | 74 | Director | |||
| Petrus “Peter” Wijngaard, Ph.D. | 58 | Director | |||
Gary S. Jacob, Ph.D. has served as our Chairman of the Board since March 19, 2014, and earlier served as our Chief Executive Officer from May 15, 2013 until March 19, 2014. Dr. Jacob has served as Chief Executive Officer and a director of OKYO Pharma Ltd. since January 2021. From November 2018 until March 2020, Dr. Jacob served as Chief Executive Officer of Immuron Limited, an Australian microbiome biopharmaceutical company. Previously, Dr. Jacob was the Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, where he held various positions from July 2008 to October 2018. On December 12, 2018, Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc. filed a petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Dr. Jacob served as Chief Executive Officer of Callisto Pharmaceuticals, Inc. from May 2003 until January 2013 and a director from October 2004 until January 2013. Dr. Jacob currently serves as a director of Cardiff Oncology, Inc., a clinical-stage oncology therapeutics company. Dr. Jacob also serves as a director of Virpax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Rasna Therapeutics, Inc. Dr. Jacob has over twenty-five years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries across multiple disciplines including research & development, operations and business development. Prior to 1999, Dr. Jacob served as a Monsanto Science Fellow, specializing in the field of glycobiology, and from 1997 to 1998 was Director of Functional Genomics, Corporate Science & Technology, at Monsanto Company. Dr. Jacob also served from 1990 to 1997 as Director of Glycobiology at G.D. Searle Pharmaceuticals Inc. During the period of 1986 to 1990, he was Manager of the G.D. Searle Glycobiology Group at Oxford University, England. Dr. Jacob’s experience as a biotechnology company chief executive officer provides him with valuable management and leadership abilities which the Board believes qualifies him to be a director of our Company.
Dr. Robert T. Foster has served as Chief Executive Officer since October 3, 2018 and as our Chief Scientific Officer since June 10, 2016. Prior to Hepion, he was Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Ciclofilin Pharmaceuticals Inc. from January 2014 until it merged with us on June 10, 2016. Prior to Ciclofilin Pharmaceuticals, he founded Isotechnika Pharma Inc. in 1993, where he was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for 21 years. Dr. Foster was founding Chief Executive Officer and later, Chief Scientific Officer of Aurinia Pharmaceuticals, Inc., after Isotechnika acquired Aurinia. Dr. Foster is currently a Board member of Transcriptome Sciences Inc. Dr. Foster’s experience as an executive at a biotechnology company and his background as a scientist provides him with the leadership and management abilities which the Board believes qualifies him to be a director of our Company.
John Cavan has been our Chief Financial Officer since March 2016. Previously, Mr. Cavan was a consultant with The Pine Hill Group where he was instrumental in completing several financial transactions, including initial public offerings, business combinations and strategic transactions. Prior to his role with the Pine Hill Group, he served as Chief Accounting Officer at Stemline Therapeutics, Inc. Preceding his role at Stemline, Mr. Cavan was Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer at Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. He has also held financial positions within the healthcare industry at AlgoRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Alpharma. Mr. Cavan served in a variety of financial and operational positions early in his career during tenures with large multinational public companies, including Sony, American Express, International Specialty Products (an Ashland Company) and Nestlé U.S.A. Mr. Cavan currently serves on the Board of Directors of Vantage Health Systems. He holds a B.B.A in Accountancy from Iona College and an M.B.A. in Finance from Seton Hall University.
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John P. Brancaccio, a retired CPA, has served as a director of our Company since May 15, 2013. Mr. Brancaccio was the Chief Financial Officer of Accelerated Technologies, Inc., an incubator for medical device companies from April 2004 until May 2017. Mr. Brancaccio served as a director for Callisto Pharmaceuticals, Inc. from April 2004 until its merger with Synergy Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in January 2013 and was formerly a director of Tamir Biotechnology, Inc. (formerly Alfacell Corporation) since April 2004 until May 2020. He is also a director of Cardiff Oncology, Inc. since December 2005, Rasna Therapeutics, Inc. since September 2016, OKYO Pharma Limited since June 2020 and Tiziana Life Sciences plc since July 2020. Mr. Brancaccio served as a director of Synergy from July 2008 until April 2019.. Mr. Brancaccio’s chief financial officer experience provides him with valuable financial and accounting expertise which the Board believes qualifies him to serve as a director of our Company.
Thomas Adams, Ph.D. has served as a director of our Company since September 2016. Dr. Adams served as Chairman of the Board of Cardiff Oncology, Inc. from April 2009 until April 2020, Executive Chairman from April 2020 to December 2020 and director since April 2009. Dr. Adams also served as Chief Executive Officer of Cardiff from June 2018 until April 2020 and interim Chief Executive Officer from March 2016 until April 2016. Dr. Adams has served as the Chairman of Clearbridge BioPhotonics, Inc., an imaging solutions company, since April 2013. From June 2005 through 2011, Dr. Adams served as a director of IRIS International, Inc., a diagnostics company, and has served as Chief Technology Officer of IRIS since April 2006. Dr. Adams was the Head of Iris Molecular Diagnostics from 2006 until November 2012 and has served as the President of Iris Personalized Medicine since 2011. In November 2012, IRIS was acquired by Danaher Corporation. Dr. Adams served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Leucadia Technologies, a privately held medical-device company, from 1998 to April 2006, when Leucadia was acquired by IRIS. In 1989, Dr. Adams founded Genta, Inc., a publicly held biotechnology company in the field of antisense technology, and served as its Chief Executive Officer until 1997. Dr. Adams founded Gen-Probe, Inc. in 1984 and served as its Chief Executive Officer and Chairman until its acquisition by Chugai Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. in 1989. Dr. Adams holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of California, at Riverside. The Board believes that Dr. Adams’ executive leadership, particularly in the diagnostic field, and the extensive healthcare expertise he has developed qualifies Dr. Adams to serve as a director of our Company.
Dr. Timothy Block has served as a director of our Company since November 26, 2013. Dr. Block is Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine and Director of its Drexel Institute for Biotechnology and Virology Research, and is also the Co-founder and President of the Hepatitis B Foundation (HBF) and its Baruch S. Blumberg Institute (formerly called the Institute for Hepatitis and Virus Research). Dr. Block is also President and CEO of the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center. Dr. Block has been a member of medical school faculties as a professional researcher for more than 28 years, publishing more than 180 papers, 12 U.S. patents, and since 2006, has led or “co-led” more than $50 million in research funding. Honors include an honorary Medical Doctorate (Bulgarian Academy of Medicine); the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Centrals Bucks Chamber of Commerce; named one of the regions 100 Most Outstanding People of the Century by the Daily Intelligencer; Distinguished Service Recognition from the National Cancer Institute’s Early Detection Research Network; and a Special Citation from the U.S. House of Representatives in recognition of “outstanding achievements.” Dr. Block has given frequent testimony to the U.S. Congress and State legislatures; has served on U.S. FDA and numerous NIH panels as well as commercial boards including the Bristol Myers Squibb Entecavir Advisory Board. In 2009, Dr. Block was named an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Dr. Block’s experience and expertise in the medical field with respect to Hepatitis B qualifies him to serve as a director of our Company.
Arnold Lippa, Ph.D. has served as a director of our company since December 3, 2015. Dr. Lippa has been Executive Chairman of the Board of RespireRx Pharmaceuticals Inc., since March 2013, and was appointed Chief Scientific Officer in August 2015. Previously, he served as Chief Executive Officer and President. He is also Chairman of the Board of Xintria Pharmaceutical Corporation, which he co-founded in 2006. Dr. Lippa is a Managing Member and founder of T Morgen Capital LLC, which is an investment and management company specializing in the creation and management of biomedical companies. Since 2005, T Morgen Capital has been a significant equity owner and a managing member of Aurora Capital LLC, a life science focused FINRA member firm, where Dr. Lippa represents T Morgen Capital as a Manager. In 2004, Dr. Lippa co-founded and currently is representing T Morgen Capital, a Managing Member, as a Manager of Atypical BioCapital Management LLC and Atypical BioVentures Fund LLC, a life science fund management company and fund, respectively, both of which are affiliates of Aurora Capital. Dr. Lippa was a founder of DOV Pharmaceutical, Inc., and served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer from its inception in April 1995 until 2005. Prior to DOV, Dr. Lippa co-founded and co-managed a number of life sciences companies, including Praxis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which he co-founded and took public in 1985, serving as President and Chief Operating Officer from 1984 until 1987. Dr. Lippa’s experience as a biotechnology company executive and a financier qualifies him to be a director of our Company.
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Petrus “Peter” Wijngaard, Ph.D. has served as a director of our company since June 10, 2020. Dr. Wijngaard most recently served as Executive Vice President, Chief Development Officer at The Medicines Company (“MDCO”), where he led the overall development and global medical affairs activities for hypercholesterolemia drug candidate, inclisiran. Dr. Wijngaard was instrumental in Novartis’ US $9.7 billion acquisition of MDCO that was completed in January 2020. Previously, Dr. Wijngaard led European Medical Affairs and Development at Viropharma Inc. (which was subsequently acquired by Shire Pharmaceuticals in 2013 and is now part of The Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited) and held various positions at Hoffmann-La Roche, including International Medical Manager and Lifecycle Leader for the transplantation portfolio, as well as managing the Genentech alliance as Global Alliance Director. He served on the Board of Directors of Isotechnika Pharmaceuticals, Aurinia Pharmaceuticals and Ciclofilin Pharmaceuticals, which was acquired by Hepion in 2016. As an author of more than 50 scientific articles, Dr. Wijngaard has published extensively on transplant immunology and immunosuppression. He has a Ph.D. in Transplantation Immunology from Utrecht University, the Netherlands.
Family Relationships and Other Arrangements
There are no family relationships among our directors and executive officers. There are no arrangements or understandings between or among our executive officers and directors pursuant to which any director or executive officer was or is to be selected as a director or executive officer.
Board Leadership Structure and Role in Risk Oversight
Risk is inherent with every business, and how well a business manages risk can ultimately determine its success. Management is responsible for the day-to-day management of the risks we face, while the Board, as a whole and through its committees, has responsibility for the oversight of risk management. In its risk oversight role, the Board is responsible for satisfying itself that the risk management processes designed and implemented by management are adequate and functioning as designed.
The Board believes that establishing the right “tone at the top” and that full and open communication between executive management and the Board are essential for effective risk management and oversight. Our CEO communicates frequently with members of the Board to discuss strategy and challenges facing our company. Senior management usually attends our regular quarterly Board meetings and is available to address any questions or concerns raised by the Board on risk management-related and any other matters. Each quarter, the Board receives presentations from senior management on matters involving our key areas of operations.
Director Independence
Our Board has determined that a majority of the Board consists of members who are currently “independent” as that term is defined under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605(a)(2). The Board considers Drs. Jacob, Adams, Block, Lippa, Wijngaard and Mr. Brancaccio to be “independent.” Dr. Foster, our Chief Executive Officer, is not considered to be “independent” as defined by Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605(a)(2).
Board of Directors Meetings
During the year ended December 31, 2020, our Board met 8 times, including telephonic meetings, the Audit Committee met 4 times, the Compensation Committee met 5 times and the Corporate Governance/Nominating Committee met 3 times. All directors attended 100% of the aggregate number of meetings of the Board, all of the Audit Committee members attended 100% of the Audit Committee meetings, all of the Compensation Committee members attended 100% of the Compensation Committee meeting, and all of the Corporate Governance/Nominating Committee members attended 100% of the Corporate Governance/Nominating Committee meeting.
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Information Regarding Board Committees
Our Board has established standing Audit, Compensation and Corporate Governance/Nominating Committees to devote attention to specific subjects and to assist it in the discharge of its responsibilities. All committees operate under a written charter adopted by our Board, each of which is available on our Internet website at www.hepionpharma.com/investors/governance.
Audit Committee
The Audit Committee’s responsibilities include: (i) reviewing the independence, qualifications, services, fees, and performance of the independent registered public accountants, (ii) appointing, replacing and discharging the independent registered public accounting firm, (iii) pre-approving the professional services provided by the independent registered public accounting firm, (iv) reviewing the scope of the annual audit and reports and recommendations submitted by the independent registered public accounting firm, and (v) reviewing our financial reporting and accounting policies, including any significant changes, with management and the independent registered public accounting firm. The Audit Committee also prepares the Audit Committee report that is required pursuant to the rules of the SEC.
The Audit Committee currently consists of Mr. Brancaccio, chairman, Dr. Lippa and Dr. Adams. We believe that each of Mr. Brancaccio, Dr. Lippa and Dr. Adams is “independent” as that term is defined under applicable SEC and Nasdaq rules. Mr. Brancaccio is our audit committee financial expert. The Board has adopted a written charter setting forth the authority and responsibilities of the Audit Committee. The charter is available on our website at www.hepionpharma.com.
Compensation Committee
The Compensation Committee has responsibility for assisting the Board in, among other things, (i) evaluating and making recommendations regarding the compensation of the executive officers and directors of our company, (ii) assuring that the executive officers are compensated effectively in a manner consistent with our stated compensation strategy, (iii) producing an annual report on executive compensation in accordance with the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC, (iv) periodically evaluating the terms and administration of our incentive plans and benefit programs and (v) monitoring of compliance with the legal prohibition on loans to our directors and executive officers.
The Compensation Committee currently consists of Dr. Wijngaard, chairman, Mr. Brancaccio, Dr. Lippa and Dr. Adams. We believe that all of the members are “independent” under the current listing standards of Nasdaq. The Board has adopted a written charter setting forth the authority and responsibilities of the Compensation Committee which is available on our website at www.hepionpharma.com.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
None of the members of our compensation committee was, during the year ended December 31, 2019, an officer or employee of ours, was formerly an officer of ours or had any relationship requiring disclosure by us under Item 404 of Regulation S-K. No interlocking relationship as described in Item 407(e)(4) of Regulation S-K exists between any of our executive officers or Compensation Committee members, on the one hand, and the executive officers or compensation committee members of any other entity, on the other hand, nor has any such interlocking relationship existed in the past.
Corporate Governance/Nominating Committee
The Corporate Governance/Nominating Committee has responsibility for assisting the Board in, among other things, (i) effecting board organization, membership and function including identifying qualified board nominees, (ii) effecting the organization, membership and function of board committees including composition and recommendation of qualified candidates, (iii) establishment of and subsequent periodic evaluation of successor planning for the chief executive officer and other executive officers, (iv) development and evaluation of criteria for board membership such as overall qualifications, term limits, age limits and independence and (v) oversight of compliance with the Corporate Governance Guidelines. The Corporate Governance/Nominating Committee shall identify and evaluate the qualifications of all candidates for nomination for election as directors. Potential nominees are identified by the Board based on the criteria, skills and qualifications that have been recognized by the Corporate Governance/Nominating Committee. While our nomination and corporate governance policy does not prescribe specific diversity standards, the Corporate Governance/Nominating Committee and its independent members seek to identify nominees that have a variety of perspectives, professional experience, education, differences in viewpoints and skills, and personal qualities that will result in a well-rounded Board.
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The Corporate Governance/Nominating Committee currently consists of Dr. Block, chairman, Dr. Lippa, and Mr. Brancaccio. We believe that all of the members are “independent” under the current listing standards of Nasdaq. Our Board has adopted a written charter setting forth the authority and responsibilities of the Corporate Governance/Nominating Committee which is available on our website at www.hepionpharma.com.
Communications with our Board of Directors
Stockholders seeking to communicate with our Board should submit their written comments to our Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Robert Foster, at Hepion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 399 Thornall Street, First Floor, Edison, NJ 08837. Dr. Foster will forward such communications to each member of our Board; provided that, if in the opinion of Dr. Foster it would be inappropriate to send a particular stockholder communication to a specific director, such communication will only be sent to the remaining directors (subject to the remaining directors concurring with such opinion).
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
We have adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics to ensure that our business is conducted in a consistently legal and ethical manner. All of our employees, including our executive officers and directors, are required to comply with our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics.
The full text of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is posted on our website at http://www.hepionpharma.com/investors/governance. Any waiver of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics for directors or executive officers must be approved by our Audit Committee. We will disclose future amendments to our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, or waivers from our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics for our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions, on our website within four business days following the date of the amendment or waiver. In addition, we will disclose any waiver from our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics for our other executive officers and our directors on our website. A copy of our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics will also be provided free of charge upon request to: Secretary, Hepion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 399 Thornall Street, First Floor, Edison, NJ 08837.
Item 11. Executive Compensation.
Summary Compensation Table
The following table contains compensation information for our Chief Executive Officer and certain other executives who were the most highly compensated executive officers for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019.
| Name & Principal Position | Year | Salary |
Option granted(2) |
Non-equity incentive plan compensation(1)(3) |
Total | |||||||||||||||
| Dr. Robert Foster. | December 2020 | $ | 400,000 | $ | 2,173,180 | $ | 200,000 | $ | 2,773,180 | |||||||||||
| Chief Executive Officer | December 2019 | $ | 400,000 | $ | 21,102 | $ | 200,000 | $ | 621,102 | |||||||||||
| John Cavan. | December 2020 | $ | 325,000 | $ | 1,360,535 | $ | 81,250 | $ | 1,766,785 | |||||||||||
| Chief Financial Officer | December 2019 | $ | 291,136 | $ | 12,635 | $ | 72,917 | $ | 376,688 | |||||||||||
| (1) | Non-equity incentive compensation amounts are for performance during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, whether or not paid in the year the compensation was earned. |
| (2) | Our named executive officers will only realize compensation to the extent the fair market value of our common stock is greater than the exercise price of such stock options. The grant date fair value of option awards granted in 2020 is in accordance with ASC Topic 718, or ASC 718. For information regarding assumptions underlying the valuation of equity awards, see Note 9 contained in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020. |
| (3) | Represents cash incentive payments earned based upon the achievement of corporate objectives established by our Board for performance during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019. |
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Employment Agreements
On December 12, 2018, we entered into an Executive Agreement (the “Foster Agreement”) with Dr. Robert Foster, our Chief Executive Officer. The term of the Foster Agreement commenced on October 1, 2018 and will continue until October 1, 2021, following which time the Foster Agreement will be automatically renewed for successive one year periods at the end of each term, unless either party delivers written notice to the other party of their intent to not renew the Foster Agreement. Pursuant to the Foster Agreement, Dr. Foster’s current base compensation is $400,000 per year. Dr. Foster is eligible to receive a cash bonus of up to 50% of his base salary per year based on meeting certain performance objectives and bonus criteria.
If Dr. Foster’s employment is terminated by us for cause or as a result of Dr. Foster’s death or permanent disability, or if Dr. Foster terminates his the Foster Agreement voluntarily without Good Reason (as defined in the Foster Agreement), Dr. Foster will be entitled to receive a lump sum equal to (i) any portion of unpaid base compensation then due for periods prior to termination, (ii) any bonus earned but not yet paid, and (iii) all business expenses reasonably and necessarily incurred by Dr. Foster prior to the date of termination. If Dr. Foster’s employment is terminated by us without cause or by Dr. Foster for Good Reason, Dr. Foster will be entitled to receive the amounts due upon termination of his employment by us for cause or as a result of his death or permanent disability, or upon termination by Dr. Foster of his employment voluntarily without Good Reason, in addition to (provided that Dr. Foster executes a written release with respect to certain matters) a severance payment equal to his base compensation for 12 months from the date of termination and reimburse Dr. Foster’s payment of COBRA premiums for 12 months from the date of termination. In addition, if Dr. Foster’s employment is terminated: (a) by us without cause within 6 months prior to a change of control (as defined in the Foster Agreement) that was pending during such 6 month period, (b) by Mr. Foster for Good Reason within 12 months after a change of control, or (c) by us without cause at any time upon or within 12 months after a change of control, Dr. Foster would be entitled to receive the amounts due upon termination of his employment by us for cause or as a result of his death or permanent disability, or upon termination by Dr. Foster voluntarily without Good Reason, provided, if Dr. Foster executes a written release with respect to certain matters, he will be entitled to a severance payment equal to his base compensation for 12 months from the date of termination and reimbursement of his payment of COBRA premiums for 12 months from the date of termination. In addition, all of Dr. Foster’s unvested stock options and other equity awards would immediately vest and become fully exercisable (x) in the event a change of control transaction is pending, for a period of six months following the date of termination, and (y) in the event a change of control transaction is not then pending, for the period of time set forth in the applicable agreement evidencing the award.
Outstanding Equity Awards as of December 31, 2020
| Number of Securities | ||||||||||||||||
| Underlying Unexercised | Option | Option | ||||||||||||||
| Options (#) | Exercise | Expiration | ||||||||||||||
| Name | Exercisable | Unexercisable | Price ($) | Date(1), (2) | ||||||||||||
| Dr. Robert Foster | 179 | — | 515.20 | 6/10/2026 | ||||||||||||
| Chief Executive Officer | 3,233 | 6,467 | 3.24 | 7/29/2029 | ||||||||||||
| 126,666 | 253,334 | 1.63 | 4/3/2030 | |||||||||||||
| — | 212,000 | 3.72 | 8/19/2030 | |||||||||||||
| John Cavan | 179 | — | 677.60 | 4/1/2026 | ||||||||||||
| Chief Financial Officer | 34 | — | 616.00 | 8/26/2026 | ||||||||||||
| 27 | — | 324.80 | 7/20/2027 | |||||||||||||
| 1,940 | 3,880 | 3.24 | 7/24/2029 | |||||||||||||
| 71,666 | 143,334 | 1.63 | 4/3/2030 | |||||||||||||
| — | 160,000 | 3.72 | 8/19/2030 | |||||||||||||
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Director Compensation
During year ended December 31, 2020, our non-employee directors received the following compensation for their services on the Board and its committees:
| Name | Cash Fees |
Option
Awards(1) |
Total | |||||||||
| Gary S. Jacob (2) | $ | 106,625 | $ | 204,151 | $ | 310,776 | ||||||
| John P. Brancaccio (3) | 99,375 | 204,151 | 303,526 | |||||||||
| Arnold Lippa (4) | 97,500 | 204,151 | 301,651 | |||||||||
| Timothy Block (5) | 88,025 | 204,151 | 292,176 | |||||||||
| Thomas Adams (6) | 92,500 | 204,151 | 296,651 | |||||||||
| Petrus Wjjngaard (7) | 53,250 | 47,302 | 100,552 | |||||||||
| (1) | 510,000 option awards were issued during the year ended December 31, 2020. | |
| (2) | As of December 31, 2020, Dr. Jacob held 92,785 option awards of which 62,785 are exercisable. | |
| (3) | As of December 31, 2020, Mr. Brancaccio held 91,332 option awards of which 61,332 are exercisable. | |
| (4) | As of December 31, 2020, Dr. Lippa held 91,110 option awards of which 61,110 grants are exercisable. | |
| (5) | As of December 31, 2020, Dr. Block held 91,276 option awards of which 61,276 are exercisable. | |
| (6) | As of December 31, 2020, Dr. Adams held 91,051 option awards of which 61,051are exercisable. | |
| (7) | As of December 31, 2020, Dr. Petrus Wijngaard held 60,000 option awards of which 10,000 are exercisable. |
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.
The following table sets forth certain information regarding beneficial ownership of shares of our common stock as of April 28, 2021, based on 76,225,245 shares issued and outstanding by (i) each person known to beneficially own more than 5% of our outstanding common stock, (ii) each of our directors, (iii) our executive officers and (iv) all directors and executive officers as a group. Shares are beneficially owned when an individual has voting and/or investment power over the shares or could obtain voting and/or investment power over the shares within 60 days of the Record Date. Except as otherwise indicated, the persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares beneficially owned, subject to community property laws, where applicable. Unless otherwise indicated, the address of each beneficial owner listed below is c/o Hepion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 399 Thornall Street, First Floor, Edison, New Jersey 08837.
|
Beneficial Owner |
Number of Shares Benefically Owned |
Shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options |
Shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of warrants |
Percentage of common stock Benefically owned |
|||||||||||
| Directors and Executive Officers | |||||||||||||||
| John Cavan | 4,936 | 73,846 | 123 | * | |||||||||||
| Dr. Robert Foster | 25,861 | 130,078 | 0 | * | |||||||||||
| Gary S. Jacob | 12,197 | 62,785 | 123 | * | |||||||||||
| John Brancaccio | 7,039 | 61,332 | 25 | * | |||||||||||
| Timothy Block | - | 61,276 | - | * | |||||||||||
| Arnold Lippa | 138 | 61,110 | 123 | * | |||||||||||
| Thomas Adams | - | 61,051 | - | * | |||||||||||
| Petrus Wijngaard | 20,006 | 10,000 | - | * | |||||||||||
|
All
current executive officers and directors
as a group (8 persons) |
70,177 | 521,478 | 394 | * | |||||||||||
* less than one percent.
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Item 13. Certain Relationships, Related Person Transactions and Director Independence.
The following is a description of transactions or series of transactions since January 1, 2019 or any currently proposed transaction, to which we were or are to be a participant and in which the amount involved in the transaction or series of transactions exceeds $120,000, and in which any of our directors, executive officers or persons who we know hold more than five percent of any class of our capital stock, including their immediate family members, had or will have a direct or indirect material interest, other than compensation arrangements with our directors and executive officers.
None
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.
The aggregate fees billed to the Company by BDO USA, LLP (“BDO”), the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, for the indicated services for each of the last two (2) fiscal years were as follows:
| 2020 | 2019 | |||||||
| Audit fees (1) | $ | 422,865 | $ | 415,660 | ||||
| (1) | Audit fees consist of fees for professional services performed by BDO for the audit and review of our financial statements, preparation and filing of our registration statements, including issuance of comfort letters. There were no Audit Related, Tax, or Other fees for either period presented. |
Policy on Audit Committee Pre-Approval of Audit and Permissible Non-Audit Services of Independent Auditors
Consistent with SEC policies and guidelines regarding audit independence, the Audit Committee is responsible for the pre-approval of all audit and permissible non-audit services provided by our independent registered public accounting firm on a case-by-case basis. Our Audit Committee has established a policy regarding approval of all audit and permissible non-audit services provided by our principal accountants. Our Audit Committee pre-approves these services by category and service. Our Audit Committee has pre-approved all of the services provided by our independent registered public accounting firm.
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ITEM 15. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
(a)(1) Financial Statements
Reference is made to the Index to Consolidated Financial Statements of Hepion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. appearing on page 56 of this report.
(a)(2) Financial Statement Schedules
The schedules required to be filed by this item have been omitted because of the absence of conditions under which they are required, or because the required information is included in the consolidated financial statements or the notes thereto.
(b) EXHIBITS
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* Filed herewith
† Confidential treatment is requested for certain confidential portions of this exhibit pursuant to Rule 24b-2 under the Exchange Act. In accordance with Rule 24b-2, these confidential portions have been omitted from this exhibit and filed separately with the Commission.
** Indicates a management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.
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Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this Annual Report on Form 10-K has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Date: April 28, 2021
| HEPION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ ROBERT FOSTER | |
| Robert Foster | ||
|
Chief Executive Officer
(Principal Executive Officer) |
||
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| Signature | Title | Date | ||
| /s/ ROBERT FOSTER | Chief Executive Officer | April 28, 2021 | ||
| Robert Foster | (Principal Executive Officer) | |||
| /s/ JOHN CAVAN | Chief Financial Officer | April 28, 2021 | ||
| John Cavan | (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) | |||
| *. | Chairman, Board of Directors | April 28, 2021 | ||
| Gary S. Jacob, PhD. | ||||
| * | Director | April 28, 2021 | ||
| John Brancaccio | ||||
| * | Director | April 28, 2021 | ||
| Arnold Lippa | ||||
| * | Director | April 28, 2021 | ||
| Timothy Block | ||||
| * | Director | April 28, 2021 | ||
| Thomas Adams | ||||
| /* | Director | April 28, 2021 | ||
| Petrus Wijngaard |
| *By: | /s/ Robert Foster | |
| Robert Foster, Attorney-in-Fact |
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