Stock Based Compensation |
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| Share-Based Payment Arrangement [Abstract] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stock-Based Compensation | Stock-Based Compensation 2016 Equity Incentive Plan
In April 2016, our board of directors adopted the 2016 Equity Incentive Plan, which was approved by our stockholders in May 2016 and which was subsequently amended and restated in May 2018 and August 2019 with the approval of our board of directors and our stockholders (the “2016 Third Amended Plan”). During the term of the 2016 Third Amended Plan, the share reserve will automatically increase on the first trading day in January of each calendar year ending on (and including) January 1, 2026, by an amount equal to 4% of the total number of outstanding shares of common stock of the Company on the last trading day in December of the prior calendar year. As of December 31, 2023, there were 450 shares available for future issuance under the 2016 Third Amended Plan. On January 1, 2024, pursuant to the terms of the 2016 Third Amended and Restated Plan, an additional 32,070 shares were made available for issuance.
Option grants expire after ten years. Employee options typically vest over four years. Employees typically receive a new hire option grant, as well as an annual grant in the first or second quarter of each year. Options granted to directors typically vest immediately or
over a period of or three years. Directors may elect to receive stock options in lieu of board compensation, which vest immediately. For stock options granted to employees and non-employee directors, the estimated grant date fair market value of the Company’s stock-based awards is amortized ratably over the individuals’ service periods, which is the period in which the awards vest. Stock-based compensation expense includes expense related to stock options, restricted stock units and employee stock purchase plan shares. The amount of stock-based compensation expense recognized for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 was as follows (in thousands):
As a result of separation agreements executed in the first quarter of 2022 and in accordance with the terms of the pre-existing employment agreements, in 2022, the Company accelerated the vesting of certain separated employees’ stock options and modified certain awards to extend the exercisability periods. As a result, the Company recognized $4.3 million of compensation cost in the first quarter of 2022, all of which was recognized in selling, general and administrative expense.
Stock options with service-based vesting conditions
The Company has granted stock options that contain service-based vesting conditions. The compensation cost for these options is recognized on a straight-line basis over the vesting periods. The following table summarizes the Company's service-based option activity for the year ended December 31, 2023:
The aggregate intrinsic value of stock options is calculated as the difference between the exercise price of the stock options and the fair value of the Company’s common stock for those stock options that had exercise prices lower than the fair value of the Company’s common stock. As of December 31, 2023, the aggregate intrinsic value of options outstanding and the aggregate intrinsic value of options currently exercisable was zero. There were 2,229 options that vested during the year ended December 31, 2023, with a weighted average exercise price of $2,201 per share. The total grant date fair value of shares which vested during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 was $3.4 million and $9.6 million, respectively.
The Company recognized stock-based compensation expense of $3.3 million and $7.4 million related to stock options with service-based vesting conditions for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. At December 31, 2023, there was $2.8 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested service-based vesting conditions awards. This unrecognized compensation cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.7 years.
Stock-based compensation assumptions
The following table shows the assumptions used to compute stock-based compensation expense for stock options with service-based vesting conditions granted under the Black-Scholes valuation model for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022:
The valuation assumptions were determined as follows:
•Expected term of options: Due to lack of sufficient historical data, the Company estimates the expected life of its stock options with service-based vesting granted to employees and members of the board of directors as the arithmetic average of the vesting term and the original contractual term of the option.
•Expected stock price volatility: The Company estimated the expected volatility based on a blend of Avalo's actual historical volatility of its stock price and the historical volatility of other similar publicly-traded biotechnology companies. The Company calculated the historical volatility of the selected companies by using weekly closing prices over a period of the expected term of the associated award. The companies were selected based on their risk profiles, enterprise value, position within the industry, and historical stock price information sufficient to meet the expected term of the associated award. A decrease in the selected volatility would decrease the fair value of the underlying instrument.
•Risk‑free interest rate: The Company bases the risk‑free interest rate on the interest rate payable on U.S. Treasury securities in effect at the time of grant for a period that is commensurate with the assumed expected option term.
•Expected annual dividend yield: The Company estimated the expected dividend yield based on consideration of its historical dividend experience and future dividend expectations. The Company has never declared or paid dividends to stockholders. Moreover, it does not intend to pay dividends in the future, but instead expects to retain any earnings to invest in the continued growth of the business. Accordingly, the Company assumed an expected dividend yield of 0%.
Stock options with market-based vesting conditions
As of December 31, 2023, there were 348 exercisable stock options that contained market-based vesting conditions (that had been previously satisfied). The options have a weighted average stock price per share of $9,488 and a weighted average remaining contractual term of 0.5 years. There were no stock options with market-based vesting conditions granted, exercised, or forfeited for the year ended December 31, 2023. The Company recognized no stock-based compensation expense related to stock options with market-based vesting conditions for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
On April 5, 2016, the Company’s board of directors approved the 2016 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “ESPP”). The ESPP was approved by the Company’s stockholders and became effective on May 18, 2016 (the “ESPP Effective Date”).
Under the ESPP, eligible employees can purchase common stock through accumulated payroll deductions at such times as are established by the administrator. The ESPP is administered by the compensation committee of the Company’s board of directors. Under the ESPP, eligible employees may purchase stock at 85% of the lower of the fair market value of a share of the Company’s common stock (i) on the first day of an offering period or (ii) on the purchase date. Eligible employees may contribute up to 15% of their earnings during the offering period. The Company’s board of directors may establish a maximum number of shares of the Company’s common stock that may be purchased by any participant, or all participants in the aggregate, during each offering or offering period. Under the ESPP, a participant may not accrue rights to purchase more than $25,000 of the fair market value of the Company’s common stock for each calendar year in which such right is outstanding.
The Company initially reserved and authorized up to 174 shares of common stock for issuance under the ESPP. During the term of the ESPP, on January 1 of each calendar year ending on (and including) January 1, 2026, the aggregate number of shares that may be issued under the ESPP automatically increases by a number equal to the lesser of (i) 1% of the total number of shares of the Company’s capital stock outstanding on December 31 of the preceding calendar year, and (ii) 174 shares of the Company’s common stock, or (iii) a number of shares of the Company’s common stock as determined by the Company’s board of directors or compensation committee. As of December 31, 2023, 784 shares remained available for issuance. On January 1, 2024, the number of shares available for issuance under the ESPP increased by 174.
In accordance with the guidance in ASC 718-50, Employee Share Purchase Plans, the ability to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock at the lower of the offering date price or the purchase date price represents an option and, therefore, the ESPP is a compensatory plan under this guidance. Accordingly, stock-based compensation expense is determined based on the option’s grant-date fair value and is recognized over the requisite service period of the option. The Company used the Black-Scholes valuation model and recognized stock-based compensation expense of $0.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.
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