Achieve Life Sciences Announced Granting of New Hire Inducement Awards

Rhea-AI Summary

Achieve Life Sciences (Nasdaq: ACHV) announced inducement stock option awards for new hires, effective Dec. 4, 2025. The board granted Chief Legal Officer Erik Atkisson options to purchase 250,000 shares and granted two other new employees options for an aggregate of 45,000 shares.

All options vest over four years: 25% on the first anniversary of employment and the remainder vesting monthly over the following 36 months, subject to continued employment. Grants are governed by the 2024 Equity Inducement Plan and individual option agreements and were made in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).

Key Figures

CLO stock options 250,000 shares Options granted to Chief Legal Officer effective December 4, 2025

Other new hire options 45,000 shares Aggregate options for two new employees effective December 4, 2025

Vesting period 4 years Vesting schedule for all inducement stock option grants

Initial cliff vesting 1 year One-quarter of options vest on first employment anniversary

Market Reality Check

$4.69 Last Close

Volume Volume 469,614 is 0.7x the 20-day average of 668,694, indicating lighter trading ahead of this update. normal

Technical Shares at $4.62 are trading above the 200-day moving average of $3.16, reflecting a longer-term uptrend despite today’s decline.

Peers on Argus

ACHV fell 3.55% while key biotech peers were mixed: ACOG up 1.56%, MIST up 0.37%, CHRS down 4%, ELDN down 1.86%, NVCT down 1.03%. Moves appear stock-specific rather than a coordinated sector swing.

Historical Context

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Nov 06	Earnings and NDA update	Positive	-3.9%	Q3 2025 results plus FDA acceptance of cytisinicline NDA and voucher details.
Nov 03	Regulatory safety update	Positive	-0.2%	120-day safety update and positive ORCA-OL safety review for cytisinicline.
Oct 29	Earnings call scheduling	Neutral	+3.6%	Announcement of timing and access details for Q3 2025 results call.
Oct 20	Executive appointment	Positive	+19.1%	Appointment of Erik Atkisson as Chief Legal Officer to support regulatory efforts.
Oct 17	Regulatory voucher award	Positive	+36.4%	FDA Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher and supportive vaping cessation data.

Pattern Detected

Recent news with clearly positive regulatory or clinical developments often saw strong gains, but some later regulatory and earnings updates were met with modest or negative reactions, suggesting mixed follow-through on good news.

Recent Company History

Over the last few months, Achieve reported several milestones for cytisinicline. On Oct 17, 2025, it received an FDA Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher and noted efficacy data, with the stock rising 36.36%. A new Chief Legal Officer appointment on Oct 20 coincided with a 19.05% gain. Subsequent NDA safety updates and Q3 2025 results, including $48.1M in cash and a $14.4M quarterly net loss, saw small to moderate declines, indicating investors became more cautious as the program advanced.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement details inducement stock option grants totaling 295,000 shares to the Chief Legal Officer and two new employees, vesting over four years under the 2024 Equity Inducement Plan and Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4). It builds on recent leadership changes and regulatory progress for cytisinicline. Investors may track future equity awards, overall share count evolution, and upcoming FDA milestones when assessing longer-term ownership impact.

Key Terms

stock options financial

"the company has issued inducement grants of stock options to Erik Atkisson"

Stock options are agreements that give a person the right to buy or sell a company's stock at a specific price within a certain time frame. They are often used as a reward or incentive, similar to a coupon that can be used later if the stock price rises, allowing the holder to make a profit.

equity inducement plan financial

"subject to the terms and conditions of the 2024 Equity Inducement Plan"

An equity inducement plan is a program that gives new hires or targeted employees stock, restricted shares, or stock options as a hiring or retention reward, often separate from the company’s regular long-term incentive plans. Think of it as a signing bonus paid in company stock: it helps attract and keep talent but matters to investors because it can dilute existing shares, change executive incentives, and affect future earnings through compensation expense.

Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4) regulatory

"in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4)"

NASDAQ Listing Rule 5635(c)(4) is a rule that requires a company to get approval from its shareholders before selling a large amount of its shares, usually over 20%. This helps protect investors by making sure the company doesn't flood the market with new shares without their say, which could lower the stock's value.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

SEATTLE and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Achieve Life Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: ACHV), a late-stage specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the global development and commercialization of cytisinicline as a treatment of nicotine dependence, today announced that the company has issued inducement grants of stock options to Erik Atkisson, Chief Legal Officer, and other new employees.

As an inducement to employment, Achieve’s Board of Directors granted Mr. Atkisson options to purchase up to 250,000 shares of Achieve’s common stock, effective December 4, 2025. The stock options vest over four years with one-quarter vesting on the first anniversary of Mr. Atkisson’s first date of employment and thereafter on a monthly basis over 36 months.

Additionally, as an inducement to employment, the Board of Directors granted two other new employees options to purchase an aggregate of 45,000 shares of Achieve’s common stock, effective December 4, 2025. These stock options vest over four years, with one-quarter vesting on the first anniversary following commencement of employment and the remaining shares vesting monthly thereafter over 36 months, subject to the employee’s continued employment through each applicable vesting date.

The stock options are subject to the terms and conditions of the 2024 Equity Inducement Plan, as well as the terms and conditions of the stock option agreement covering the grant and were made as an inducement material to the individual entering into employment with Achieve in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).

About Achieve Life Sciences, Inc. 
Achieve Life Sciences, Inc. is a late-stage specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the global development and commercialization of cytisinicline as a treatment of nicotine dependence. In September 2025, the company announced that its New Drug Application, submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in June 2025, had been accepted for review. The FDA has assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) date of June 20, 2026. The NDA is for cytisinicline to be used as a treatment of nicotine dependence for smoking cessation in adults, based on two successfully completed Phase 3 studies and its open-label safety study. Additionally, the company has completed a Phase 2 study with cytisinicline in vaping cessation and conducted a successful end-of-Phase 2 meeting with the FDA for a future vaping indication.

About Cytisinicline
There are approximately 29 million adults in the United States who smoke combustible cigarettes.¹ Tobacco use is currently the leading cause of preventable death that is responsible for more than eight million deaths worldwide and nearly half a million deaths in the United States annually.^2,3 More than 87% of lung cancer deaths, 61% of all pulmonary disease deaths, and 32% of all deaths from coronary heart disease are attributable to smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke.³

In addition, there are approximately 17 million adults in the United States who use e-cigarettes, also known as vaping.⁴ In 2024, approximately 1.6 million middle and high school students in the United States reported using e-cigarettes.⁵ There are no FDA-approved treatments indicated specifically as an aid to nicotine e-cigarette cessation. FDA has awarded the Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher for e-cigarette or vaping cessation and granted Breakthrough Therapy designation to address this critical need.

Cytisinicline is a plant-based alkaloid with a high binding affinity to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. It is believed to aid in treating nicotine addiction for smoking and e-cigarette cessation by interacting with nicotine receptors in the brain, reducing the severity of nicotine craving symptoms, and reducing the reward and satisfaction associated with nicotine products. Cytisinicline is an investigational product candidate being developed as a treatment of nicotine dependence for smoking cessation and has not been approved by the FDA for any indication in the United States.

Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, statements Achieve makes regarding the timing and nature of cytisinicline clinical development and regulatory review and approval, data results and commercialization activities, the potential market size for cytisinicline, the potential benefits, efficacy, safety and tolerability of cytisinicline, the development and effectiveness of new treatments, and the successful commercialization of cytisinicline. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. Achieve may not actually achieve its plans or product development goals in a timely manner, if at all, or otherwise carry out its intentions or meet its expectations or projections disclosed in these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, including Achieve’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Achieve undertakes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements contained herein or to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date hereof, other than as may be required by applicable law.

Achieve Contact
Nicole Jones
VP, Strategic Communications and Stakeholder Relations
ir@achievelifesciences.com
425-686-1510

References
¹VanFrank B, Malarcher A, Cornelius ME, Schecter A, Jamal A, Tynan M. Adult Smoking Cessation — United States, 2022. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2024;73:633–641.
²World Health Organization. WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2019. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2017.
³U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking – 50 Years of Progress. A Report of the Surgeon General, 2014.
⁴Vahratian A, Briones EM, Jamal A, Marynak KL. Electronic cigarette use among adults in the United States, 2019–2023. NCHS Data Brief, no 524. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2025. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/ 10.15620/cdc/174583.
⁵Jamal A, Park-Lee E, Birdsey J, et al. Tobacco Product Use Among Middle and High School Students — National Youth Tobacco Survey, United States, 2024. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2024;73:917–924.

FAQ

What stock option awards did Achieve Life Sciences (ACHV) grant on Dec. 4, 2025?

The board granted Erik Atkisson options for 250,000 shares and two other new employees options for an aggregate of 45,000 shares, effective Dec. 4, 2025.

What is the vesting schedule for the ACHV inducement options granted Dec. 4, 2025?

Options vest over four years: 25% on the first employment anniversary and the remainder vest monthly over the next 36 months, subject to continued employment.

Under which plan were the ACHV inducement stock options granted?

The options were granted under the company’s 2024 Equity Inducement Plan and the individual stock option agreements.

Why did Achieve Life Sciences (ACHV) grant inducement awards on Dec. 4, 2025?

The board issued the options as inducements to employment, made material to the individuals entering employment, consistent with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).

Who received the largest inducement option grant from ACHV on Dec. 4, 2025?

Chief Legal Officer Erik Atkisson received the largest grant: options to purchase 250,000 shares.