Crescent Biopharma Announces Grants of Inducement Awards

Crescent Biopharma issues 58,650 inducement stock options to two new non-executive employees with four-year vesting and a $20.46 exercise price.

Rhea-AI Summary

Crescent Biopharma (CBIO) granted stock options to purchase a total of 58,650 ordinary shares to two non-executive employees as equity inducement awards under its 2025 Employment Inducement Incentive Award Plan, as amended. The independent Compensation Committee approved the options on September 8, 2026 in reliance on Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).

The options have a 10-year term and an exercise price of $20.46, equal to the September 8, 2026 closing price of Crescent’s ordinary shares on Nasdaq. For each employee, one-fourth of the shares subject to the option vest on the first anniversary of the employee’s start date, with the remaining three-fourths vesting in equal monthly installments over the following three years, subject to continuous service and the terms of the Inducement Plan and related option agreements.

Positive

• Equity inducement covers an aggregate of 58,650 options for new hires
• Options carry a 10-year term at a fixed exercise price of $20.46

Negative

• New option grants for 58,650 shares introduce incremental potential dilution for existing shareholders

Key Figures

Inducement shares: 58,650 shares Option term: 10 years Exercise price: $20.46 +2 more

Inducement shares

58,650 shares

Options granted to two non-executive employees

Option term

10 years

Term of the inducement awards

Exercise price

$20.46

Equal to the September 8, 2026 Nasdaq closing price

Initial vesting

One-fourth of shares

Vests on the first anniversary of each employee’s start date

Monthly vesting

One-forty-eighth of shares monthly

Vests after the first anniversary, subject to continuous service

Key Terms

nasdaq listing rule 5635(c)(4)

1 terms

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. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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WALTHAM, Mass., Sept. 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Crescent Biopharma, Inc. (“Crescent” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: CBIO), a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to rapidly advancing the next wave of therapies for cancer patients, today announced that the independent Compensation Committee of its Board of Directors approved the grant of options to purchase an aggregate of 58,650 shares of the Company’s ordinary shares to two non-executive employees as equity inducement awards under the Crescent Biopharma, Inc. 2025 Employment Inducement Incentive Award Plan, as amended (the “Inducement Plan”). The options were approved on September 8, 2026 and were material to each employee's acceptance of employment with Crescent, in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).

The options were granted with a 10-year term and an exercise price equal to $20.46, the closing price per share of Crescent’s ordinary shares as reported by Nasdaq on September 8, 2026. The options granted to each employee shall vest and become exercisable as to one-fourth (1/4th) of the shares subject to the respective options on the first anniversary of the employee’s start date, and one-forty-eighth (1/48th) of the shares subject to the respective options shall vest and become exercisable monthly thereafter, in each case, subject to continuous service with Crescent through the applicable vesting dates. The options are subject to the terms of the Inducement Plan and the terms and conditions of an option agreement covering the applicable grant.

About Crescent Biopharma 

Crescent Biopharma’s vision is to build a world leading oncology company bringing the next wave of therapies for cancer patients. The Company’s clinical-stage pipeline includes its lead program, a PD-1 x VEGF bispecific antibody, as well as novel antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). By leveraging multiple modalities and established targets, Crescent aims to rapidly advance potentially transformative therapies as single agents and as part of combination regimens to treat a range of solid tumors. For more information, visit www.crescentbiopharma.com and follow the Company on LinkedIn and X. 

Contacts

Investors

Amy Reilly
Chief Communications Officer
amy.reilly@crescentbiopharma.com
617-465-0586

Media

Jenna Poist
Director, Corporate Communications
jenna.poist@crescentbiopharma.com
781-671-5019

FAQ

What is the vesting schedule for the new Crescent Biopharma stock options?

For each employee, one-fourth (1/4th) of the shares subject to the option vest and become exercisable on the first anniversary of the employee’s start date. The remaining three-fourths vest as one-forty-eighth (1/48th) of the shares monthly thereafter, over the following three years, subject to continuous service with Crescent through each vesting date.

Under which plan were the Crescent Biopharma inducement awards granted and why?

The options were granted under the Crescent Biopharma 2025 Employment Inducement Incentive Award Plan, as amended. The company states that the awards were material to each employee’s acceptance of employment and were made in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4), which permits equity grants to new employees as an inducement to join the company.

What is the exercise price and term of the new options?

The options have an exercise price of $20.46 per share, equal to the closing price of Crescent’s ordinary shares on Nasdaq on September 8, 2026. Each option has a 10-year term, subject to the terms of the Inducement Plan and the applicable option agreement.