Fate Therapeutics Reports New Employee Inducement Awards Under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4)

Rhea-AI Summary

Fate Therapeutics (NASDAQ: FATE) announced on October 1, 2025 inducement equity awards to one newly hired non-executive employee under its Amended and Restated Inducement Equity Plan pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4). The grants consist of 60,000 non-qualified stock options with an exercise price of $1.25 (closing price on grant date) and 45,800 restricted stock units (RSUs).

The options vest over four years (25% at one year, then monthly over 36 months); the RSUs vest 25% each anniversary over four years, both subject to continuous employment. Grants were approved by the Compensation Committee.

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fate Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: FATE), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to bringing a first-in-class pipeline of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cellular immunotherapies to patients with cancer and autoimmune diseases, today announced that on October 1, 2025 the Company granted to one newly-hired non-executive employee (i) non-qualified stock options to purchase a total of 60,000 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price per share of $1.25, which was the closing price per share of the Company’s common stock as reported by NASDAQ on October 1, 2025, the options grant date, and (ii) restricted stock units (RSUs) representing 45,800 shares of its common stock. The grants were approved by the Compensation Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors and granted under the Company’s Amended and Restated Inducement Equity Plan as an inducement material to the new employee entering into employment with the Company in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4). The options will vest over four years, with 25% of the shares underlying the option vesting on the one-year anniversary of the grant date and the remaining 75% vesting in approximately equal monthly installments over the following thirty-six months, subject to the employee being continuously employed by the Company through each vesting date. The RSUs will vest over four years, with 25% of the shares underlying each RSU award vesting on each anniversary of the grant date, subject to the employee being continuously employed by the Company through each vesting date.

About Fate Therapeutics, Inc.
Fate Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to bringing a pipeline of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cellular immunotherapies to patients. Using its proprietary iPSC product platform, the Company has established a leadership position in creating multiplexed-engineered iPSC lines and in the manufacture and clinical development of off-the-shelf, iPSC-derived cell products. The Company’s pipeline includes iPSC-derived T-cell and natural killer (NK) cell product candidates, which are selectively designed, incorporate novel synthetic controls of cell function, and are intended to deliver multiple therapeutic mechanisms to patients. Fate Therapeutics is headquartered in San Diego, CA. For more information, please visit www.fatetherapeutics.com.

Contact:
Christina Tartaglia
Precision AQ
212.362.1200
christina.tartaglia@precisionaq.com

FAQ

What equity awards did Fate Therapeutics (FATE) grant on October 1, 2025?

Fate granted 60,000 non-qualified stock options at $1.25 and 45,800 RSUs to a new non-executive employee.

What is the vesting schedule for the FATE options and RSUs granted October 1, 2025?

Options vest over four years (25% at 1 year, then monthly over 36 months); RSUs vest 25% on each anniversary for four years.

Why were the FATE awards granted under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4)?

The awards were granted as an inducement material to hire the new employee, permitted under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).

What exercise price was set for the FATE options granted on October 1, 2025?

The exercise price equals the NASDAQ closing price on the grant date: $1.25 per share.

Who approved the inducement awards for Fate Therapeutics (FATE)?

The Compensation Committee of Fate Therapeutics' board approved the grants.