Opus Genetics Reports Inducement Grants under NASDAQ Listing Rule 5635(c)(4)

The options vest over four years and carry an exercise price equal to the shares’ fair market value on the grant date.

Rhea-AI Summary

Opus Genetics (Nasdaq: IRD) granted options to purchase 1,100,000 common shares as employment inducements for ten new non-executive employees.

The Compensation Committee approved the awards under the amended 2021 Inducement Plan in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4). The recipients were not previously employees or directors. The exercise price equals the underlying share’s fair market value on the grant date. Options vest over four years: 25% on the hire date’s first anniversary and the remaining 75% in quarterly installments thereafter. Award agreements provide for acceleration or forfeiture upon certain events.

Positive

• None.

Negative

• Minor point. Forward-looking: it has not happened yet and may not happen.Options to purchase 1,100,000 common shares create potential dilution, with exercise prices equal to grant-date fair market value.

Key Figures

Employees receiving awards: 10 non-executive employees Options granted: 1,100,000 options Vesting period: 4 years +2 more

Employees receiving awards

10 non-executive employees

Inducement grants

Options granted

1,100,000 options

Options to purchase common shares

Vesting period

4 years

Option awards

Initial vesting

25%

On the one-year anniversary of the hire date

Remaining vesting

75%

Quarterly installments thereafter

Key Terms

nasdaq listing rule 5635(c)(4), exercise price, fair market value, vesting

4 terms

nasdaq listing rule 5635(c)(4) regulatory

"approved 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.

exercise price financial

"The option awards have an exercise price equal to the fair market value"

The exercise price is the fixed amount at which you can buy or sell an asset, like a stock, when using an options contract. It matters because it helps determine whether exercising the option will be profitable or not, depending on the current market price. Think of it as the set price you agree on today to buy or sell later.

fair market value financial

"equal to the fair market value of an underlying share"

The price a willing buyer and a willing seller would agree on for an asset or security when neither is under pressure and both have access to the same information. Think of it as the market’s neutral estimate of what something is worth, like the price two neighbors would settle on for a car after comparing similar listings. Investors care because fair market value guides buying and selling decisions, tax reporting, portfolio valuation, and how accurately company assets are reflected in financial statements.

vesting financial

"vest over a period of four years, with 25% vesting on the one-year anniversary"

Vesting is the process by which you earn full ownership of something, like company stock or a retirement benefit, over time. It’s like earning the right to keep a gift piece by piece the longer you stay with a company, making sure employees stay committed before they receive all the benefits.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Nov. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Opus Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq: IRD), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing gene therapies to restore vision and prevent blindness in patients with inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) (the “Company”), today announced that the Compensation Committee of its Board of Directors approved equity awards under the Company’s 2021 Inducement Plan, as amended, as a material inducement to employment to ten non-executive employees who were not previously employees or directors of the Company. The equity awards were approved in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).

The equity awards were granted in the form of options to purchase an aggregate of 1,100,000 shares of the Company’s common stock. The option awards have an exercise price equal to the fair market value of an underlying share of Company common stock as of the grant date and vest over a period of four years, with 25% vesting on the one-year anniversary of the hire date and the remaining 75% vesting in quarterly installments thereafter, subject to acceleration or forfeiture upon the occurrence of certain events as set forth in the applicable award agreement.

About Opus Genetics

Opus Genetics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing gene therapies to restore vision and prevent blindness in patients with inherited retinal diseases (IRDs). The Company is developing durable, one-time treatments designed to address the underlying genetic causes of severe retinal disorders. The Company’s pipeline includes seven AAV-based programs, led by OPGx-LCA5 for LCA5-related mutations and OPGx-BEST1 for BEST1-related retinal degeneration, with additional candidates targeting RDH12, MERTK, RHO, CNGB1 and NMNAT1. The Company is based in Research Triangle Park, NC. For more information, visit www.opusgtx.com.

Contacts

Jenny Kobin
Remy Bernarda
IR Advisory Solutions
ir@opusgtx.com

Media

Kimberly Ha
KKH Advisors
917-291-5744
kimberly.ha@kkhadvisors.com

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

How many inducement options did Opus Genetics grant, and to whom?

Opus Genetics granted options to purchase 1,100,000 common shares to ten non-executive employees as employment inducements. None of the recipients had previously been employees or directors of the company.

What is the vesting schedule for Opus Genetics’ inducement options?

The options vest over four years, with 25% vesting on the first anniversary of the hire date and the remaining 75% in quarterly installments thereafter. Vesting is subject to acceleration or forfeiture upon certain events specified in the applicable award agreement.