Ocular Therapeutix™ Reports Inducement Grant Under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4)

Rhea-AI Summary

Ocular Therapeutix (NASDAQ: OCUL) granted inducement equity awards to eight newly hired non-executive employees under its 2019 Inducement Stock Incentive Plan in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).

The awards, effective December 1, 2025, consist of non-statutory stock options to purchase an aggregate of 51,600 shares and restricted stock units representing an aggregate of 17,066 shares. The stock options carry a $11.71 exercise price (closing Nasdaq price on the effective date), have a 10-year term, and vest over four years (25% after one year, then monthly over three years). The restricted stock units vest over three years in equal annual installments, with the first vesting on December 1, 2026. Awards are subject to the award agreements and the inducement plan terms.

Key Figures

Stock options granted 51,600 shares Non-statutory stock options under 2019 Inducement Stock Incentive Plan

RSUs granted 17,066 shares Restricted stock unit awards to eight non-executive employees

Exercise price $11.71 per share Equal to Nasdaq Global Market closing price on Dec 1, 2025

Option term 10 years Non-statutory stock option duration

Option vesting period 4 years 25% after one year, then monthly over three years

RSU vesting period 3 years RSUs vest in equal annual installments

First RSU vest date Dec 1, 2026 Initial annual installment vesting date

Employees receiving awards 8 employees Newly hired non-executive employees

Market Reality Check

$12.44 Last Close

Volume Volume 5,178,703 is about 2x the 20-day average of 2,589,598 shares. high

Technical Price $12.44 is trading above the 200-day MA at $9.95.

Peers on Argus

OCUL gained 8.55% with elevated volume, while peers were mixed: BEAM +9.93%, TVTX +2.73%, LQDA +1.31%, TARS roughly flat, BLTE -0.34%, suggesting stock-specific strength rather than a broad sector move.

Historical Context

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Nov 24	Phase 3 trial update	Positive	-1.1%	First patient randomized in HELIOS-3 Phase 3 NPDR registrational trial.
Nov 12	Investor conferences	Neutral	+2.4%	Participation in November and December healthcare investor conferences.
Nov 07	Inducement grant	Neutral	+2.1%	Inducement equity awards to a new non-executive employee under 2019 plan.
Nov 04	Q3 2025 earnings	Negative	-4.5%	Q3 results with lower revenue, wider net loss, higher R&D spending.
Nov 04	Phase 3 enrollment	Positive	-4.5%	SOL-R Phase 3 trial reached target randomization of 555 subjects.

Pattern Detected

Recent positive clinical and program milestones sometimes saw negative price reactions, while routine news and inducement grants often coincided with modest gains, indicating occasional divergence between clinical progress updates and short-term trading.

Recent Company History

Over the last few months, OCUL has reported key milestones including Phase 3 progress for AXPAXLI in NPDR and wet AMD, plus Q3 2025 earnings showing higher R&D spend and a larger net loss. It also communicated investor conference participation and prior inducement grants under the 2019 Inducement Stock Incentive Plan. Price reactions ranged from about -4.47% on earnings and SOL-R updates to modest gains on conference and inducement news, framing today’s additional inducement awards as part of an ongoing compensation pattern.

Regulatory & Risk Context

Active S-3 Shelf Registration 2025-09-30

OCUL has an effective Form S-3ASR shelf registration dated Sep 30, 2025, allowing flexible issuance of various securities over time for general corporate purposes, including R&D, clinical trials, regulatory submissions, commercialization, manufacturing, acquisitions, debt repayment, and working capital.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement details routine inducement equity awards under OCUL’s 2019 Inducement Stock Incentive Plan, granting 51,600 stock options and 17,066 RSUs at an exercise price of $11.71. It follows prior similar grants and comes after recent Phase 3 and earnings updates. Investors may track how ongoing equity awards interact with previously reported cash resources, trial timelines, and insider activity disclosed in recent SEC filings.

Key Terms

non-statutory stock options financial

"consist of non-statutory stock options to purchase up to an aggregate of 51,600 shares"

Non-statutory stock options are a type of reward that companies give to employees, allowing them to buy company shares at a set price within a certain period. Unlike formal or government-approved plans, these options are more flexible but may have different tax implications. For investors, they can influence a company's stock price and financial health, making them an important factor to consider.

restricted stock unit financial

"restricted stock unit awards representing the right to receive an aggregate of 17,066 shares"

A restricted stock unit is a promise from a company to give an employee shares of stock after certain conditions are met, like staying with the company for a set amount of time. It’s like earning a bonus that turns into company stock once you’ve proven your commitment, making it a way to motivate and reward employees.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

BEDFORD, Mass., Dec. 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ocular Therapeutix, Inc. (NASDAQ: OCUL, “Ocular”), an integrated biopharmaceutical company committed to redefining the retina experience, today announced that it has granted inducement awards to eight newly hired non-executive employees. The awards were made as an inducement material to each recipient’s acceptance of employment with Ocular under Ocular’s 2019 Inducement Stock Incentive Plan in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).

The inducement equity awards were granted effective as of December 1, 2025, and consist of non-statutory stock options to purchase up to an aggregate of 51,600 shares of Ocular’s common stock and restricted stock unit awards representing the right to receive an aggregate of 17,066 shares of Ocular’s common stock. The stock options have an exercise price of $11.71 per share, equal to the closing price of Ocular’s common stock on The Nasdaq Global Market on the effective date of grant. Each of the stock option awards have a ten-year term and vest over four years, with 25% of the original number of shares vesting on the one-year anniversary of the recipient’s employment commencement date, and the remainder vesting in equal monthly installments over the three years after such date, subject to the recipient’s continued service to Ocular through the applicable vesting dates. Each of the restricted stock unit awards vest over three years, in equal annual installments, with the first annual installment vesting on December 1, 2026, and subject to the recipient’s continued service to Ocular through the applicable vesting dates.

The inducement equity awards are subject to the terms and conditions of the award agreements covering the grants and Ocular’s 2019 Inducement Stock Incentive Plan.

About Ocular Therapeutix, Inc.
Ocular Therapeutix, Inc. is an integrated biopharmaceutical company committed to redefining the retina experience. AXPAXLI™ (also known as OTX-TKI), Ocular’s investigational product candidate for retinal disease, is an axitinib intravitreal hydrogel based on its ELUTYX™ proprietary bioresorbable hydrogel-based formulation technology. AXPAXLI is currently in Phase 3 clinical trials for wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD), and non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR).

Ocular’s pipeline also leverages the ELUTYX technology in its commercial product DEXTENZA^®, an FDA-approved corticosteroid for the treatment of ocular inflammation and pain following ophthalmic surgery in adults and pediatric patients and ocular itching associated with allergic conjunctivitis in adults and pediatric patients aged two years or older, and in its investigational product candidate OTX-TIC, which is a travoprost intracameral hydrogel that has completed a Phase 2 clinical trial for the treatment of open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. Ocular is currently evaluating next steps for the OTX-TIC program.

Explore the Company’s new corporate branding and follow the Company on its website, LinkedIn, or X.

DEXTENZA^® is a registered trademark of Ocular Therapeutix, Inc. The Ocular Therapeutix logo, AXPAXLI™, ELUTYX™, and Ocular Therapeutix™ are trademarks of Ocular Therapeutix, Inc.

Investors & Media
Ocular Therapeutix, Inc.
Bill Slattery
Vice President, Investor Relations
bslattery@ocutx.com

FAQ

What inducement awards did Ocular Therapeutix (OCUL) grant on December 1, 2025?

Ocular granted non-statutory stock options for an aggregate of 51,600 shares and restricted stock units for an aggregate of 17,066 shares effective December 1, 2025.

What is the exercise price and term of the OCUL stock options granted December 1, 2025?

The options have an exercise price of $11.71 per share and a 10-year term.

How do the OCUL inducement stock options vest for the December 2025 grants?

Options vest over four years with 25%» vesting after one year and the remainder vesting in equal monthly installments over the next three years.

When do the restricted stock units from OCUL's December 2025 inducement grants begin vesting?

The restricted stock units vest over three years in equal annual installments, with the first installment vesting on December 1, 2026.

How many employees received inducement awards from Ocular Therapeutix (OCUL) in December 2025?

Eight newly hired non-executive employees received inducement awards.