Surrozen Reports Inducement Grant Under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4)

Rhea-AI Summary

Surrozen (Nasdaq: SRZN) granted a non-statutory stock option for 3,070 shares to a newly hired non-executive employee as an inducement under its 2025 Equity Inducement Plan.

The option price is $24.53 per share (Nasdaq close on February 17, 2026) and vests over four years with 25% after one year and monthly vesting thereafter.

News Market Reaction – SRZN

+1.60%

1 alert

+1.60% News Effect

+$4M Valuation Impact

$239M Market Cap

0.3x Rel. Volume

On the day this news was published, SRZN gained 1.60%, reflecting a mild positive market reaction. This price movement added approximately $4M to the company's valuation, bringing the market cap to $239M at that time.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Key Figures

Inducement option size: 3,070 shares Exercise price: $24.53 per share Vesting period: 4 years +5 more

8 metrics

Inducement option size 3,070 shares Non-statutory stock option to new non-executive employee

Exercise price $24.53 per share Closing price on February 17, 2026 for SRZN common stock

Vesting period 4 years Option vests over four-year period, subject to continuous service

Initial vesting tranche 25 percent First 25% vests on one-year anniversary of hire date

Remaining vesting schedule 36 months Remaining shares vest monthly over 36 months thereafter

Current share price $26.575 Pre-news price in latest market context

52-week range $5.90–$27.96 Low and high over the last 52 weeks

Market capitalization $227,914,084 Equity value prior to this announcement

Market Reality Check

Price: $27.00 Vol: Volume 92,280 is below th...

low vol

$27.00 Last Close

Volume Volume 92,280 is below the 20-day average of 152,607, suggesting limited trading interest ahead of this routine HR announcement. low

Technical Shares at $26.58 are trading above the 200-day moving average of $13.83 and sit 4.95% below the 52-week high of $27.96.

Peers on Argus

SRZN was down 1.26% with mixed peer moves: IFRX and PLRX were negative, while AN...

1 Down

SRZN was down 1.26% with mixed peer moves: IFRX and PLRX were negative, while ANIX and STTK were positive. Momentum scanner only flagged ATRA moving down, supporting a stock-specific backdrop rather than a coordinated biotech move.

Common Catalyst Several peers (e.g., ANIX, PLRX) reported conference- and event-related news, pointing to a calendar-driven, not sector-wide, catalyst environment.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Feb 05 (Neutral)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Feb 05	Conference participation	Neutral	-10.2%	Announcement of presentation at Guggenheim Emerging Outlook: Biotech Summit 2026.
Nov 25	Conference schedule	Neutral	+2.7%	Plans to present at two December 2025 healthcare investor conferences.
Nov 12	Inducement grant	Neutral	-6.3%	Inducement stock option grant of 50,000 shares to newly appointed CFO.
Nov 07	Earnings & update	Negative	-3.3%	Q3 2025 results showing cash, zero collaboration revenue, and a sizable net loss.
Nov 05	Conference participation	Neutral	+0.6%	Announcement of participation in Guggenheim Healthcare Innovation Conference.

Pattern Detected

Recent SRZN headlines, including conferences and prior inducement grants, often coincided with modest negative price reactions, while one multi-conference announcement saw a small gain.

Recent Company History

Over the last few months, Surrozen has focused news flow on investor conferences, insider and executive equity grants, and a Q3 2025 financial update. The prior inducement grant on Nov 12, 2025 and multiple conference announcements drew mixed but generally modest price reactions, with several instances of share weakness after otherwise routine news. Against this backdrop, the new 3,070-share employee inducement option fits into a pattern of ongoing equity-based compensation and corporate visibility efforts rather than a major strategic shift.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement details a routine employee inducement option covering 3,070 shares at an exercise ...

Analysis

This announcement details a routine employee inducement option covering 3,070 shares at an exercise price of $24.53, vesting over 4 years with a standard 25% one-year cliff and monthly vesting thereafter. It follows earlier executive equity grants and conference-related updates. With SRZN trading above its $13.83 200-day moving average and near its $27.96 52-week high, investors may focus less on this small grant and more on future clinical and financial milestones.

Key Terms

wnt signaling, ophthalmic, non-statutory stock option, equity awards, +2 more

6 terms

wnt signaling medical

"pioneering targeted therapeutics to harness the power of Wnt signaling to address"

A cell communication system that tells cells when to grow, divide, move or become specialized, like a traffic light coordinating drivers at a busy intersection. It matters to investors because drugs that boost or block this pathway are targets for therapies in cancer, regenerative medicine and other diseases; success or failure in modulating Wnt signaling can strongly affect a biotech company’s value and development risk.

ophthalmic medical

"underlying drivers of disease in sight-threatening ophthalmic conditions, today announced"

Relating to the eye and its care, including medicines, drops, diagnostic tools and surgical devices used to prevent, diagnose or treat eye conditions. Investors care because ophthalmic products form a distinct market with specialized safety approvals, manufacturing needs and payer coverage, so success or failure in this area can drive steady revenue or costly setbacks—think of it as a niche, high‑safety consumer product line for vision health.

non-statutory stock option financial

"Surrozen granted a non-statutory stock option for an aggregate of 3,070 shares"

A non-statutory stock option is a company-granted right that lets a person buy shares later at a set price but does not receive special tax-favored treatment under tax law. It matters to investors because when the option is used the holder usually pays ordinary income tax on the gain and the company records compensation cost and issues new shares, which can reduce existing owners’ percentage ownership—think of it like a coupon to buy stock that creates a taxable event and some dilution.

equity awards financial

"2025 Equity Inducement Plan which provides for the grant of equity awards to new employees"

Equity awards are payments to employees or directors made in the form of company stock or rights to buy stock later, serving as a way to share ownership rather than cash. For investors, they matter because they align staff incentives with company performance, can increase the number of shares outstanding over time (which can reduce each share’s claim on profits), and create compensation costs that affect reported earnings.

nasdaq listing rule 5635(c)(4) regulatory

"employees of Surrozen in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4). The grant was"

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.

vesting financial

"The stock option vests over a four-year period, with 25 percent of the shares underlying"

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. Not financial advice.

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Feb. 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Surrozen, Inc. (“Surrozen” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: SRZN), a biotechnology company pioneering targeted therapeutics to harness the power of Wnt signaling to address the underlying drivers of disease in sight-threatening ophthalmic conditions, today announced that on February 17, 2026, Surrozen granted a non-statutory stock option for an aggregate of 3,070 shares of Surrozen common stock to a recently hired non-executive employee as an inducement material to their acceptance of employment with Surrozen.

The stock option was granted under Surrozen’s 2025 Equity Inducement Plan which provides for the grant of equity awards to new employees of Surrozen in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4). The grant was approved by the Compensation Committee of the Surrozen Board of Directors and provides for the purchase of shares of Surrozen common stock at a price of $24.53 per share, the closing price per share of Surrozen common stock as reported by Nasdaq on February 17, 2026.

The stock option vests over a four-year period, with 25 percent of the shares underlying the option vesting on the one-year anniversary of the employee’s date of hire, and the remaining shares vesting ratably each month thereafter over 36 months, subject to the employee’s continuous service as of each such vesting date.

About Surrozen
Surrozen is a biotechnology company, pioneering a new class of Wnt-based therapeutics designed to harness the power of Wnt signaling to treat sight-threatening ophthalmic conditions. Built on deep scientific expertise and a proprietary antibody-engineering platform, Surrozen develops multifunctional biologics that selectively activate Wnt signaling in combination with other key disease pathways. Our approach aims to deliver best-in-class, durable therapies that have the potential to transform patient outcomes in some of the most pressing unmet medical needs in ocular diseases. For more information, visit www.surrozen.com. 

Forward-Looking Statements 
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements generally are accompanied by words such as “will,” “plan,” “intend,” “potential,” “expect,” “could,” or the negative of these words and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding Surrozen’s discovery, research and development activities, in particular its development plans for its product candidates (including anticipated clinical development plans and timelines, the availability of data, the potential for such product candidates to be used to treat human disease or address unmet needs in serious eye diseases, as well as the potential benefits and potential differentiation from existing therapies of such product candidates). These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release, and on the current expectations of the management of Surrozen and are not predictions of actual performance. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on as a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction, or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of Surrozen. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including the initiation, cost, timing, progress and results of research and development activities, preclinical and clinical trials with respect to its product candidates and potential future drug candidates; the Company’s ability to fund its preclinical and clinical trials and development efforts, whether with existing funds or through additional fundraising; Surrozen’s ability to identify, develop and commercialize drug candidates; Surrozen’s ability to successfully complete preclinical and clinical studies for its product candidates; the effects that arise from volatility in global economic, political, regulatory and market conditions; and all other factors discussed in Surrozen’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 filed, and Surrozen’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2025 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) under the heading “Risk Factors,” and other documents Surrozen has filed, or will file, with the SEC. If any of these risks materialize or our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that Surrozen presently does not know, or that Surrozen currently believes are immaterial, that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements reflect Surrozen’s expectations, plans, or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this press release. Surrozen anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause its assessments to change. However, while Surrozen may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, Surrozen specifically disclaims any obligation to do so, except as required by law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Surrozen’s assessments of any date after the date of this press release. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements. 

Investor/Media Contact:
Email: Investorinfo@surrozen.com

FAQ

What did Surrozen (SRZN) grant to the new employee on February 17, 2026?

Surrozen granted a non-statutory stock option for 3,070 shares to a new non-executive employee. According to Surrozen, the option was approved by the Compensation Committee under the 2025 Equity Inducement Plan and is intended as an inducement to join the company.

At what price were the SRZN inducement options granted and how was that price determined?

The options were priced at $24.53 per share, equal to the Nasdaq closing price on February 17, 2026. According to Surrozen, the grant price matches that closing price used to set the exercise price for the award.

How do the Surrozen (SRZN) inducement options vest over time?

The option vests over four years with 25% vesting after one year and monthly vesting thereafter. According to Surrozen, the remaining shares vest ratably each month over the next 36 months, subject to continuous service.

Under which plan were the SRZN inducement awards made and what Nasdaq rule applies?

The awards were granted under Surrozen's 2025 Equity Inducement Plan under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4). According to Surrozen, that rule permits equity inducement grants to new employees consistent with Nasdaq listing requirements.

Who approved the SRZN inducement grant and does it affect existing shareholder approvals?

The Compensation Committee of Surrozen's board approved the inducement option grant. According to Surrozen, the grant was made as a new-employee inducement under the 2025 plan and does not state any additional shareholder approval was required.