Viridian Therapeutics Announces Inducement Grants Under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4)
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non-qualified stock optionsfinancial
Non-qualified stock options are a type of employee benefit that gives individuals the right to buy company shares at a set price, usually lower than the market value, within a certain period. Unlike other options that may have special tax advantages, these options are taxed as income when exercised, which can affect how much money the employee or investor ultimately gains. They are important because they can influence company compensation strategies and impact the financial outcomes for employees and investors.
nasdaq listing rule 5635(c)(4)regulatory
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.
A cell-surface protein that acts like an antenna for the growth hormone called insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1); when IGF-1 binds, the receptor sends signals that drive cell growth, survival and division. It matters to investors because drugs that block or modify this receptor are pursued for cancer and metabolic diseases, so clinical trial results, safety findings or regulatory decisions involving IGF-1R can sharply affect the value of companies developing such treatments.
thyroid eye disease (ted)medical
An inflammatory condition in which the immune system attacks the tissues and muscles around the eyes, causing swelling, bulging, double vision, pain and, in severe cases, loss of sight. It matters to investors because its severity and prevalence drive demand for drugs, surgeries and diagnostics, influence healthcare spending and regulatory decisions, and can meaningfully affect revenue and valuations for companies developing or selling treatments—like a busted pipe creating urgent repair needs.
neonatal fc receptor (fcrn) inhibitorsmedical
Neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) inhibitors are drugs that block a protein responsible for recycling IgG antibodies, causing those antibodies to be cleared from the bloodstream faster. Think of FcRn as a recycling center for antibodies; inhibitors shut the center down so harmful antibodies that drive autoimmune diseases are reduced. For investors, these drugs matter because they address a broad range of immune-driven conditions, influence clinical trial and regulatory risk, and can affect market opportunity, pricing and long-term revenue potential.
WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Viridian Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: VRDN), a biotechnology company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing potential best-in-class medicines for serious and rare diseases, today announced that the Compensation Committee of the company’s Board of Directors, made up entirely of independent directors, approved the grant of non-qualified stock options to purchase an aggregate of 16,650 shares of the company’s common stock to one new employee (the “Inducement Grants”) on January 2, 2026 (the “Grant Date”). The Inducement Grants have been granted outside of the company’s Amended and Restated 2016 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) but remain subject to the terms and conditions of such Plan. The Inducement Grants were granted as an inducement material to these individuals entering into employment with Viridian in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).
The Inducement Grants have an exercise price per share that is equal to the closing price of Viridian’s common stock on the Grant Date. The Inducement Grants will vest over a four-year period, with 25% of the shares vesting on the one-year anniversary of the employee’s start date, and thereafter the remainder of the shares vest in 36 equal monthly installments, subject to each employee’s continued employment with Viridian through the applicable vesting dates.
About Viridian Therapeutics
Viridian is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing potential best-in-class medicines for patients with serious and rare diseases. Viridian’s expertise in antibody discovery and protein engineering enables the development of differentiated therapeutic candidates for previously validated drug targets in commercially established disease areas.
Viridian is advancing multiple late-stage, anti-insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) candidates in the clinic for the treatment of patients with thyroid eye disease (TED). The company conducted a pivotal program for veligrotug, including two global phase 3 clinical trials (THRIVE and THRIVE-2), to evaluate its efficacy and safety in patients with active and chronic TED. Both THRIVE and THRIVE-2 reported positive topline data, meeting the primary and all secondary endpoints of each study. Viridian is also advancing elegrobart (VRDN-003) as a potential best-in-class subcutaneous therapy for the treatment of TED, including two ongoing global phase 3 pivotal clinical trials, REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2, to evaluate the efficacy and safety of elegrobart in patients with active and chronic TED.
In addition to its IGF‑1R inhibitor portfolio, Viridian is developing an anti–thyroid‑stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) program designed as a potential therapy for TED or Graves disease.
Viridian is also advancing a novel portfolio of neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) inhibitors, including VRDN-006 and VRDN-008, which have the potential to be developed in multiple autoimmune diseases.
