Adagene grants director 20,000 options at $3

Adagene Inc. director Zhu Li received a grant of 20,000 nonqualified stock options on August 13, 2026 under the Adagene Inc. 2021 Performance Incentive Plan.

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Adagene Inc. director Zhu Li received a grant of 20,000 nonqualified stock options on August 13, 2026 under the Adagene Inc. 2021 Performance Incentive Plan. The options have an exercise price of $3.00 per ordinary share, expire on August 13, 2036, and increase Li’s directly held option position to 90,000 options.

According to the grant terms, the options will vest on April 30, 2027 or on the date of the next Form 20-F filing, whichever occurs earlier, tying vesting to a specific future company reporting milestone.

Insider Trade Summary

Grant/Award: 20,000 shares

Grant/Award 1 txn

Insider Zhu Li

Role Director

Type	Security	Shares	Price	Value
Grant/Award	Nonqualified Stock Option (Right to Buy) F1	20,000	$0.00	$0.00

Holdings After Transaction: Nonqualified Stock Option (Right to Buy) — 90,000 contracts (Direct)

Footnotes (1)

1. F1. 20,000 shares of stock option granted on August 13, 2026 under the Adagene Inc. 2021 Performance Incentive Plan, and the option shall vest on April 30, 2027 or the date of the next 20-F filing, whichever is earlier.

Key Figures

Options granted: 20,000 options Exercise price: $3.00 per share Expiration date: August 13, 2036 +3 more

6 metrics

Options granted 20,000 options Nonqualified stock options granted on August 13, 2026 under the 2021 Performance Incentive Plan

Exercise price $3.00 per share Conversion or exercise price for the 20,000 newly granted options

Expiration date August 13, 2036 Expiration date of the 20,000 nonqualified stock options

Underlying shares 20,000 ordinary shares Number of ordinary shares underlying the newly granted options

Total options after grant 90,000 options Total derivative securities beneficially owned following the reported transaction

Vesting date trigger April 30, 2027 Vests on April 30, 2027 or the date of the next Form 20-F, whichever is earlier

Key Terms

Nonqualified Stock Option, Performance Incentive Plan, Form 20-F

3 terms

Nonqualified Stock Option financial

"Nonqualified Stock Option (Right to Buy)"

A nonqualified stock option (NQSO) is a company grant that gives an individual the right to buy shares at a set price but does not meet special tax rules for incentive stock options; when exercised the difference between the market price and the exercise price is treated as ordinary income for the recipient and as a tax-deductible expense for the company. It matters to investors because NQSOs affect an employee’s after-tax proceeds, the company’s reported expenses, and potential share dilution—think of it like a cash bonus that converts into stock but is taxed as regular pay when you take it.

Performance Incentive Plan financial

"under the Adagene Inc. 2021 Performance Incentive Plan"

Form 20-F regulatory

"or the date of the next 20-F filing, whichever is earlier"

Form 20-F is the standardized annual disclosure that non-U.S. companies must file with the U.S. securities regulator when their shares are traded in the U.S.; it contains audited financial statements, a plain-language description of the business, management discussion, governance details and key risk factors. It matters to investors because it provides a consistent, comparable company “report card” and rulebook, helping buyers assess financial health, governance and risks before investing.

FAQ

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

What transaction did Zhu Li report in the Form 4 for ADAG?

Zhu Li reported a grant of 20,000 nonqualified stock options for Adagene Inc. on August 13, 2026. These derivative awards give the right to buy ordinary shares at a fixed exercise price in the future, subject to vesting conditions.

What is the exercise price and expiration date of Zhu Li’s new ADAG options?

The granted options have an exercise price of $3.00 per share and expire on August 13, 2036. This means Zhu Li can purchase Adagene ordinary shares at $3.00 any time after vesting and before the stated expiration date, if the options are in the money.

When do Zhu Li’s newly granted ADAG stock options vest?

The 20,000 stock options vest on April 30, 2027 or on the date of Adagene’s next Form 20-F filing, whichever is earlier. Vesting must occur before the options become exercisable, linking the award to a future financial reporting milestone.

How many ADAG options does Zhu Li hold after this reported grant?

Following this grant, Zhu Li holds 90,000 stock options in total on a direct basis. The Form 4 lists this figure as the total number of derivative securities beneficially owned after the reported transaction, reflecting accumulated option awards.

Is Zhu Li’s Form 4 transaction for ADAG a market purchase or a compensation award?

The filing shows a compensation-related grant, coded as a grant, award, or other acquisition (transaction code A), not a market purchase. The nonqualified stock options were granted under the Adagene Inc. 2021 Performance Incentive Plan at no purchase price on the grant date.

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

Form 4 Insider Transactions: What Each Field Means →

See more from StockTitan in Google Search and AI answers. Adds StockTitan as a preferred source · opens Google

Add on Google Not now

Available on EDGAR 08/17/2026 - 08:33 PM Accepted by SEC EDGAR 08/17/2026 - 08:32 PM Learn about SEC filing dates

SEC Form 4

FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

OMB APPROVAL

OMB Number:			3235-0287
Estimated average burden
hours per response:			0.5

Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

Check this box to indicate that a transaction was made pursuant to a contract, instruction or written plan for the purchase or sale of equity securities of the issuer that is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c). See Instruction 10.

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

Zhu Li

(Last) (First) (Middle)

4F, BUILDING C14, NO. 218 XINGHU STREET

(Street)

SUZHOU JIANGSU 215123

(City) (State) (Zip)

CHINA

(Country)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Adagene Inc. [ ADAG ]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

X	Director		10% Owner
	Officer (give title below)		Other (specify below)

2a. Foreign Trading Symbol

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
08/13/2026

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares
Nonqualified Stock Option (Right to Buy)	$3	08/13/2026		A		20,000		(1)	08/13/2036	Ordinary Shares	20,000	$0.	90,000	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. 20,000 shares of stock option granted on August 13, 2026 under the Adagene Inc. 2021 Performance Incentive Plan, and the option shall vest on April 30, 2027 or the date of the next 20-F filing, whichever is earlier.

	/s/ Li Zhu	08/17/2026
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.
* Form 4: SEC 1474 (03-26)