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APLS Insider Filing: 6,250-Share RSU Grant to Chief Accounting Officer

Filing Impact
(Moderate)
Filing Sentiment
(Neutral)
Form Type
4

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (APLS) filed a Form 4 disclosing that its Vice President & Chief Accounting Officer, James George Chopas, received a grant of 6,250 shares of common stock in the form of restricted stock units (RSUs) on 18 June 2025. The transaction was coded “A(1),” indicating an award under the company’s equity compensation plan at no cash cost to the executive (reported price $0). Following the grant, Chopas’ total beneficial ownership increased to 54,205 shares held directly.

The RSUs vest over a two-year period: 50 % on the first anniversary of the grant date and the remaining 50 % on the second anniversary, contingent upon continued employment. No derivative securities were acquired or disposed of, and the filing does not reference any Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The filing was signed on 20 June 2025 by attorney-in-fact David Watson.

From an investor perspective, this is a routine executive equity award intended to align management incentives with shareholder interests. It does not change the company’s capital structure in a material way and is unlikely to affect near-term financial performance or valuation.

Positive

  • None.

Negative

  • None.

Insights

TL;DR: Routine RSU grant to CAO; minor increase in insider holdings, immaterial impact on Apellis valuation.

The Form 4 shows a standard compensation-related RSU award of 6,250 shares to Chief Accounting Officer James Chopas. At the current share count of Apellis (~115 million), the grant represents less than 0.01 % dilution—far below materiality thresholds. Vesting over two years encourages retention and aligns the CAO’s incentives with shareholders, but does not convey new information about operational performance, strategy or outlook. No open-market purchase or sale occurred, so the filing lacks signaling value regarding management’s view of intrinsic value. Overall, the disclosure is typical housekeeping and should have negligible market impact.

Insider Chopas James George
Role VP/Chief Accounting Officer
Type Security Shares Price Value
Grant/Award Common Stock 6,250 $0.00 --
Holdings After Transaction: Common Stock — 54,205 shares (Direct)
Footnotes (1)
  1. [object Object]
Form 4 Insider Transactions: What Each Field Means →
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*
Chopas James George
(Last) (First) (Middle)
C/O APELLIS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
100 FIFTH AVENUE, 3RD FLOOR
(Street)
WALTHAM MA 02451
(City) (State) (Zip)
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. [ APLS ] 		5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
Director 10% Owner
X Officer (give title below) Other (specify below)
VP/Chief Accounting Officer
3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
06/18/2025
4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)
 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
X Form filed by One Reporting Person
Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
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
Common Stock 06/18/2025 A(1) 6,250 A $0 54,205 D
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
Explanation of Responses:
1. This restricted stock unit was granted on June 18, 2025. The restricted stock unit will vest over a two-year period. Specifically, 50% of the restricted unit will vest on each of the one-year and two-year anniversaries of the grant date, contingent upon continued service.
/s/ David Watson, attorney-in-fact for James Chopas 06/20/2025
** 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.

Source: View Original Filing on SEC EDGAR

FAQ

What insider transaction was reported for APLS on Form 4?

Apellis disclosed a grant of 6,250 restricted stock units to its CAO, James G. Chopas, on 18 June 2025.

How many Apellis shares does James Chopas now beneficially own?

After the RSU grant, Chopas holds 54,205 shares of APLS common stock directly.

What is the vesting schedule for the 6,250 RSUs granted to the CAO of APLS?

The RSUs vest 50 % after one year and 50 % after two years from the 18 June 2025 grant date, contingent on continued service.

Did the filing indicate use of a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan?

No. The box for transactions under Rule 10b5-1 was not checked in this Form 4.

Was any cash paid for the RSUs granted to James Chopas?

No. The RSUs were awarded at $0 purchase price as part of compensation.