Apellis (NASDAQ: APLS) CEO sells shares to cover tax withholding

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Chief Executive Officer and director Cedric Francois reported a sale of common stock mainly tied to taxes on equity compensation. On January 20, 2026, he sold 8,182 shares of Apellis common stock at $19.7929 per share, in a transaction described as covering tax withholding on restricted stock units that were released on January 16, 2026. Following this sale, he directly owned 313,237 shares of common stock.

In addition to his direct holdings, the filing lists several indirect holdings through trusts, including 307,946 shares held by The Cedric Francois Irrevocable Trust of 2023 - 2, 472,065 shares held by The Cedric Francois Irrevocable Trust of 2023, 300,000 shares held by The Francois Grossi Trust, and 234,411 shares held by The Francois-DuBois Educational Trust. The filing states that Francois disclaims beneficial ownership of shares held in these trusts except to the extent of his pecuniary interest.

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
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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^*

Francois Cedric

(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)

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

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
01/20/2026

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	01/20/2026		S(1)		8,182	D	$19.7929	313,237	D
Common Stock								307,946	I(2)	Indirect Owner (The Cedric Francois Irrevocable Trust of 2023 - 2)
Common Stock								472,065	I(3)	Indirect Owner (The Cedric Francois Irrevocable Trust of 2023)
Common Stock								300,000	I(4)	Indirect Owner (The Francois Grossi Trust)
Common Stock								234,411	I(5)	Indirect Owner (The Francois-DuBois Educational Trust)

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 represents shares sold to cover tax withholding on the Restricted Stock Units released on January 16, 2026.

2. The securities are held by The Cedric Francois Irrevocable Trust of 2023 - 2. William V. A. Zorn is the trustee of The Cedric Francois Irrevocable Trust of 2023 - 2. The reporting person disclaims beneficial ownership over the shares held by The Cedric Francois Irrevocable Trust of 2023 - 2 except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein.

3. The securities are held by The Cedric Francois Irrevocable Trust of 2023. William V. A. Zorn is the trustee of The Cedric Francois Irrevocable Trust of 2023. The reporting person disclaims beneficial ownership over the shares held by The Cedric Francois Irrevocable Trust of 2023 except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein.

4. The securities are held by The Francois Grossi Trust, for which Juliana Grossi, the spouse of the reporting person, serves as trustee. The reporting person disclaims beneficial ownership over the shares held by the Francois Grossi Trust except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein.

5. The securities are held by The Francois-DuBois Educational Trust, for which the Fiduciary Trust Company of New England serves as trustee. The reporting person disclaims beneficial ownership over the shares held by The Francois-DuBois Educational Trust except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein.

	/s/ David Watson, attorney-in-fact for Cedric Francois	01/21/2026
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
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FAQ

What insider transaction did Apellis (APLS) report for Cedric Francois?

The filing reports that Cedric Francois, Chief Executive Officer and director of Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., sold 8,182 shares of common stock on January 20, 2026 at a price of $19.7929 per share.

Why did Cedric Francois sell 8,182 Apellis (APLS) shares?

According to the explanation, the 8,182-share sale represents shares sold to cover tax withholding on restricted stock units that were released on January 16, 2026.

How many Apellis (APLS) shares does Cedric Francois own directly after this Form 4?

After the reported transaction, Cedric Francois directly owned 313,237 shares of Apellis common stock.

What indirect Apellis (APLS) holdings are associated with Cedric Francois?

The filing lists indirect holdings of Apellis common stock, including 307,946 shares held by The Cedric Francois Irrevocable Trust of 2023 - 2, 472,065 shares held by The Cedric Francois Irrevocable Trust of 2023, 300,000 shares held by The Francois Grossi Trust, and 234,411 shares held by The Francois-DuBois Educational Trust.

Does Cedric Francois claim full beneficial ownership of the Apellis (APLS) shares held in the trusts?

No. The filing states that he disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares held by each of the listed trusts except to the extent of his pecuniary interest in those shares.

What roles does Cedric Francois hold at Apellis Pharmaceuticals (APLS)?

Cedric Francois is identified in the filing as both a Director and an Officer of Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., serving as Chief Executive Officer.