subject to continued employment through December 31, 2026 (or his earlier death or disability), he will remain eligible for a full annual cash incentive award under the Plan for 2026 based on his current target opportunity and actual Company performance (with a personal payout percentage of 100%). Under the Blair Transition Letter, during the Consultancy Period, Mr. Blair will receive monthly fees equal to the current monthly rate of his base salary and shall not be eligible to receive any cash bonuses or equity awards under the Company’s incentive plans.
In accordance with that Amended and Restated Agreement Regarding Competition and Protection of Proprietary Interests, dated May 6, 2020, between Mr. Blair and the Company (the “Blair PIA”), the Company’s existing plans and the Blair Transition Letter, upon the Employment Separation Date, Mr. Blair will be entitled to receive (i) a cash amount equal to 12 months of base salary at the current monthly rate, payable in accordance with the Blair Transition Letter, (ii) a lump-sum cash amount equal to his current target annual cash incentive, payable within 30 calendar days following the effectiveness of a release, and (iii) a lump-sum COBRA subsidy payment equal to the amount the Company would otherwise have contributed toward his group health, prescription, vision and dental coverage as an active employee for 12 months, in each case subject to Mr. Blair’s execution and non-revocation of each of a release of claims within 30 days of the Transition Date and a supplemental release within 30 days of the Employment Separation Date. The restrictive covenants in the Blair PIA will remain in full force and effect in accordance with their terms during the Advisory Period and Consultancy Period (with any post-employment termination period thereunder commencing on expiration of the Consultancy Period), and Mr. Blair’s outstanding equity awards will be treated in accordance with their existing terms, including eligibility for early retirement, death and disability treatment.
The foregoing summary does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, reference to the full text of the Blair Transition Letter, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.3 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated by reference into this Item 5.02.
Special Equity Awards
On July 31, 2026, the Compensation Committee of the Board (the “Compensation Committee”) approved a Long-Term Growth Award to Matthew Gugino, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, with a target award value of $12,500,000 and on the same terms as described above for the Long-Term Growth Award granted to Ms. Sawyer Montgomery.
On July 31, 2026, the Compensation Committee also approved special equity grants, as of the Grant Date, of time-vesting restricted stock unit (“RSU”) awards to named executive officers Christopher P. Riley, the Company’s Executive Vice President, Biotechnology Group, and Jose-Carlos Gutierrez-Ramos, the Company’s Senior Vice President and Chief Science Officer, with target award values of $8,000,000 and $2,625,000, respectively. Mr. Riley’s RSUs are scheduled to vest 50% on the 18-month anniversary and 50% on the 30-month anniversary of the Grant Date, and Mr. Gutierrez-Ramos’s RSUs are scheduled to vest 100% on the 12-month anniversary of the Grant Date, in each case subject to continued employment through the vesting date.
The foregoing summaries do not purport to be complete and are subject to, and qualified in their entirety by, reference to the full text of the forms of award agreements applicable to the Long-Term Growth Award and RSU awards described above, copies of which are filed as Exhibits 10.2 and 10.4 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated by reference into this Item 5.02.
| ITEM 7.01 |
REGULATION FD DISCLOSURE |
On August 3, 2026, the Company issued a press release announcing the leadership transition described in Item 5.02 above. A copy of the press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.
The information in this Item 7.01, including Exhibit 99.1, is being furnished pursuant to Item 7.01 of Form 8-K and shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities under that Section, and shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing of the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing.