Pelthos Therapeutics (PTHS) CFO separation drives equity award shifts and trust share sale
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Pelthos Therapeutics Inc.’s Form 4 details equity changes tied to Chief Financial Officer Francis Knuettel II’s separation. A Separation Agreement dated May 15, 2026 governs forfeiture and accelerated vesting of his stock awards.
The filing reports the forfeiture and cancellation of unvested restricted stock units and stock options for no consideration, and the acceleration of vesting for 19,525 RSUs out of 33,472 previously granted under the 2023 Equity Incentive Plan. Certain stock options also became fully vested and exercisable, while others were cancelled.
Separately, the Lara Knuettel Revocable Trust, an entity associated with Mr. Knuettel, sold 1,500 shares of common stock on May 22, 2026 in open-market trades at a weighted average price of $26.8433 per share, leaving 11,316 shares held by the trust and 10,000 shares held by Camden Capital LLC.
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Insights
Form 4 shows CFO exit-driven equity clean-up and a small trust sale.
The filing centers on Chief Financial Officer Francis Knuettel II leaving Pelthos Therapeutics Inc. under a Separation Agreement. Unvested RSUs and options are partly forfeited and partly accelerated, which is typical when an executive’s employment ends.
The agreement accelerates vesting of 19,525 RSUs out of 33,472 previously granted, and makes certain stock options fully vested and exercisable while cancelling others for no consideration. These actions are compensation-related and exempt under Rule 16b-3(d), so they do not reflect market timing decisions.
An additional element is an open-market sale of 1,500 shares by the Lara Knuettel Revocable Trust at a weighted average of $26.8433 per share, leaving 11,316 shares in the trust and 10,000 shares at Camden Capital LLC. The sale size appears modest in the context of the reported indirect holdings, and the key takeaway is the governance transition rather than a directional trading signal.
Insider Trade Summary
| Type | Security | Shares | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grant/Award | Stock Option | 59,500 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Disposition | Stock Option | 42,500 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Disposition | Common Stock | 13,947 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Sale | Common Stock | 1,500 | $26.8433 | $40K |
| holding | Common Stock | -- | -- | -- |
Footnotes (6)
- F1. Represents the forfeiture and cancellation of unvested restricted stock units ("RSUs") of Pelthos Therapeutics Inc. (the "Issuer"), for no consideration pursuant to that certain Separation Agreement entered into on May 15, 2026 (the "Separation Agreement") in connection with the reporting person's termination of employment as Chief Financial Officer of the Issuer.
- F2. The Separation Agreement provides for the acceleration of vesting of 19,525 RSUs out of the 33,472 previously reported RSUs granted to the reporting person pursuant to the Issuer's 2023 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended from time to time (the "2023 Plan"), each of which represents the right to receive one (1) share of common stock, par value, $0.0001 per share ("Common Stock"), subject to the vesting terms of such RSUs, and may be settled solely in shares of Common Stock. The RSUs were received as compensation for the reporting person's service as an officer of the Issuer pursuant to the 2023 Plan. The 19,525 unvested RSUs became fully vested on May 22, 2026 upon expiration of the revocation period in the Separation Agreement. The transaction is exempt under Rule 16b-3(d). The acceleration does not represent a new grant of RSUs.
- F3. Represents an open market sale of the Lara Knuettel Revocable (the "Trust") on May 22, 2026. This transaction was executed in multiple trades at prices ranging from $26.66 to $27.16. The price reported in column 4 above reflects the weighted average price of the shares of Common Stock sold. The reporting person hereby undertakes to provide upon request to the SEC staff, the Issuer or a security holder of the Issuer full information regarding the number of shares and prices at which the transaction was effected
- F4. Francis Knuettel II is the co-trustee of the Trust and manager of Camden Capital LLC ("Camden"). By virtue of these relationships, Mr. Knuettel may be deemed to beneficially own the shares of Common Stock held of record by each of Camden and the Trust. Mr. Knuettel disclaims any such beneficial ownership except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein.
- F5. Represents the acceleration of vesting of stock options pursuant to the Separation Agreement in connection with the reporting person's termination of employment as Chief Financial Officer of the Issuer. The unvested stock options became fully vested and exercisable on May 22, 2026. The transaction is exempt under Rule 16b-3(d). This acceleration does not represent a new grant of options. The stock options may be exercised only until January 15, 2027, subject to the terms of the 2023 Plan and the Separation Agreement.
- F6. Represents the forfeiture and cancellation of unvested stock options for no consideration pursuant to the Separation Agreement in connection with the reporting person's termination of employment as Chief Financial Officer of the Issuer.
Key Figures
Key Terms
Separation Agreement financial
restricted stock units ("RSUs") financial
2023 Equity Incentive Plan financial
Rule 16b-3(d) regulatory
revocable trust financial
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