Vericel CMO exercises options, sells 4,375 shares

Vericel Corp Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Mark Hopper exercised stock options and sold shares in a coordinated transaction.

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Vericel Corp Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Mark Hopper exercised stock options and sold shares in a coordinated transaction. He exercised options for 4,375 shares of common stock at $16.66 per share, then sold 4,375 shares at $35.00 per share the same day.

After these transactions, he directly holds 75,753 shares of Vericel common stock and retains 1,625 stock options exercisable at $16.66 per share, expiring on February 6, 2029. The sale was executed automatically under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted on May 30, 2025.

Insider Trade Summary 10b5-1

Exercise and Sale: 4,375 shares ($80K approx. pre-tax spread)

Exercise and Sale 3 txns

Insider Hopper Jonathan Mark

Role Chief Medical Officer

Sold 4,375 shs ($153K)

Approx. gross sale proceeds $153K

Approx. exercise cost $73K

Approx. pre-tax spread $80K

Type	Security	Shares	Price	Value
Exercise	Stock Option (Right to Buy)	4,375	$0.00	$0.00
Exercise	Common Stock	4,375	$16.66	$73K
Sale	Common Stock	4,375	$35.00	$153K

Holdings After Transaction: Stock Option (Right to Buy) — 1,625 contracts (Direct); Common Stock — 75,753 shares (Direct)

Footnotes (3)

1. F1. These shares include shares acquired pursuant to the Issuer's 2015 Employee Stock Purchase Plan in transactions that were exempt under both Rule 16b-3(d) and Rule 16b-3(c).
2. F2. The sales reported in this Form 4 were effected by an automatic sale pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted by the reporting person on May 30, 2025.
3. F3. These options, representing the right to purchase 26,000 shares, became exercisable in equal quarterly installments, contingent upon continued service to the Company, with the first vesting date on May 6, 2019, which was one quarter after the date on which the option was granted.

Key Figures

Shares sold: 4,375 shares Sale price: $35.00 per share Options exercised: 4,375 shares +3 more

6 metrics

Shares sold 4,375 shares Open-market sale of common stock at $35.00 per share on June 2, 2026

Sale price $35.00 per share Price for 4,375 Vericel common shares sold by CMO

Options exercised 4,375 shares Stock options exercised at $16.66 per share for Vericel common stock

Exercise price $16.66 per share Strike price of stock options converted into Vericel common shares

Shares held after 75,753 shares Direct Vericel common stock holdings following the transactions

Remaining options 1,625 options Unexercised stock options at $16.66 expiring February 6, 2029

Key Terms

Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, Rule 16b-3(d), Stock Option (Right to Buy), +1 more

5 terms

Rule 10b5-1 trading plan regulatory

"The sales reported in this Form 4 were effected by an automatic sale pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted by the reporting person"

A Rule 10b5-1 trading plan is a pre-arranged schedule that allows company insiders to buy or sell stock at specific times, even if they have inside information. It helps prevent accusations of unfair trading by making these transactions look planned and transparent, rather than sneaky or illegal.

Employee Stock Purchase Plan financial

"These shares include shares acquired pursuant to the Issuer's 2015 Employee Stock Purchase Plan in transactions that were exempt"

An employee stock purchase plan is a company program that lets workers buy shares through small payroll deductions, often at a discount to the market price and after a set offering period. Think of it like a workplace savings plan that turns into ownership: it encourages employees to share in the company’s success and can create predictable buying or selling of stock that investors watch because it affects supply, demand and employee incentives.

Rule 16b-3(d) regulatory

"transactions that were exempt under both Rule 16b-3(d) and Rule 16b-3(c)"

Rule 16b-3(d) is a narrow SEC safe-harbor that shields company insiders (officers, directors and large shareholders) from liability for short‑swing profits when their buys or sells of company stock are made under a pre-established, written plan or contract that removes the insider’s ability to time trades. For investors, this matters because it permits predictable, automated insider transactions — like scheduled sales for diversification or payroll withholding — without triggering forced disgorgement, so such planned trades are treated differently from opportunistic insider trading.

Stock Option (Right to Buy) financial

"Stock Option (Right to Buy) ... representing the right to purchase 26,000 shares"

derivative security financial

"Exercise or conversion of derivative security"

A derivative security is a financial contract whose value comes from the price or performance of something else, such as a stock, bond, commodity, or market index. For investors it acts like an insurance policy or a wager: it can be used to protect against losses, lock in prices, or amplify gains and losses, so it can change a portfolio’s risk and potential return without owning the underlying asset directly.

FAQ

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

What insider transaction did Vericel (VCEL) report for its Chief Medical Officer?

Vericel’s Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Mark Hopper exercised 4,375 stock options at $16.66 and sold 4,375 common shares at $35.00. These same-day transactions reflect an exercise-and-sell pattern rather than a change in his overall common share holdings.

How many Vericel (VCEL) shares does Jonathan Hopper hold after this Form 4?

After the reported transactions, Jonathan Hopper directly holds 75,753 shares of Vericel common stock. He also retains 1,625 stock options with a $16.66 exercise price, expiring on February 6, 2029, providing additional potential future equity exposure.

Was the Vericel (VCEL) insider sale under a Rule 10b5-1 plan?

Yes. The Form 4 states the sales were effected by an automatic sale under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted by Jonathan Hopper on May 30, 2025, indicating the sale timing was pre-planned rather than a discretionary market-timing decision.

What stock options did the Vericel (VCEL) CMO exercise in this filing?

Jonathan Hopper exercised stock options representing the right to purchase 4,375 Vericel common shares at an exercise price of $16.66. These options were part of a larger 26,000-share grant that vested quarterly, contingent on continued service to the company.

How many Vericel (VCEL) options remain after the CMO’s exercise?

Following the option exercise reported, Jonathan Hopper has 1,625 stock options remaining. These options carry a $16.66 exercise price and an expiration date of February 6, 2029, leaving additional capacity for future exercises if he chooses.

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

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Accepted by SEC EDGAR 06/04/2026 - 04:05 PM EDT 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).

X

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^*

Hopper Jonathan Mark

(Last) (First) (Middle)

25 BLUE SKY DRIVE

(Street)

BURLINGTON MASSACHUSETTS 01803

(City) (State) (Zip)

UNITED STATES

(Country)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Vericel Corp [ VCEL ]

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

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

2a. Foreign Trading Symbol

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
06/02/2026

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
Common Stock	06/02/2026		M		4,375	A	$16.66	80,128(1)	D
Common Stock	06/02/2026		S		4,375	D(2)	$35	75,753(1)	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
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	$16.66	06/02/2026		M		4,375		(3)	02/06/2029	Common Stock	4,375	$0	1,625	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. These shares include shares acquired pursuant to the Issuer's 2015 Employee Stock Purchase Plan in transactions that were exempt under both Rule 16b-3(d) and Rule 16b-3(c).

2. The sales reported in this Form 4 were effected by an automatic sale pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted by the reporting person on May 30, 2025.

3. These options, representing the right to purchase 26,000 shares, became exercisable in equal quarterly installments, contingent upon continued service to the Company, with the first vesting date on May 6, 2019, which was one quarter after the date on which the option was granted.

	/s/ Sean Flynn, as Attorney-in-Fact for Jonathan Hopper	06/04/2026
	** 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)