NewAmsterdam Pharma Co N.V.
For the period ended Dec 31, 2025. Filed Feb 18, 2026.
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FY2025 · Filed Feb 18, 2026
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Item 11. Executive Compensation
Compensation Discussion and Analysis
This Compensation Discussion and Analysis (“CD&A”) describes the philosophy, objectives, process, components and additional aspects of our executive compensation program for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025. This CD&A is intended to be read in conjunction with the compensation tables that immediately follow this section, which provide historical compensation information for our following named executive officers ("NEOs"):
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Michael Davidson, M.D. | Chief Executive Officer |
| Ian Somaiya | Chief Financial Officer |
| Louise Kooij | Chief Accounting Officer |
| John Kastelein, M.D., Ph.D. FESC | Chief Scientific Officer |
| Douglas Kling | Chief Operating Officer |
Executive Compensation Philosophy and Objectives
We maintain a shareholder-approved, formal, written compensation policy consistent with Dutch law. The compensation policy provides that the amount, level and structure of compensation should contribute to the Company's strategy, long-term interests and sustainability by:
attracting, retaining and motivating highly skilled individuals with the qualities, capabilities, profile and experience needed to support and promote the growth and sustainable success of the Company and its business;
driving strong business performance, promoting accountability and incentivizing the achievement of short and long-term performance targets with the objective of furthering long-term value creation in a manner consistent with the Company's identity, mission and values;
assuring that the interests of the Company's directors are closely aligned to those of the Company, its business and its stakeholders; and
ensuring overall market competitiveness of the compensation packages, while providing the Board of Directors sufficient flexibility to tailor the Company's compensation practices on a case-by-case basis, depending on the market conditions from time to time.
To achieve these objectives, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Compensation Committee”) regularly evaluates our executive compensation program to determine components of compensation and establish compensation levels that are appropriate based on each executive’s level of experience, performance, growth potential, job responsibility and criticality of role, and that align with the Company's size and stage.
Executive Compensation Components
Our executive compensation program generally consists of, and is intended to strike a balance among, the following three principal components: base salary, annual performance-based cash bonuses and long-term incentive equity grants. We also provide our executive officers with severance and change-in-control benefits, as well as other benefits available to all our employees, including retirement benefits under the Company’s U.S. 401(k) plan, retirement arrangements for employees in other countries and participation in employee benefit plans. The following chart summarizes the key features and objectives of the three main elements of compensation.
| Element | Description | Objectives |
|---|---|---|
| Base Salary | •Fixed cash compensation. •Determined based on each executive officer’s role, individual skills, experience, performance, and external market value. | •Provide stable compensation to executive officers, allow the Company to attract and retain skilled executive talent and maintain a stable leadership team. |
| Short-Term Incentives: Annual Bonus Plan | •Variable cash compensation based on the level of achievement of pre-determined annual corporate goals, contribution to the corporate goals and personal performance. | •Promote and reward the achievement of key annual strategic, business and operational goals. |
| Long-Term Incentives: Equity-Based Compensation | •Variable equity-based compensation.•Share options: Right to purchase shares at a price equal to the share price on the grant date.•Restricted share units. | •Motivate and reward achievement of multi-year strategic goals and delivery of sustained long-term value to shareholders, as well as attract and retain executive officers. |
Compensation Program Governance
The Compensation Committee assesses the effectiveness of our executive compensation program from time to time and reviews risk mitigation and governance matters, which includes maintaining the following best practices:
| What We Do | ||
|---|---|---|
| ☑ | Pay for Performance | The majority of total executive compensation is variable and at-risk. |
| ☑ | Balance Short- and Long-Term Compensation | The allocation of incentives among annual cash incentives and long-term equity incentives does not over-emphasize short-term performance at the expense of achieving long-term goals. |
| ☑ | Combination of Balanced Performance Metrics | We use a diverse set of milestone performance metrics in our annual performance bonus plan to ensure that no single measure affects compensation disproportionately. |
| ☑ | Independent Compensation Consultant | The Compensation Committee has engaged an independent compensation consultant to provide information and advice for use in Compensation Committee decision-making. |
| ☑ | Peer Data | We develop a peer group of companies based on industry, development stage, therapeutic focus, market capitalization, employee headcount, and number of years as a public company to reference for compensation decisions. |
| ☑ | Clawback | We maintain a clawback policy compliant with SEC and Nasdaq rules. |
| ☑ | Double Trigger Change-in-Control Provisions | We entered into agreements with each of the NEOs that provide certain financial benefits if there is both a change in control and a termination of employment (a “double trigger”). A change in control alone would not trigger cash severance pay. |
| What We Don’t Do | ||
| ✘ | No Hedging or Pledging of Company Securities | We prohibit officers and directors from engaging in hedging, pledging or short sale transactions in Company securities. |
| ✘ | No Perks | We do not provide material perquisites to executive officers. |
| ✘ | No Excise Tax Gross-Ups | We do not provide excise tax gross-ups. |
| ✘ | No Share Options Below Fair Market Value | We do not grant share options with an exercise price below fair market value. |
| ✘ | No Guaranteed Compensation | We do not have agreements with our NEOs that provide any guarantees relating to base salary increases or the amounts of any annual cash incentive awards or long-term equity awards. |
| ✘ | No Special Retirement Benefits | We do not provide defined benefit pension arrangements or post-retirement health coverage for our executive officers or employees. Our NEOs and other executives are eligible to participate in our 401(k) plan (U.S.) or personal pension plan on the same basis as our other employees. |
| ✘ | No Share Option Repricing | We do not permit repricing of share options or share appreciation rights without shareholder approval. |
Compensation Determination Process
Role of our Shareholders
Our shareholders have adopted a formal, written compensation policy in accordance with Dutch law. Changes to the compensation policy will require a vote of the General Meeting by simple majority of votes cast. The Board of Directors and the Compensation Committee determine the compensation of individual directors and executive officers with due observance of the compensation policy to the extent applicable.
At our 2025 General Meeting, our shareholders approved the compensation of our named executive officers by a non-binding, advisory vote with over 98% of the votes cast on the proposal voting "FOR" approval. The Compensation Committee and Board considered the results of this advisory vote in connection with its annual review of our executive compensation practices.
Role of the Compensation Committee
The Compensation Committee establishes the compensation philosophy and objectives (in accordance with the compensation policy), determines the structure, components and other elements of executive compensation, and reviews and approves the compensation of the NEOs or recommends it for approval by the Board of Directors. The Compensation Committee structures the executive compensation program to accomplish its articulated compensation objectives in light of the compensation philosophy described above.
The Compensation Committee annually reviews compensation policies and procedures to determine if any updates are needed. The Compensation Committee also approves, or recommends to the Board of Directors for approval, the corporate objectives associated with our annual performance-based cash incentive program, as well as assessing the Company’s performance against those corporate objectives after the end of the year or making a recommendation to the Board of Directors as to the extent to which the Company has met those corporate objectives.
The Compensation Committee meets periodically throughout the year to manage and evaluate our executive compensation program, and generally determines executive compensation on an annual basis, typically at the beginning of each fiscal year; however, decisions may occur during the year for new hires, promotions or other special circumstances as the Compensation Committee determines appropriate.
Role of the Chief Executive Officer and Management
The Compensation Committee generally seeks the input of our Chief Executive Officer when discussing the performance of, and compensation for, our executive officers, including the NEOs other than the Chief Executive Officer. Our Chief Executive Officer is instrumental in developing both our annual and long-term strategic objectives and goals, which are reviewed and approved by the Compensation Committee and the Board of Directors. Our Chief Executive Officer is also instrumental in providing perspective on our performance against those goals.
Our Chief Executive Officer reviews the performance of the other executive officers, including the other NEOs, annually and presents his assessments to the Compensation Committee. Our Chief Executive Officer then provides corresponding compensation recommendations, including as to base salary adjustments, annual performance-based cash compensation targets and payouts, and equity awards. The Compensation Committee considers the Chief Executive Officer’s input as one factor in its deliberations to determine the compensation of our executive officers, including the other NEOs. The Compensation Committee gives significant weight to the recommendations of the Chief Executive Officer in light of his greater familiarity with the day-to-day performance of his direct reports and the importance of incentive compensation in driving the execution of managerial initiatives developed and led by the Chief Executive Officer.
While the Chief Executive Officer may attend Compensation Committee meetings, the Chief Executive Officer may not be present during voting or deliberations on his compensation and does not play a role in determining his compensation.
In addition, other members of management may attend Compensation Committee meetings to provide background information or advice, or to answer questions posed by members of the Compensation Committee, including with respect to the financial, accounting, tax, legal and retention implications of various compensation decisions.
Role of the Independent Compensation Consultant
The Compensation Committee recognizes that there is value in procuring independent, objective expertise in connection with fulfilling its duties, and pursuant to its charter, the Compensation Committee has the authority to select and retain advisors to assist it with carrying out its duties and responsibilities.
The Compensation Committee has engaged the services of an independent compensation consultant, the Human Capital Solutions practice of Aon plc (“Aon”), to assist it in connection with making executive compensation decisions. The Compensation Committee has worked with Aon to develop a peer group, to provide a competitive market analysis of the base salary, annual performance-based cash incentive awards and long-term incentive compensation of our executive officers compared against the peer group, and to review other market practices and trends with respect to executive compensation.
The Compensation Committee annually assesses the independence of Aon pursuant to SEC and Nasdaq rules. The Compensation Committee assessed the independence of Aon consistent with Nasdaq listing standards and concluded that the engagement of Aon does not raise any conflict of interest.
While the Compensation Committee took into consideration the review and recommendations of Aon when making decisions about our executive compensation program in 2025, ultimately, the Compensation Committee made its own independent decisions in determining our executives’ compensation.
Consideration of Comparative Market Data
The Compensation Committee believes that obtaining relevant market and benchmark data is important to making determinations about executive compensation. This information provides a solid reference point and helpful context for making compensation decisions, even though, relative to other companies, there are differences and unique aspects of the Company.
With Aon’s assistance and input, the Compensation Committee annually adopts a peer group of companies that it uses as a reference group to provide a broad perspective on competitive pay levels and practices.
In doing so, the Compensation Committee seeks to approve a peer group that is representative of the sector in which we operate and includes companies within an appropriate defined range in terms of key attributes.
In October 2024, the Compensation Committee determined that our peer group for determining the compensation of our NEOs in 2025 would consist of Phase 2, Phase 3 and NDA/BLA biopharmaceutical/biotechnology companies. In general, the selection criteria consisted of the following:
market capitalizations between one-third and three times the market capitalization of the Company;
annual revenues less than $100 million;
fewer than 150 employees; and
preference given to companies that went public within the last 5 years.
Based on these criteria, the peer group for setting 2025 compensation consisted of the following 24 companies:
| 4D Molecular Therapeutics, Inc. | Geron Corporation | Pliant Therapeutics, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| 89bio, Inc. | Humacyte, Inc. | Scholar Rock Holding Corporation |
| Akero Therapeutics, Inc. | IDEAYA Biosciences, Inc. | SpringWorks Therapeutics, Inc. |
| Belite Bio, Inc. | Immunovant, Inc. | Structure Therapeutics Inc. |
| Biohaven Ltd. | Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc. | Summit Therapeutics, Inc. |
| Cogent Biosciences, Inc. | Keros Therapeutics, Inc. | Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. |
| Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Krystal Biotech, Inc. | Vera Therapeutics, Inc. |
| Cullinan Oncology, Inc. | Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Viking Therapeutics, Inc. |
The Compensation Committee utilizes the compensation of executive officers of the companies in this peer group as one reference point in the compensation-setting process along with various other factors, such as the executive’s performance, experience, and competitive market conditions.
Additionally, when considering the establishment of 2025 compensation levels for our NEOs, the Compensation Committee, upon recommendation from Aon, supplemented the 2025 peer group long-term incentive market data with data derived from the Radford 2024 Global Life Science Survey for public pre-commercial biopharma companies. This survey data was used to obtain a general understanding of the compensation practices of companies similar to ours at the time.
The Compensation Committee believes that the compensation practices of our peer group, together with the data derived from the Radford 2024 Global Life Science Survey, provided us with appropriate compensation reference points for evaluating and determining the compensation of our NEOs during 2025.
2025 Executive Compensation Program
Our executive compensation program generally consists of, and is intended to strike a balance among, the following three principal components: base salary, annual performance-based cash bonus, and long-term incentive equity compensation.
CEO and NEO Pay Mix
Though the Compensation Committee has not adopted any formal or informal policies or guidelines that specify the allocation of compensation between these three elements, consistent with our “pay-for-performance” philosophy, the Compensation Committee has determined that NEO compensation packages must include an emphasis on and substantial portion of variable, at-risk pay while ensuring adequate base salary to attract and retain talent. The Compensation Committee considers compensation to be at-risk if it is subject to performance-based payment or vesting conditions or if its value depends on share price appreciation.
Our executive compensation is linked strongly to the performance of the business, with a majority of annual target compensation being variable and at-risk. In 2025, 95% of the total target compensation for the CEO was at-risk and 88% of the total target compensation for all other NEOs was at-risk. The following pay mix pie chart graphics illustrate our emphasis on variable, at-risk pay and long-term incentives.
The percentages of target total direct compensation as calculated above are based on the annualized 2025 base salary, the 2025 annual cash incentive compensation opportunity (assuming achievement at the target level), and the grant date fair value of the annual equity grants to NEOs. Each compensation element is described in this section and outlined in more detail in the Summary Compensation Table and Grants of Plan-Based Awards table below.
Base Salary
We provide our executive officers with fixed cash compensation in the form of a base salary. In establishing base salaries, the Compensation Committee exercises its judgment and discretion and considers several factors, including the performance of the individual executive officer, the officer’s potential to contribute to our long-term strategic goals, the officer’s role and scope of responsibilities within our Company, individual experience and skills, the officer’s compensation as compared to similarly situated executives at comparable companies in our peer group, competitive market dynamics for the position, and (with respect to other NEOs) the input of our Chief Executive Officer. None of our NEOs is currently party to an employment agreement or other agreement or arrangement that provides for automatic or scheduled increases in base salary.
Annual base salaries for our NEOs as of December 31, 2025, as compared with their annual base salaries as of December 31, 2024, were as follows:
| NEO | 2025 Base Salary($) | 2024 Base Salary($) | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Davidson, M.D. | 646,152 | 621,300 | 4% |
| Ian Somaiya | 486,720 | 468,000 | 4% |
| Louise Kooij (1) | 452,217 | N/A | N/A |
| John Kastelein, M.D., Ph.D. FESC (1) | 537,866 | 486,043 | 6% |
| Douglas Kling | 519,967 | 500,000 | 4% |
(1)
Ms. Kooij and Dr. Kastelein are paid their salaries and bonuses in Euros. The table above presents Ms. Kooij and Dr. Kastelein's compensation converted into USD at a rate of $1.130 per Euro, which was the average exchange rate as published by the European Central Bank for 2025.
Annual Performance-Based Cash Bonus
The annual cash incentive bonus plan (the “Annual Bonus Plan”) is a cash-based plan that rewards executive officers for the achievement of key short-term objectives. The structure of the Annual Bonus Plan incentivizes executive officers to achieve research, clinical, operational, and organizational results that the Compensation Committee views as critical to the execution of our business strategy.
For the NEOs, the amount of the payout, if any, under the Annual Bonus Plan is based on operational performance as well as individual performance. The Annual Bonus Plan gives considerable weight to achievement of key corporate and individual goals, while providing the Compensation Committee with the ability to exercise its best judgment in determining the overall level of achievement of such goals.
Target Opportunities. The Compensation Committee determines the target cash incentive opportunity available to each NEO by taking the individual’s annual base salary in effect for the year and multiplying it by the individual’s target incentive percentage. Among other factors, the target incentive percentages are determined with reference to the peer group company percentages of salary for the respective positions and the proportion of total direct compensation represented by the annual cash incentive. For 2025, our NEOs had the following annual cash bonus targets:
| NEO | 2025 Target Annual Bonus Opportunity as a % of Base Salary |
|---|---|
| Michael Davidson, M.D. | 60% |
| Ian Somaiya | 45% |
| Louise Kooij | 40% |
| John Kastelein, M.D., Ph.D. FESC | 40% |
| Douglas Kling | 40% |
Corporate Performance Goals. As a pre-commercial biopharmaceutical company, we do not have material revenue or profits at this stage, and our success is measured by achievement of research and development milestones and other key strategic and operational goals. These goals were reviewed and approved by the Compensation Committee (and the Board, with respect to our Chief Executive Officer) in February 2025 and then later revised by the Compensation Committee in August 2025 (and the Board, with respect to our Chief Executive Officer) solely to adjust the weighting of certain of the goals based on the Compensation Committee's view of the importance of such goals at the time.
The Compensation Committee (and the Board, with respect to our Chief Executive Officer) approved the following corporate goals and weightings for 2025. While each area had specific goals, the goals themselves are not disclosed below due to commercial and business sensitivities:
Launch Readiness: goals that progress the work in regulatory, supply chain and commercial related to potential commercial launch in various markets (weighted 25%);
Clinical Development: goals that progress our product candidates with a particular focus on execution and quality for PREVAIL (weighted 25%);
Scientific Leadership: goals that position our product candidates as innovative in the therapeutic area (weighted 25%);
Financial Sustainability and Corporate Strategies: goals that advance long-term company growth (weighted 15%); and
Employee Experience and Engagement: goals that ensure a focus on employees and a positive work environment (weighted 10%).
Corporate Performance Goals and Related Payouts. If we do not achieve an objective of corporate performance, there is no corresponding amount to be included in the payout related to that element. If we achieve the objective, the Compensation Committee will authorize a payout of the portion of the overall opportunity allocated to that element, and if we exceed the objective by achieving a stretch goal, the Compensation Committee may, in its discretion, authorize a higher payout, but the total payout will not exceed 200% of an executive’s overall target incentive.
2025 Achievement of Corporate Goals. In January 2026, the Compensation Committee (and the Board, with respect to our Chief Executive Officer) met to assess the Company’s performance against the corporate performance goals for 2025. While the Compensation Committee considered the Chief Executive Officer’s views regarding the Company’s 2025 performance, the Compensation Committee (and the Board, with respect to our Chief Executive Officer) made an independent determination regarding corporate performance, which included consideration of, among others, the key achievements set forth below. Based on this assessment, the Compensation Committee (and the Board, with respect to our Chief Executive Officer) determined that the overall corporate achievement level was 122.5%.
| Launch Readiness: | Significant achievements in the supply chain, meeting both US and EMA standards.Filings for EMA approval submitted in summer of 2025 ahead of schedule. |
|---|---|
| Clinical Development: | Quality metrics for PREVAIL trail exceeded goal.Leveraged enhanced data modeling capability for study projections. |
| Scientific Leadership: | 35 abstracts presented, 7 published articles in top tier journals.In June and July 2025, announced positive data from the prespecified Alzheimer's disease biomarker analysis in the BROADWAY clinical trial and presented at the 2025 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference. |
| Financial Sustainability / Corporate Strategies: | Year-end cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities balance of approximately $729 million favorable to budget.Expansion of worldwide patent portfolio.Execution of drug product supply agreement with Menarini. |
| Employee Engagement: | Exceeded expectations with respect to limiting/eliminating voluntary turnover for the year.Exceeded targets for interview slates with employee referrals. |
Individual Performance. In determining Annual Bonus Plan payouts, the Compensation Committee also evaluated the individual performance of our NEOs. The Compensation Committee views the inclusion of individual performance as an important component of the annual cash bonus plan because it motivates the NEOs for individual performance, even if overall corporate performance is lower. In assessing the individual performance of our NEOs, the Compensation Committee, with the input of our Chief Executive Officer for the other NEOs, considered each such officer’s individual contributions to the achievement of our 2025 goals, and the officer’s individual performance in helping to execute on our strategic and operating initiatives. Each non-Chief Executive Officer NEO is paid 75% of their bonus based upon the corporate achievement and 25% of their bonus based on individual contribution to goals. The Chief Executive Officer's bonus is based on corporate achievement alone.
Overall Payouts. Based on the assessment described above, the Compensation Committee recommended, and the Board of Directors determined, that the Company’s corporate performance exceeded the 2025 goals. The Compensation Committee determined an overall 2025 performance level, as determined with reference to both corporate performance and individual performance. The amounts of the annual bonus awards for 2025 were determined as follows:
| Allocation of Bonus · Actual Bonus Achievement | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEO | Base Salary($) | Target Annual Bonus(%) | Corporate Goals(%) | Individual Contribution(%) | Corporate Goals(%) | Individual Contribution(%) | Payout($) |
| Michael Davidson, M.D. | 646,152 | 60% | 100% | — | 122.5% | — | 474,922 |
| Ian Somaiya | 486,720 | 45% | 75% | 25% | 122.5% | 125% | 269,673 |
| Louise Kooij (1) | 452,217 | 40% | 75% | 25% | 122.5% | 120% | 220,455 |
| John Kastelein, M.D., Ph.D. FESC (1) | 537,866 | 40% | 75% | 25% | 122.5% | 135% | 270,277 |
| Douglas Kling | 519,967 | 40% | 75% | 25% | 122.5% | 125% | 256,084 |
(1)
The 2025 target incentive and payout amounts for Ms. Kooij and Dr. Kastelein have been converted from Euros to USD at an exchange rate of 1 Euro to $1.130 USD.
Dr. Kastelein and Mr. Kling contributed heavily to the achievement of goals focused on scientific excellence and clinical operations, which exceeded expectations hence earning them above target bonus awards. Mr. Somaiya and Ms. Kooij contributed heavily to the achievement of goals related to financial sustainability which exceeded expectations hence earning them above target bonus awards.
Equity-Based Incentive Awards
The third and largest component of the executive compensation program is long-term equity incentives. The Compensation Committee designed the long-term incentive opportunity for the NEOs to motivate and reward executive officers to achieve multiyear strategic goals and deliver sustained long-term value to shareholders, as well as attract and retain executive officers.
We believe that equity awards provide our executives with a strong link to our long-term performance, create an ownership culture and help to align the interests of our executives and our shareholders. Long-term equity incentives also promote retention because executive officers will only receive value if they remain employed by us over the required term.
Grants to our NEOs and other employees are made at the discretion of the Compensation Committee and are generally made upon commencement of employment, promotion or annually during the first quarter of each year. We believe that our equity awards are an important compensation and retention tool for our executive officers, as well as for our other employees.
Prior to 2025, we used share options as our primary equity vehicle because we believe that they are an effective means by which to align the long-term interests of our executive officers with those of our shareholders. Share options motivate stock price appreciation over the long term because they deliver value only if the stock price increases. The use of share options also can provide tax and other advantages to our executive officers relative to other forms of equity compensation.
Commencing in 2025, we introduced RSUs as part of the annual grants to all employees. This decision was primarily based on keeping in line with the practices of our refreshed peer group.
In determining the number of share options and RSUs to be granted to an NEO in 2025, the Compensation Committee (and the Board, with respect to our Chief Executive Officer) took into account both the range of the grant date fair values of awards granted to executive officers at the companies in the peer group and the range of grant size as a percent of the companies in the peer group.
The annual equity-based incentive awards granted to our NEOs are set forth in the table below:
| NEO | Share Awards(#) | Share Awards($)(1) | Share Options(#) | Share Options($)(1) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Davidson, M.D. | 123,529 | 3,193,225 | 670,467 | 8,931,566 |
| Ian Somaiya | 38,000 | 986,480 | 220,000 | 2,941,030 |
| Louise Kooij | 15,000 | 389,400 | 80,000 | 1,069,465 |
| John Kastelein, M.D., Ph.D. FESC | 34,000 | 882,640 | 200,000 | 2,673,664 |
| Douglas Kling | 44,000 | 1,142,240 | 250,000 | 3,342,080 |
(1)
The amounts reflect the grant date fair value of the equity-based incentive awards pursuant to ASC Topic 718.
The exercise price of the share options awarded to our NEOs is equal to the closing price of our shares on the date of the grant, and all share options granted in 2025 had a ten-year term. The options are subject to time-based vesting, with 25% of the total number of shares underlying the award vesting on the one-year anniversary of the vesting start date and thereafter in equal monthly installments for 36 months, subject to the applicable NEO's continued service through each such vesting date. The RSUs are also subject to time-based vesting, with 1/3 of the total number of shares underlying the award vesting on one-year, two-year and three-year anniversary of the vesting start date, subject to the applicable NEO's continued service through each such vesting date.
Earnout RSUs
Pursuant to the terms of the Business Combination Agreement that we entered into in July 2022, we were required to issue Earnout RSUs to Participating Optionholders upon the achievement of a certain clinical development milestone. In March 2025, it was determined that the earnout milestone triggering event set forth in the Business Combination Agreement had occurred and, as a result, the Earnout RSUs were granted on March 26, 2025. Dr. Davidson received 38,394 Earnout RSUs with a total grant date fair value of $377,922, Ms. Kooij received 8,269 Earnout RSUs with a total grant date fair value of $81,395, Dr. Kastelein received 45,481 Earnout RSUs with a total grant date fair value of $447,684 and Mr. Kling received 16,539 Earnout RSUs with a total grant date fair value of $162,797. Mr. Somaiya was not a Participating Optionholder and therefore did not receive any Earnout RSUs. All of the Earnout RSUs granted to the above listed NEOs were fully vested as of the March 26, 2025 grant date. The fair value of the Earnout RSUs were determined in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718 (“ASC 718”), whereby the grant date for valuation purposes was determined to be November 22, 2022.
Additional Elements of Compensation
Employee Benefits
Our NEOs are eligible to participate in all our employee benefit plans, such as medical, dental, vision, group life, short and long-term disability and our 401(k) plan for U.S. employees, in each case on the same basis as other employees, subject to applicable laws. Under our 401(k) plan, the Company currently makes matching contributions of 100% of the first 3% and then 50% of the next 2% of employee contributions. We believe these benefits are important to attracting and retaining experienced employees, including our executives.
Ms. Kooij resides in the Netherlands and is employed by the Company in the Netherlands. Employees in the Netherlands are eligible to participate in a defined contribution pension plan which provides for a monthly, pre-tax contribution by the Company of 15% of an employee's gross income, subject to statutory maximums. In 2025, the Company made contributions to Ms. Kooij’s pension plan in accordance with the terms of the plan and statutory maximums.
Perquisites
We do not provide material perquisites to our executive officers.
Severance and Change in Control Arrangements
We have entered into employment agreements with all our NEOs that provide for at-will employment without any specific term. Each of the agreements sets forth the NEO’s severance benefits payable upon a qualifying termination of employment or change in control of the Company. The “Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control” section below describes and quantifies the severance and other benefits potentially payable to the NEOs in further detail.
These agreements provide for a combination of a cash severance payment, continued health benefits and acceleration of vesting on outstanding equity awards in specified circumstances. Acceleration of vesting is subject to a “double trigger” arrangement, meaning that vesting acceleration occurs only in the event of a change in control of the Company in connection with or followed by a termination of employment without cause by us, or with good reason by the NEO.
Given the industry in which we participate and the range of strategic initiatives that we may explore, we believe reasonable and competitive severance and change-in-control payment and benefit arrangements are an essential element of our executive compensation package and assist us in recruiting and retaining a talented executive team. We also believe such payments and benefits are in the best interests of our shareholders because they incentivize senior executives to continue to strive to achieve shareholder value in connection with change-in-control situations, particularly where the possibility of a change-in-control and the related uncertainty may lead to the departure or distraction of senior executives to the detriment of our Company and our shareholders.
We do not provide any excise tax gross ups in connection with severance paid upon termination without cause or relating to a change-in-control transaction. All change-in-control cash payments are structured to be on a “double-trigger” basis, requiring a termination without cause by us, or with good reason by the NEO, in connection with the change-in-control transaction.
Additional Compensation Policies and Practices
Clawback Policy
In 2023, the Compensation Committee adopted our Incentive Compensation Recoupment Policy (the “Clawback Policy”), designed to comply with Rule 10D-1 of the Exchange Act and Nasdaq Listing Rule 5608, which provides for recoupment of incentive compensation in the event of an accounting restatement resulting from material noncompliance with financial reporting requirements under the relevant securities laws. The policy applies to our current and former executive officers. Compensation that is granted, earned or vested based wholly or in part upon attainment of a Financial Reporting Measure (as defined in the Clawback Policy) that is determined to have been paid erroneously given the restatement is subject to recoupment.
Equity Granting Practices
The Compensation Committee does not have a policy prohibiting the grant of share options, RSUs or other equity awards during periods in which there is material nonpublic information about our Company, including (1) outside a “trading window” established in connection with the public release of quarterly financial results, or (2) at any time during the four business days prior to, or the one business day following, the filing of our periodic reports or the filing or furnishing of a Form 8-K that discloses material nonpublic information. The Compensation Committee does not take material nonpublic information into account when determining the timing and terms of equity awards, and has not timed the disclosure of material nonpublic information to affect the value of executive compensation. Equity awards may occasionally be awarded on an off-cycle basis, including to new hires.
Pursuant to Item 402(x) of Regulation S-K under the Exchange Act, we are providing the following information regarding awards granted to NEO on the following dates:
Consistent with our historical timing on annual equity awards, we granted share options to the following NEO on January 6, 2025, which was four business days before the filing of a Current Report on Form 8-K with which the Company furnished a press release announcing the Company’s strategic priorities for the upcoming year.
| Name | Grant Date | Number of Securities Underlying the Award | Exercise Price of the Award ($/Sh) | Grant Date Fair Value of the Award | Percentagechangein market price (1) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Davidson, M.D. | 01/06/2025 | 670,467 | $25.85 | $8,931,566 | (2.29)% |
(1) Indicates percentage change in the closing market price of the securities underlying the award between the trading day ending immediately prior to the disclosure of material nonpublic information and the trading day beginning immediately following the disclosure of material nonpublic information.
Anti-Hedging and Anti-Pledging Policies
We have a policy that prohibits our executive officers, directors and other employees from engaging in short sales, transactions in put or call options, or other inherently speculative transactions with respect to our shares. In addition, our insider trading policy prohibits pledging
Company securities as collateral for a loan or ownership of Company securities in a margin account. Any violation of these policies may result in disciplinary action, including dismissal for cause.
Tax Considerations; Section 162(m)
When reviewing compensation matters, the Compensation Committee considers the anticipated tax consequences to us (and, when relevant, to our executive officers) of the various payments under our compensation programs. Section 162(m) of the Code generally disallows a tax deduction for any publicly held corporation for individual compensation of more than $1.0 million to certain executive officers in any taxable year. The Compensation Committee may provide compensation to executive officers that may not be tax deductible if it believes that providing that compensation is in the best interests of our Company and its shareholders.
Accounting Policies for Stock-Priced Compensation
We follow ASC 718 for our stock-based compensation awards. ASC 718 requires companies to calculate the grant date “fair value” of their stock-based awards using a variety of assumptions. ASC 718 also requires companies to recognize the compensation cost of their stock-based awards in their income statements over the period that an employee is required to render service in exchange for the award. Grants of share options and RSUs under our equity incentive award plans are accounted for under ASC 718. The Board or Compensation Committee will regularly consider the accounting implications of significant compensation decisions, especially in connection with decisions that relate to our equity incentive award plans and programs.
Report of the Compensation Committee on Executive Compensation
This Compensation Committee Report shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing made by the Company under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, notwithstanding any general statement contained in any such filing incorporating this Annual Report by reference, except to the extent the Company incorporates such Report by specific reference.
The Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis with the management of the Company. Based on this review and these discussions, we have recommended to the Board of Directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and the Company’s proxy statement.
The preceding report has been furnished by the following members of the Compensation Committee:
Louis Lange, M.D., Ph.D. – Chair
William Lewis, J.D., M.B.A.
Mark McKenna
Executive Compensation Tables
Summary Compensation Table
The following table sets forth information required under SEC rules concerning the compensation paid to our NEOs in respect of fiscal years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023.
| Name and Principal Position · Year · Salary(1)($) · Bonus($) · Stock Awards (2)($) · Option Awards (2)($) · Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation (3)($) · All Other Compensation (4)($) · Total($) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Davidson, M.D. | 2025 | 646,152 | 3,571,146 | 8,931,566 | 474,922 | 18,068 | 13,641,854 | ||||||
| 2024 | 621,300 | 5,347,060 | 497,040 | 3,897 | 6,469,297 | ||||||||
| Chief Executive Officer | 2023 | 569,000 | 313,000 | 4,923,558 | 5,805,558 | ||||||||
| Ian Somaiya | 2025 | 486,720 | 986,480 | 2,941,030 | 269,673 | 14,000 | 4,697,903 | ||||||
| 2024 | 468,000 | 411,337 | 368,550 | 4,688 | 1,252,575 | ||||||||
| Chief Financial Officer | 2023 | 90,576 | 40,000 | 3,422,493 | 3,553,069 | ||||||||
| Louise Kooij | 2025 | 452,217 | 470,795 | 1,069,465 | 220,455 | 22,747 | 2,235,679 | ||||||
| Chief Accounting Officer | |||||||||||||
| John Kastelein, M.D., Ph.D. FESC | 2025 | 537,866 | 1,330,324 | 2,673,664 | 270,277 | 4,812,131 | |||||||
| Chief Scientific Officer | 2024 | 486,046 | 2,570,852 | 327,031 | 3,383,929 | ||||||||
| 2023 | 459,346 | 218,412 | 2,300,813 | 2,978,571 | |||||||||
| Douglas Kling | 2025 | 519,967 | 1,305,037 | 3,342,080 | 256,084 | 14,000 | 5,437,168 | ||||||
| Chief Operating Officer | 2024 | 499,968 | 1,664,729 | 399,974 | 13,800 | 2,578,471 | |||||||
(1)
The U.S. dollar amounts reported for 2025 for Ms. Kooij and Dr. Kastelein were converted from EUR using the 2025 average exchange rate of $1.130 per EUR.
(2)
Represents the aggregate fair value of awards on the date they were granted in accordance with ASC 718. See the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included herein for the assumptions used to calculate grant date fair value.
(3)
The amounts reported are comprised of amounts paid in respect of our annual performance-based cash bonus plan, as determined by the Compensation Committee. Payments pursuant to the plan are generally made early in the year following the year to which they relate. The U.S. dollar amounts reported for 2025 for Ms. Kooij and Dr. Kastelein were converted using the 2025 average exchange rate of $1.130 per EUR.
(4)
For Dr. Davidson, the amounts reported in this column consist of $4,068 of fees Dr. Davidson received for service on the Board of Directors in 2025 and $14,000 of Company contributions under our 401(k) plan. For Mssrs. Somaiya and Kling the amounts consist of Company contributions under our 401(k) plan. For Ms. Kooij, the amount consists of the Company pension contribution. Dr. Davidson's fees for service on the Board and the Company pension contribution for Ms. Kooij was converted from EUR to U.S. dollars using the 2025 average exchange rate of $1.350 per EUR.
Grants of Plan Based Awards
The following table sets forth certain information regarding grants of plan-based awards to our NEOs during the year ended December 31, 2025:
| Grant Date · Estimated Future Payouts Under Non-Equity Incentive Plan Awards (1) · Stock Awards: Securities Number of Shares of Stock or Units(#)(2) · Option Awards: Securities Underlying Options(#)(3) · Exercise or Base Price of Option Awards($/Sh) · Grant Date Fair Value of Stock and Option Awards($) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name · Threshold($) · Target($) · Maximum($) | ||||||||
| Michael Davidson, M.D. | 1/6/2025 | — | 387,691 | 775,382 | 123,529 | 670,467 | 25.85 | 12,124,790 |
| 3/26/2025 | — | — | — | 38,394 | — | — | 377,922 | |
| Ian Somaiya | 1/2/2025 | — | 219,024 | 438,048 | 38,000 | 220,000 | 25.96 | 3,927,510 |
| Louise Kooij | 1/2/2025 | — | 180,887 | 361,774 | 15,000 | 80,000 | 25.96 | 1,458,865 |
| 3/26/2025 | — | — | — | 8,269 | — | — | 81,395 | |
| John Kastelein, M.D., Ph.D. FESC | 1/2/2025 | — | 215,147 | 430,293 | 34,000 | 200,000 | 25.96 | 3,556,304 |
| 3/26/2025 | — | — | — | 45,481 | — | — | 447,684 | |
| Douglas Kling | 1/2/2025 | — | 207,987 | 415,974 | 44,000 | 250,000 | 25.96 | 4,484,320 |
| 3/26/2025 | — | — | — | 16,539 | — | — | 162,797 | |
(1)
The amounts disclosed in these columns reflect the threshold, target and maximum annual cash incentive opportunities of our NEOs. The amounts of the annual cash incentive opportunities are set based on a percentage of the base salary for the calendar year by each NEO. Below or at threshold performance results in 0% payout. See “Compensation Discussion and Analysis—Compensation Program Components—Annual Performance-Based Cash Bonus” for a detailed description of our annual cash incentive plan, including the criteria for determining the amounts payable. Actual annual cash incentive plan results are reported in the “Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation” column of the Summary Compensation Table. The maximum payout is 200% of target.
(2)
Amounts disclosed in this column reflect the number of shares underlying RSUs granted to our NEOs. In general, each RSU, other than the Earnout RSUs, has a three-year vesting period with one-third vesting on each one-year anniversary of the vesting start date. Each of the Earnout RSUs granted to NEOs were fully vested on the March 26, 2025 grant date. In accordance with ASC Topic 718, the grant date of the Earnout RSUs for the purposes of determining the fair value of the award was determined to be November 22, 2022. See the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included herein for the assumptions used to calculate grant date fair value.
(3)
Amounts disclosed in this column reflect the number of shares underlying share option awards granted to our NEOs. The exercise price of all share option grants to NEOs is equal to the closing price of our shares on the date of the grant, and all share options granted in 2025 have a ten-year term. The options are subject to time-based vesting, with 25% of the total number of shares underlying the award vesting on the first anniversary of the date of grant and thereafter in equal monthly installments for 36 months, subject to the applicable NEO's continued service through each such vesting date.
Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End Table
The table below reflects outstanding equity awards held by our NEOs as of December 31, 2025.
| Option Awards · Share Awards | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name · Grant Date · Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options(#)Exercisable · Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options(#)Unexercisable · Option Exercise Price · Option Expiration Date · Number of Seucurities Underlying Share Awards That Have Not Vested(#) · Market Value of Seucurities Underlying Share Awards That Have Not Vested($) | |||||||||||
| Michael Davidson, M.D. | 11/22/2022 | (1)(2) | 989,267 | 1.21 | 7/6/2031 | ||||||
| 11/22/2022 | (2) | 1,881,265 | 559,273 | 10.00 | 11/22/2032 | ||||||
| 1/1/2023 | (2) | 744,835 | 276,650 | 10.90 | 1/1/2033 | ||||||
| 1/1/2024 | (2) | 498,311 | 541,628 | 11.17 | 1/1/2034 | ||||||
| 1/6/2025 | (2)(3) | 670,467 | 25.85 | 1/6/2035 | 123,529 | 4,333,397 | |||||
| Ian Somaiya | 11/1/2023 | (2) | 384,827 | 377,987 | 9.26 | 11/1/2033 | |||||
| 1/1/2024 | (2) | 38,333 | 41,667 | 11.17 | 1/1/2034 | ||||||
| 1/2/2025 | (2)(3) | 220,000 | 25.96 | 1/2/2035 | 38,000 | 1,333,040 | |||||
| Louise Kooij | 11/22/2022 | (2) | 41,483 | 98,532 | 10.00 | 11/22/2032 | |||||
| 1/1/2023 | (2) | 157,711 | 60,423 | 10.90 | 1/1/2033 | ||||||
| 5/18/2023 | (2) | 36,466 | 13,534 | 11.90 | 5/18/2033 | ||||||
| 1/1/2024 | (2) | 72,120 | 78,374 | 11.17 | 1/1/2034 | ||||||
| 1/2/2025 | (2)(3) | 80,000 | 25.96 | 1/2/2035 | 15,000 | 526,200 | |||||
| John Kastelein, M.D., Ph.D. FESC | 11/22/2022 | (1)(2) | 820,229 | 1.21 | 7/6/2031 | ||||||
| 11/22/2022 | (2) | 749,065 | 222,661 | 10.00 | 11/22/2032 | ||||||
| 1/1/2023 | (2) | 348,072 | 129,275 | 10.90 | 1/1/2033 | ||||||
| 1/1/2024 | (2) | 239,587 | 260,413 | 11.17 | 1/1/2034 | ||||||
| 1/2/2025 | (2)(3) | 200,000 | 25.96 | 1/2/2035 | 34,000 | 1,192,720 | |||||
| Douglas Kling | 11/22/2022 | (1)(2) | 38,033 | 1.21 | 7/6/2031 | ||||||
| 11/22/2022 | (2) | 220,944 | 151,885 | 10.00 | 11/22/2032 | ||||||
| 1/1/2023 | (2) | 90,390 | 72,312 | 10.90 | 1/1/2033 | ||||||
| 1/1/2023 | (3) | 5,996 | 10.90 | 1/1/2033 | |||||||
| 1/1/2024 | (2) | 155,149 | 168,622 | 11.17 | 1/1/2034 | ||||||
| 1/2/2025 | (2)(3) | 250,000 | 25.96 | 1/2/2035 | 44,000 | 1,543,520 | |||||
(1)
The exercise price of the option is Euro 1.16392 and has been converted into USD in the table above at a rate of $1.750 per Euro, which was the exchange rate as of December 31, 2025 as published by European Central Bank.
(2)
One-fourth of the shares subject to the option vested on the one-year anniversary of the vesting start date, and the remaining vest in 36 substantially equal monthly installments thereafter.
(3)
All shares subject to the option vest on the fourth anniversary of the vesting start date.
Option Exercises and Stock Vested Table
The following table sets forth information concerning options exercised by our NEOs during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025. No stock awards held by our NEOs vested in 2025 other than the Earnout RSUs received by certain of our NEOs.
| Option Awards · Share Awards | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Number of Shares Acquired on Exercise(#)(1) | Value Realized on Exercise($)(2) | Number of Shares Acquired on Vesting(#)(3) | Value Realized on Vesting($)(4) |
| Michael Davidson | — | — | 38,394 | 866,169 |
| Ian Somaiya | 61,883 | 827,723 | — | — |
| Louise Kooij | 463,073 | 9,576,082 | 8,269 | 186,549 |
| John Kastelein, M.D., Ph.D. FESC | 150,000 | 3,196,231 | 45,481 | 1,026,051 |
| Douglas Kling | 798,612 | 11,558,026 | 16,539 | 373,120 |
(1)
The amounts shown in this column represent the number of shares underlying the stock options exercised during 2025.
(2)
The amounts shown in this column reflect the value realized upon exercise of stock options, as calculated based on the price of our shares on the exercise date less the exercise price, multiplied by the number of shares underlying the stock options exercised.
(3)
The amounts shown in this column represent the number of RSUs vested during 2025.
(4)
The amounts shown in this column reflect the value realized upon vesting of RSUs, as calculated based on the closing price of our shares on the vesting date, multiplied by the number of RSUs vested.
Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change-in-Control
We have entered into employment agreements with each of our NEOs. These agreements set forth the initial terms and conditions of each executive’s employment with us, including base salary, target annual bonus opportunity, standard employee benefit plan participation, and for all NEOs, severance benefits upon a qualifying termination of employment or change-in-control of the Company.
Employment Agreement with Michael Davidson, M.D.
We entered into an employment agreement with Dr. Davidson, our Chief Executive Officer, on January 25, 2023 (the “Davidson Agreement”). Pursuant to the Davidson Agreement, in the event Dr. Davidson’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause (as defined in the Davidson Agreement) or by him for Good Reason (as defined in the Davidson Agreement), we would be required, subject to customary conditions, to pay Dr. Davidson, in addition to certain Accrued Obligations (as defined in the Davidson Agreement), an amount equal to 12 months of his base salary, any bonus earned or payable and a pro-rated bonus for the calendar year in which the termination occurred, and premium reimbursement equal to the monthly employer contribution that the Company would have made to provide health coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act for a maximum of 12 months (“COBRA Premium Reimbursement”). Dr. Davidson will receive only the Accrued Obligations and not be eligible for further compensation if his employment ends for reasons other than termination by the Company without Cause or termination by him for Good Reason.
In the event Dr. Davidson’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause at the request of a third party within three months prior to a Change in Control (as defined in the Davidson Agreement) or in the event Dr. Davidson’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause or by Dr. Davidson for Good Reason during the 12 months following such Change in Control, Dr. Davidson will be entitled to receive the severance payments and benefits described above, subject to the same customary conditions. In addition, all of Dr. Davidson’s time-based stock options and equity awards will accelerate, becoming fully exercisable and nonforfeitable as of the termination date and the exercise period for certain vested options will be extended.
Dr. Davidson is entitled to a base salary and annual performance bonus in cash targeted at 60% of his base salary in fiscal year 2026, at our discretion and subject to Dr. Davidson's continued employment through the payment date of such bonus. Dr. Davidson is eligible to participate in our equity incentive plans, including the Company’s LTIP, and other employee benefits and insurance programs generally made available to our full-time U.S.-based executives. Dr. Davidson is also party to a Confidentiality and Assignment of Inventions Agreement, which includes certain customary non-competition, non-solicitation, confidentiality and assignment of inventions obligations in favor of the Company.
Employment Agreement with Ian Somaiya
We entered into an employment agreement with Mr. Somaiya, our Chief Financial Officer, dated October 6, 2023 (the “Somaiya Agreement”). Pursuant to the Somaiya Agreement, in the event Mr. Somaiya’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause (as defined in the Somaiya Agreement) or by Mr. Somaiya for Good Reason (as defined in the Somaiya Agreement), we would be required, subject to customary conditions, to pay Mr. Somaiya, in addition to certain Accrued Obligations (as defined in the Somaiya Agreement), an amount equal to 12 months of his base salary, any bonus earned or payable and a prorated bonus for the calendar year in which the termination occurred, and COBRA Premium Reimbursement. Mr. Somaiya will receive only the Accrued Obligations and not be eligible for further compensation if his employment ends for reasons other than termination by the Company without Cause or termination by him for Good Reason.
In the event Mr. Somaiya’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause at the request of a third party within three months prior to a Change in Control (as defined in the Somaiya Agreement) or in the event Mr. Somaiya’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause or by him for Good Reason during the 12 months following such Change in Control, Mr. Somaiya will be entitled to receive the severance payments and benefits described above, subject to the same customary conditions. In addition, all of Mr. Somaiya’s time-based stock options and equity awards will accelerate, becoming fully exercisable and nonforfeitable as of the termination date and the exercise period for certain vested options will be extended.
Mr. Somaiya is entitled to a base salary and annual performance bonus in cash targeted at 45% of his base salary in fiscal year 2026, at our discretion and subject to Mr. Somaiya's continued employment through the payment date of such bonus. Mr. Somaiya is eligible to participate in our equity incentive plans, including the Company’s LTIP, and other employee benefits and insurance programs generally made available to our full-time U.S.-based executives. Mr. Somaiya is also party to a Confidentiality and Assignment of Inventions Agreement, which includes certain customary non-competition, non-solicitation, confidentiality and assignment of inventions obligations in favor of the Company.
Employment Agreement with Louise Kooij
We entered into an employment agreement with Ms. Kooij, our Chief Accounting Officer, dated July 1, 2025 (the “Kooij Agreement”). Pursuant to the Kooij Agreement, in the event Ms. Kooij’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause (as defined in the Kooij Agreement), we would be required to pay Ms. Kooij a termination fee equal to 12 months of her base salary, any short-term incentive (“STI”) earned or otherwise payable with respect to the calendar year ended prior to the termination of the Kooij Agreement and a prorated STI for the calendar year of the termination of the Kooij Agreement.
In the event Ms. Kooij’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause at the request of a third party within three months prior to a Change in Control (as defined in the Kooij Agreement) or in the event Ms. Kooij’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause or by Ms. Kooij for Good Reason during the 12 months following such Change in Control, Ms. Kooij will be entitled to receive the severance payments and benefits described above. In addition, all of Ms. Kooij’s time-based stock options and equity awards will accelerate, becoming fully exercisable and nonforfeitable as of the termination date and the exercise period for certain vested options will be extended.
Ms. Kooij is entitled to a base salary and annual performance bonus in cash targeted at 45% of her base salary in fiscal year 2026, at our discretion and subject to Ms. Kooij's continued employment through the payment date of such bonus. Ms. Kooij is eligible to participate in our equity incentive plans, including the Company’s LTIP, and other employee benefits generally made available to our full-time Netherlands-based executives. Ms. Kooij is also party to a Confidentiality and Assignment of Inventions Agreement, which includes certain customary non-competition, non-solicitation, confidentiality and assignment of inventions obligations in favor of the Company.
Employment Agreement with John Kastelein, M.D., Ph.D. FESC
We entered into an employment agreement with Dr. Kastelein, our Chief Scientific Officer, dated July 1, 2025 (the “Kastelein Agreement”). Pursuant to the Kastelein Agreement, in the event Dr. Kastelein’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause (as defined in the Kastelein Agreement), we would be required to pay Dr. Kastelein a termination fee equal to 12 months of his base salary, STI earned or otherwise payable with respect to the calendar year ended prior to the termination of the Kastelein Agreement and a prorated STI for the calendar year of the termination of the Kastelein Agreement.
In the event Dr. Kastelein’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause at the request of a third party within three months prior to a Change in Control (as defined in the Kastelein Agreement) or in the event Dr. Kastelein’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause or by Dr. Kastelein for Good Reason during the 12 months following such Change in Control, Dr. Kastelein will be entitled to receive the severance payments and benefits described above. In addition, all of Dr. Kastelein’s time-based stock options and equity awards will accelerate, becoming fully exercisable and nonforfeitable as of the termination date and the exercise period for certain vested options will be extended.
Dr. Kastelein is entitled to a base salary and annual performance bonus in cash targeted at 45% of his base salary for fiscal year 2026, at our discretion and subject to Dr. Kastelein's continued employment through the payment date of such bonus. Dr. Kastelein is eligible to participate in our equity incentive plans, including the Company’s LTIP, and other employee benefits generally made available to our full-time Netherlands-based executives. Dr. Kastelein is also party to a Confidentiality and Assignment of Inventions Agreement, which includes certain customary non-competition, non-solicitation, confidentiality and assignment of inventions obligations in favor of the Company.
Employment Agreement with Douglas Kling
We entered into an employment agreement with Mr. Kling, our Chief Operating Officer, dated January 24, 2023 (the “Kling Agreement”). Pursuant to the Kling Agreement, in the event Mr. Kling’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause (as defined in the Kling Agreement) or by him for Good Reason (as defined in the Kling Agreement), we would be required, subject to customary conditions, to pay Mr. Kling, in addition to certain Accrued Obligations (as defined in the Kling Agreement), an amount equal to 12 months of his base salary, any bonus earned or payable and a prorated bonus for the calendar year in which the termination occurred, and COBRA Premium Reimbursement. Mr. Kling will receive only the Accrued Obligations and not be eligible for further compensation if his employment ends for reasons other than termination by the Company without Cause or termination by him for Good Reason.
In the event Mr. Kling’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause at the request of a third party within three months prior to a Change in Control (as defined in the Kling Agreement) or in the event Mr. Kling’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause or by Mr. Kling for Good Reason during the 12 months following such Change in Control, Mr. Kling will be entitled to receive the severance payments and benefits described above, subject to the same customary conditions. In addition, all of Mr. Kling’s time-based stock options and equity awards will accelerate, becoming fully exercisable and nonforfeitable as of the termination date and the exercise period for certain vested options will be extended.
Mr. Kling is entitled to a base salary and annual performance bonus in cash targeted at 45% of his base salary for fiscal year 2026, at our discretion and subject to Mr. Kling's continued employment through the payment date of such bonus. Mr. Kling is eligible to participate in our equity incentive plans, including the Company’s LTIP, and other employee benefits and insurance programs generally made available to our full-time U.S.-based executives. Mr. Kling is also party to a Confidentiality and Assignment of Inventions Agreement, which includes certain customary non-competition, non-solicitation, confidentiality and assignment of inventions obligations in favor of the Company.
The table below provides the potential payments and benefits to which our NEOs would be entitled, assuming their employment was terminated as of December 31, 2025, including in connection with a change in control, based on the termination benefits in effect as of December 31, 2025.
| Name · Compensation Component · Involuntary or Good Reason Termination without a Change-in-Control ($) · Involuntary or Good Reason Termination in Connection with a Change-in-Control ($) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Davidson, M.D. | (1) | Cash Severance | 646,152 | 646,152 |
| Long-term Incentives | — | 44,188,097 | ||
| Benefits and Perquisites | 26,606 | 26,606 | ||
| Total: | 672,758 | 44,860,855 | ||
| Ian Somaiya | (1) | Cash Severance | 486,721 | 486,721 |
| Long-term Incentives | — | 14,095,322 | ||
| Benefits and Perquisites | 39,543 | 39,543 | ||
| Total: | 526,265 | 14,621,587 | ||
| Louise Kooij | (1) | Cash Severance | 452,218 | 452,218 |
| Long-term Incentives | — | 7,375,651 | ||
| Benefits and Perquisites | — | — | ||
| Total: | 452,218 | 7,827,869 | ||
| John Kastelein, M.D., Ph.D. FESC | (1) | Cash Severance | 537,868 | 537,868 |
| Long-term Incentives | — | 45,598,317 | ||
| Benefits and Perquisites | — | — | ||
| Total: | 537,868 | 46,136,185 | ||
| Douglas Kling | (1) | Cash Severance | 519,968 | 519,968 |
| Long-term Incentives | — | 13,558,035 | ||
| Benefits and Perquisites | 39,543 | 39,543 | ||
| Total: | 559,512 | 14,117,547 | ||
(1)
Under the employment agreements between us and Dr. Davidson, Mr. Somaiya, Ms. Kooij, Mr. Kastelein and Mr. Kling, respectively, if their employment is terminated by us without Cause or by them for Good Reason, we would be obligated to pay them a severance amount equal to 12 months of their base salary, any bonus earned or payable and a prorated bonus for the calendar year in which the termination occurred, and premium reimbursement equal to the monthly employer contribution that we would have made to provide health coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act for a maximum of 12 months. If their employment is terminated by us without Cause or by them for Good Reason (if termination is requested by a third party) within three months prior to a Change-in-Control or during the 12 months following such Change-in-Control, they will be entitled to receive the severance payments and benefits described above. In addition, all of their time-based stock options and equity awards will accelerate, becoming fully exercisable and nonforfeitable as of the termination date and the exercise period for certain vested options will be extended.
CEO Pay Ratio
As required by Section 953(b) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, and Item 402(u) of Regulation S-K, we are providing the following information about the relationship of the median annual total compensation of our employees and the annual total compensation of Dr. Davidson, our Chief Executive Officer. As permitted by Item 402(u) of Regulation S-K, we may identify the median employee once every three years unless there has been a change in our employee population or employee compensation arrangements that we reasonably believe would result in a significant change in pay ratio disclosure. The pay ratio included in this section is calculated in a manner consistent with Item 402(u) of Regulation S-K.
For 2025, the median of the annual total compensation of all employees (other than Dr. Davidson) was determined to be $704,848.
For 2025, the annual total compensation of Dr. Davidson, as reported in the Summary Compensation Table, was $13,641,854.
Based on this information, the ratio of the median of the annual total compensation of all employees (other than Dr. Davidson) to the annual total compensation of Dr. Davidson was 1 to 19.35.
To identify the median of the annual total compensation of all of our employees (other than Dr. Davidson), as well as to determine the annual total compensation of our median employee, we took the following steps:
We determined that, as of December 31, 2025, our employee population, excluding Dr. Davidson, consisted of approximately 99 individuals. This population consisted of our full-time and part-time employees and, as permitted by SEC rules, excluded independent contractors or similar non-employee workers during 2025. We did not exclude any non-US employees from these calculations.
To identify the “median employee” from our employee population, we compared the sum of each employee’s wages, aggregate fair value of equity awards, and target cash bonus for 2025. In doing so, we annualized the salary and target cash bonus of all permanent employees who were hired in 2025 but did not work for us the entire fiscal year. The grant date fair value of option and restricted share unit awards granted during 2025 was calculated using the Black-Scholes valuation model pursuant to the assumptions described in Note 10, “Share-Based Compensation” of the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report. We did not make any cost-of-living adjustments in identifying the median employee.
After identifying the median employee, we calculated annual total compensation for the employee using the same methodology we use for our NEOs, as set forth in the Summary Compensation Table. This process resulted in a median employee with annual total compensation of $704,848 for 2025.
The SEC’s rules for identifying the median employee and calculating the pay ratio based on that employee’s annual total compensation allow companies to adopt a variety of methodologies, to apply certain exclusions, and to make reasonable estimates and assumptions that reflect their employee populations and compensation practices. As a result, the pay ratios reported by other companies may not be comparable to our pay ratio, reported above, as other companies have different employee populations and compensation practices and may utilize different methodologies, exclusions, estimates, and assumptions in calculating their own pay ratios.
Equity Incentive Plans
LTIP
We have established our long term incentive plan ("LTIP"), under which we may grant share options, restricted shares, RSUs, share appreciation rights and other equity and equity-based awards. As of December 31, 2025, the total number of Ordinary Shares underlying awards granted under the LTIP (other than awards granted as Earnout RSUs in accordance with the Business Combination Agreements or as replacement awards in connection with a merger or business combination) will not exceed 23,158,577; provided that the number of Ordinary Shares reserved for grant under the LTIP will increase annually on January 1 of each calendar year by 5% of the-then issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares or such lower number as may be determined by the Board of Directors.
The LTIP is administered by the Board of Directors and the Compensation Committee. The Board of Directors has delegated authority to grant awards under the LTIP to the Compensation Committee for awards to eligible participants not then serving on the Compensation Committee. The Board of Directors has also delegated the authority to grant awards under the LTIP to non-executive officers to Dr. Davidson who will determine when to grant equity awards and the terms of such awards. We may grant awards under the LTIP to our directors, employees, consultants or other advisors. The Board of Directors or the Compensation Committee may condition awards under the LTIP upon the achievement or satisfaction of performance criteria and/or continued service with the Company and determines the vesting conditions for awards under the LTIP. The LTIP includes provisions for good leavers and bad leavers as well as for change-in-control.
Rollover Option Plan
We also established a rollover option plan (the “Rollover Plan”) in connection with the closing of the Business Combination, under which we assumed the outstanding options of certain optionholders of NewAmsterdam Pharma Holding B.V. who held their options through entities in exchange for a grant of options to acquire Ordinary Shares. The total number of Ordinary Shares underlying the options covered by the Rollover Plan is 1,736,545. Any Ordinary Shares underlying options granted under the Rollover Plan that are forfeited, canceled or otherwise terminated will become available for issuance under the LTIP.
The Rollover Plan is administered by the Board of Directors and the Compensation Committee. The Rollover Plan includes provisions applicable in the event of a change-in-control.
Supplementary LTIP
We have also established our supplementary long-term incentive plan (the “Supplementary LTIP”), under which we may grant options, restricted shares, restricted share units, share appreciation rights and other equity and equity-based awards to our employees and consultants (but not our directors). The total number of Ordinary Shares underlying awards that may be granted under the Supplementary LTIP (other than awards granted as replacement awards in connection with a merger or business combination) will not exceed 1,040,233.
The Supplementary LTIP is administered by the Board of Directors and the Compensation Committee. The Board of Directors has delegated authority to grant awards under the Supplementary LTIP to the Compensation Committee for awards to anyone not then serving on the Compensation Committee. The Board of Directors has also delegated the authority to grant awards under the Supplementary LTIP to non-executive officers to Dr. Davidson, who will determine when to grant equity awards and the terms of such awards. The awards issued under the Supplementary LTIP will have terms substantially similar to those issued under the LTIP. The Supplementary LTIP includes provisions applicable in the event of a change-in-control.
Inducement Plan
We have also established our inducement plan (the “Inducement Plan”), under which we may grant options, restricted shares, restricted share units, share appreciation rights and other equity-based awards to our newly-hired (or newly-hired, after a bona fide period of non-employment) employees (but not directors) who satisfy the standards for inducement grants under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4). The total number of Ordinary Shares underlying awards that may be granted under the Inducement Plan will not exceed 2,500,000.
The Inducement Plan is administered exclusively by the Compensation Committee. The Inducement Plan includes provisions applicable in the event of a change-in-control.
Limitation of Liability and Indemnification
Under Dutch law, our directors may be held liable for damages in the event of improper or negligent performance of their duties. They may be held liable for damages to the Company and to third parties for infringement of the Articles of Association or of certain provisions of Dutch law. In certain circumstances, they may also incur other specific civil, administrative and criminal liabilities. Subject to certain exceptions, the Articles of Association provide for indemnification of our current and former directors and other current and former officers and employees as designated by the Board of Directors. No indemnification under the Articles of Association will be given to an indemnified person:
if a competent court or arbitral tribunal has established, without having (or no longer having) the possibility for appeal, that the acts or omissions of such indemnified person that led to the financial losses, damages, expenses, suit, claim, action or legal proceedings as described above are of an unlawful nature (including acts or omissions which are considered to constitute malice, gross negligence, intentional recklessness and/or serious culpability attributable to such indemnified person);
to the extent that his or her financial losses, damages and expenses are covered under insurance and the relevant insurer has settled, or has provided reimbursement for, these financial losses, damages and expenses (or has irrevocably undertaken to do so);
in relation to proceedings brought by such indemnified person against us, except for proceedings brought to enforce indemnification to which he or she is entitled pursuant to the Articles of Association, pursuant to an agreement between such indemnified person and us, which has been approved by us or pursuant to insurance taken out by us for the benefit of such indemnified person; and
for any financial losses, damages or expenses incurred in connection with a settlement of any proceedings effected without our prior consent.
Under the Articles of Association, the Board of Directors may stipulate additional terms, conditions and restrictions in relation to the indemnification described above.
We have also entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and executive officers providing for procedures for indemnification and advancements by us of certain expenses and costs relating to claims, suits or proceedings arising from his or her service to us or, at our request, service to other entities, as officers or directors to the maximum extent permitted by Dutch law and subject to the exceptions provided in such agreements.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
The Compensation Committee consists of Louis Lange, M.D., Ph.D., William H. Lewis and Mark C. McKenna. All members of the compensation committee are independent directors, and none of our executive officers or former executive officers served on the compensation committee or on the board of any company that employed any member of the compensation committee or the Board of Directors during the year ended December 31, 2025.
Director Compensation
Director Compensation
The Board of Directors and the Compensation Committee determine the compensation of individual directors in accordance with our compensation policy to the extent applicable. All non-employee directors are paid an annual retainer of $43,000. Non-employee directors may receive further compensation ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 for serving as chair or member of committees (i.e., Audit Committee or Compensation Committee). We have also granted, and expect to continue granting, our non-employee directors who are not affiliated with our significant shareholders, share option and RSU awards as compensation for their service on the Board of Directors.
Director Service Agreement
We entered into services agreements with all of our directors which regulate their services as our directors. These services agreements, except for James N. Topper’s services agreement, contain non-competition and non-solicitation arrangements, as well as a requirement to assign and transfer to us any intellectual and industrial property rights originating from the director’s services as a director or inventor for us. These services agreements also provide that compensation, if any, for service on the Board of Directors shall be determined by the Board, subject to applicable law and the Company's compensation policy, as amended from time time.
Director Indemnification Agreements
Our Articles of Association require us to indemnify our current and former directors to the fullest extent permitted by law, subject to certain exceptions. We have also entered into indemnification agreements with all of our directors providing for procedures for indemnification and advancements by us of certain expenses and costs relating to claims, suits or proceedings arising from their service to us or, at our request, service to other entities, as directors or officers to the maximum extent permitted by law.
Director Compensation Table
The following table sets forth information regarding the compensation earned for service on the Board of Directors by our non-employee directors during the year ended December 31, 2025. In addition, we reimburse members of the Board of Directors for reasonable travel and out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with attending Board of Directors and committee meetings.
| Name | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash($) | Stock Awards($)(1) | Option Awards($)(1) | All Other Compensation($) | Total($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-Employee Directors | |||||
| William H. Lewis, J.D., M.B.A. | 90,500 | 179,916 | 423,505 | — | 693,921 |
| Mark C. McKenna | 60,500 | 179,916 | 423,505 | — | 663,921 |
| Nicholas Downing, M.D. (2) | 40,000 | — | — | — | 40,000 |
| Adele Gulfo (2) | 32,250 | 174,412 | 413,357 | — | 620,019 |
| Wouter Joustra | 43,000 | — | — | — | 43,000 |
| Louis Lange, M.D., Ph.D. | 70,500 | 179,916 | 423,505 | — | 673,921 |
| John W. Smither | 73,000 | 179,916 | 423,505 | — | 676,421 |
| James N. Topper, M.D., Ph.D. | 43,000 | — | — | — | 43,000 |
| Janneke van der Kamp | 48,000 | 179,916 | 423,505 | — | 651,421 |
(1) The amounts reported in these columns reflect the aggregate grant date fair value of the stock and option awards granted to our directors as computed in accordance with ASC 718. See Note 8 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report for a discussion of assumptions made by us in determining the aggregate grant date fair value of our stock awards and option awards. Note that the amounts reported in these columns do not reflect the actual economic value that may be realized by the directors.
(2) Adele Gulfo joined the Board of Directors effective April 17, 2025. Nicholas Downing, M.D. resigned as members of the Board of Directors effective November 5, 2025.
The following table provides information regarding the aggregate number of shares underlying option awards granted to our non-employee directors that were outstanding as of December 31, 2025:
| Name | Option Awards(#) |
|---|---|
| William H. Lewis, J.D., M.B.A. | 132,500 |
| Mark C. McKenna | 105,000 |
| Adele Gulfo | 50,700 |
| Louis Lange, M.D., Ph.D. | 270,269 |
| John W. Smither | 61,100 |
| Janneke van der Kamp | 60,500 |
The text of this filing, as the company filed it with the SEC, without its images or exhibits. This is not investment advice.