ABEONA THERAPEUTICS INC.
For the period ended Dec 31, 2024. Filed Apr 9, 2025.
View on SEC.govAbout this filing
What shareholders are asked to vote on at a company's meeting. It is where to find what directors and top executives are paid, and who owns the most shares.
Dec 31, 2024 · Filed Apr 9, 2025
Contents
PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY
This summary highlights information contained elsewhere in this proxy statement. This summary does not contain all information that you should consider, and you should review all of the information contained in this proxy statement before voting.
Annual Meeting of Stockholders
| Date: | May 19, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time |
| Location: | Online only at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/ABEO2025. Stockholders will not be able to attend the Annual Meeting in person. |
| Record Date: | March 24, 2025 |
| Voting: | Stockholders as of the Record Date are entitled to vote. Each share of common stock is entitled to one vote. |
Proposals and Voting Recommendations
| Proposal No. | Proposal | Board Recommendation |
| 1 | To elect Mark J. Alvino, Faith L. Charles, and Donald A. Wuchterl as Class 3 Directors to hold office for a term of three years and until their successors are elected and qualified | FOR EACH NOMINEE |
| 2 | To approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers | FOR |
| 3 | To ratify the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025 | FOR |
Voting Methods
You can vote in one of four ways:
| ● | Visit www.proxyvote.com to vote VIA THE INTERNET |
|---|---|
| ● | Call toll-free at 1-800-690-6903 and follow the instructions to vote VIA TELEPHONE |
| ● | Sign, date and return your proxy card in the prepaid enclosed envelope to vote BY MAIL |
| ● | Attend the virtual meeting at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/ABEO2025 to vote AT THE ANNUAL MEETING |
(646) 813-4701
PROXY STATEMENT
ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
To Be Held on Monday, May 19, 2025
This proxy statement is furnished by Abeona Therapeutics Inc., a Delaware corporation (“we,” “us,” “Abeona” or the “Company”), to holders of its common stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Common Stock”), in connection with the solicitation of proxies by our Board of Directors (the “Board”) for use at our Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”), and at any and all adjournments or postponements thereof. This proxy statement and the accompanying form of proxy is first being sent to holders of Common Stock on or about April 9, 2025. Our mailing address and the location of our principal executive offices is 6555 Carnegie Ave., 4th Floor, Cleveland, OH 44103. Our telephone number is (646) 813-4701. The purposes of the Annual Meeting are set forth in the Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Notice of Annual Meeting”), which accompanies this proxy statement.
We have adopted a virtual format for our Annual Meeting to provide a consistent experience to all stockholders regardless of location. We have designed the virtual Annual Meeting to provide substantially the same opportunities to participate as you would have at an in-person meeting, including the ability to vote. Detailed instructions on how to vote and submit your questions at the Annual Meeting may be found online at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/ABEO2025.
All shares of Common Stock represented by properly executed proxies or voting instruction forms will be voted at the Annual Meeting in accordance with the directions marked on the proxies or voting instruction forms, unless such proxies or voting instruction forms have previously been revoked. If no directions are indicated on such proxies or voting instruction forms, they will be voted FOR EACH NOMINEE in Proposal 1 – the election of each nominee named under Election of Directors; FOR Proposal 2 – to approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers; and FOR Proposal 3 – the ratification of the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025.
If any other matters are properly presented at the Annual Meeting for action, the proxy holders will vote the proxies (which confer discretionary authority upon such holders to vote on such matters) in accordance with their best judgment, subject to compliance with Rule 14a-4(c) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Each proxy executed and returned by a stockholder may be revoked at any time before it is voted by timely submission of a written notice of revocation or by submission of a duly executed proxy bearing a later date (in either case directed to the Secretary of the Company not later than the day prior to the Annual Meeting), or, if a stockholder is virtually present at the Annual Meeting, he or she may elect to revoke his or her proxy and request the right to vote his or her shares personally.
If your shares of Common Stock are registered directly in your name with our transfer agent, Odyssey Transfer and Trust Company, you are considered a “stockholder of record” or a “registered stockholder” of those shares. You should follow the instructions on the Notice of Annual Meeting to ensure that your vote is counted. Alternatively, you may attend virtually and vote at the Annual Meeting.
If your shares are held in an account at a bank, brokerage firm, or other similar organization (which we refer to as a “broker”), then you are a beneficial owner of shares held in “street name.” In that case, you will have received these proxy materials from the bank, brokerage firm, or other similar organization holding your account. As a beneficial owner, you will have to direct your broker on how to vote the shares held in your account in accordance with your broker’s requirements.
At the close of business on March 24, 2025, the record date for the Annual Meeting (the “Record Date”), the number of issued and outstanding shares of our Common Stock entitled to vote was 48,799,864. Each share of Common Stock entitles its holder to one vote with respect to all matters submitted to stockholders for a vote at the Annual Meeting. Consistent with the Company’s amended and restated bylaws (the “Bylaws”), uncontested director elections proceed by majority voting. In an uncontested election, a nominee for director will be elected to the Board if the votes cast “for” such nominee’s election exceed the votes cast “against” such nominee’s election.
A complete list of Company stockholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting will be available at our principal executive offices during normal business hours, at least 10 days prior to the Annual Meeting and during the Annual Meeting at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/ABEO2025. According to our Bylaws, the presence, through virtual attendance or by proxy, of the holders of one-third of the shares of Common Stock outstanding and entitled to vote constitutes a quorum for the conduct of business at the Annual Meeting. Abstentions and broker non-votes are counted as present for purposes of determining whether a quorum is present.
A broker non-vote occurs when brokers, who hold their clients’ shares in street name, sign and submit proxies for such shares and vote such shares on some matters but not others. This would occur when brokers have not received any instructions from their clients, in which case the brokers, as the holders of record, are permitted to vote on “routine” matters, which include the ratification of the appointment of an independent registered public accounting firm, but not on “non-routine” matters, such as the election of directors.
For Proposal 1, the directors will be elected upon the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast. For Proposal 1, stockholders may vote “FOR,” “AGAINST,” or “ABSTAIN.” Abstentions will have the effect of a vote “AGAINST” such proposal. Broker non-votes, if any, will be disregarded and will have no effect on the outcome of the vote for Proposal 1.
Proposal 2, to approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers, will be approved upon the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of Common Stock present through virtual attendance or by proxy at the Annual Meeting and entitled to vote on such proposal. Stockholders may vote “FOR” or “AGAINST,” or “ABSTAIN” from voting. Abstentions will have the effect of a vote “AGAINST” such proposal. Broker non-votes, if any, will be disregarded and will have no effect on the outcome of the vote for Proposal 2.
Proposal 3, the ratification of Deloitte & Touche LLP as our independent public accountant, will be approved upon the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of Common Stock present through virtual attendance or by proxy at the Annual Meeting and entitled to vote on such proposal. Stockholders may vote “FOR” or “AGAINST,” or “ABSTAIN” from voting. Abstentions will have the effect of a vote “AGAINST” such proposal. Brokers may vote on Proposal 3 absent instructions from the beneficial owner.
The Board is not aware of any matters that will be brought before the Annual Meeting other than those matters specifically set forth in the Notice of Annual Meeting. However, if any other matter properly comes before the Annual Meeting, it is intended that the persons named in the enclosed form of proxy, or their substitutes acting thereunder, will vote on such matter in accordance with the recommendations of the Board, or, if no such recommendations are made, in accordance with their best judgment.
All expenses in connection with solicitation of proxies will be borne by us. We will also request brokers, dealers, banks and voting trustees, and their nominees, to make available the Notice of Annual Meeting, this proxy statement, the accompanying form of proxy and our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 (the “Annual Report”) to beneficial owners and will reimburse them for their expenses in forwarding these materials. We expect to solicit proxies primarily by mail, but our directors, officers and employees may also solicit in person, by telephone or email, on behalf of the Board without additional compensation.
Stockholders of record as of the Record Date can attend the Annual Meeting online by logging onto our virtual forum at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/ABEO2025 and following the instructions provided on their proxy card, vote instruction card or “Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials.” To participate in the Annual Meeting, you will need the 16-digit control number included on your proxy card, voter instruction card or “Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials.” If you do not have this control number at the time of the Annual Meeting, you will still be able to attend virtually, but you will not be able to vote or ask questions.
The virtual Annual Meeting platform is fully supported across browsers (Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Chrome, and Safari) and devices (desktops, laptops, tablets, and cell phones) running the most updated version of applicable software and plugins. Attendees should ensure that they have a strong Wi-Fi connection wherever they intend to participate in the virtual Annual Meeting. Attendees should also give themselves plenty of time to log in and ensure that they can hear streaming audio prior to the start of the virtual Annual Meeting.
This proxy statement should be read together with our Annual Report, including the financial statements and management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations contained therein.
The text of this filing, as the company filed it with the SEC, without its images or exhibits. This is not investment advice.