UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
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Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers
Appointment of Chief Executive Officer
On August 8, 2023, Processa Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”) announced the appointment of Mr. George Ng as its Chief Executive Officer and a director. Dr. David Young will continue with the Company as a member of the Board of Directors and as the Company’s President of Research and Development.
Mr. Ng, age 48, most recently served as Board Director, President and Chief Operating Officer of Calidi Biotherapeutic Inc. from February 1, 2022 until June 23, 2023. He is currently a partner at PENG Life Science Ventures since September 2013; a director, co-founder, and Chief Business Officer at IACTA Pharmaceuticals, Inc. since January 2020; and lead director of Morphogenesis Inc. since February 2020. His experience further includes serving in various executive-level or Board of Director positions for multiple publicly-traded and private global biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms. Mr. Ng previously served as a director of Inflammatory Response Research, Inc. from May 2019 to April 2020; Invent Medical Corp from July 2019 to January 2020; ImmuneOncia Therapeutics Inc. from June 2016 to 2019; and Virttu Biologics Limited from April 2017 to April 2019. He was also the Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: SRNE) from March 2015 to April 2019; the Co-Founder and President, Business of Scilex Pharmaceuticals Inc. from September 2012 to April 2019; and the Senior Vice President and General Counsel of BioDelivery Sciences International Inc. (Nasdaq: BDSI) from December 2012 to March 2015. SMr. Ng holds a JD degree from the University of Notre Dame School of Law, as well as a B.A.S in Biochemistry and Economics from the University of California, Davis.
In connection with his employment, Mr. Ng will be paid an annual base salary of $400,000 and will be eligible to receive bonus compensation of up to $100,000 contingent on Mr. Ng. meeting certain performance milestones during 2023 and 2024. In addition, the Compensation Committee awarded 800,000 restricted stock units (“RSUs”) to Mr. Ng. Vesting for 400,000 RSUs occurs ratably over a three-year period and represents the number of RSUs expected to be granted to Mr. Ng in 2023 and 2024. The remaining 400,000 RSUs will vest on the achievement of certain performance metrics, with the first 200,000 performance-based RSUs vesting when gross proceeds of $10,000,000 is raised, and the second 200,000 performance-based RSUs vesting when additional gross proceeds of $10,000,000 is raised. He will also be eligible for other benefits as described in the Employment Agreement
The equity awards will be made pursuant to the Company’s 2019 Omnibus Incentive Plan and the Company’s Form of 2023 Restricted Stock Unit Agreement.
There are no arrangements or understandings between Mr. Ng and any other persons, pursuant to which he was appointed as Chief Executive Officer. There are no family relationships between Mr. Ng and any director or executive officer, and he has no direct or indirect material interest in any transaction required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.
Departure of Chief Operating Officer
By mutual agreement, Mr. R. Michael Floyd resigned as Chief Operating Officer of the Company, effective August 31, 2023.
Item 7.01. Regulation FD Disclosure
A press release dated August 8, 2023 announcing the Company’s new Chief Executive Officer is filed as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated by reference herein. The information in Item 7.01 of this current report, including Exhibit 99.1 attached hereto, is furnished and shall not be treated as filed for purposes of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Safe Harbor Statement
Information provided in this Current Report on Form 8-K may contain statements relating to current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about future events that are “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements generally relate to the Company’s plans, objectives and expectations for compensation matters related to Mr. Ng’s service as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Mr. Ng’s start date. Actual future results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, see “Risk Factors” as described in the Company’s Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2022 on Form 10-K filed with the Commission on March 30, 2023, the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2023 filed with the Commission on May 15, 2023, and other reports on file with the Commission.
These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits:
Exhibit No. | Description | |
10.1 | Employment Agreement dated August 8, 2023 by and between George Ng and Processa Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | |
99.1 | Press Release dated August 8, 2023. | |
104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (the cover page XBRL tags are embedded within the inline XBRL documents) |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
PROCESSA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. | ||
Date: August 8, 2023 | By: | /s/ James Stanker |
James Stanker | ||
Chief Financial Officer |