Aardvark Therapeutics announced the issuance of inducement stock option grants to six newly hired employees on February 9 and 11, 2026, in accordance with Nasdaq listing rule 5635(c)(4). The grants comprise 152,338 total shares split across two tranches, with exercise prices of $13.48 and $12.67 per share respectively.
The options follow a standard four-year vesting schedule featuring a 25 percent one-year cliff with monthly vesting for the remainder of the period. These awards were granted under the company's 2025 Inducement Equity Incentive Plan, a compensation mechanism used to attract talent outside of standard equity pools. Such inducement grants are commonly utilized by publicly traded companies to remain competitive in recruiting while preserving shares available under existing equity authorization.
The disclosure of these equity grants is consistent with regulatory requirements for Nasdaq-listed companies, which mandate public reporting of significant option issuances to employees as part of executive compensation transparency standards.