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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of

The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)

September 1, 2023

CAPRICOR THERAPEUTICS, INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

    

Delaware

    

001-34058

    

88-0363465

(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation)

(Commission
File Number)

(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)

    

10865 Road to the Cure, Suite 150, San Diego, California
(Address of principal executive offices)

    

92121
(Zip Code)

(858) 727-1755

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (17 CFR §230.405) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (17 CFR §240.12b-2).

Emerging growth company

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

   

Title of Each Class

    

Trading Symbol(s)

    

Name of Each Exchange on Which
Registered

Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share

CAPR

The Nasdaq Capital Market

Item 5.02

Departure of Directors or Certain Officers, Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

On September 1, 2023, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Capricor Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”), pursuant to the authority given to it under the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Company, approved an increase of the size of the Board from eight to nine directors, and thereafter elected Michael Kelliher as a member of the Board to fill the newly created vacancy, effective immediately.  Mr. Kelliher will receive an initial grant of a nonstatutory stock option to purchase 115,000 shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Initial Grant”) as standard non-employee director compensation under the Company’s policies.  The Initial Grant will vest with respect to 25% of such shares of common stock on the first anniversary of the first day of the month following the date of grant of the Initial Grant, and the Initial Grant will vest with respect to 1/36 of such shares of common stock each month thereafter. Mr. Kelliher will also enter into the Company’s standard form of indemnification agreement for directors.

Mr. Kelliher does not have any relationship with the Company that would require disclosure pursuant to Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.  Mr. Kelliher will not initially be appointed to any committee of the Board.

Mr. Kelliher is an experienced business development and finance professional with expertise in corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions, strategic partnerships and licensing, with a career spanning more than 20 years with leading biotechnology and global pharmaceutical companies. He currently serves as Group Vice President, M&A and Business Development, at Horizon Therapeutics, a publicly traded global biotechnology company focused on researching, developing and commercializing medicines for rare, autoimmune and severe inflammatory diseases. Mr. Kelliher joined Horizon in 2014 and led an aggressive growth and expansion agenda through acquisitions, development collaborations and other transactions. He was instrumental in transforming Horizon into a $28 billion innovation-driven biotech company. Prior to his time at Horizon, from 2009 to 2014, Mr. Kelliher held progressive financial roles at Elan Corporation (now Perrigo Company), a leading global pharmaceutical company where he oversaw strategic partnerships and collaborations and advised its Board of Directors and senior leadership on investments, business development, product commercialization and asset monetization. Mr. Kelliher began his career in banking, public accounting and corporate finance and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University College Cork (Ireland). He is also an Associated Chartered Accountant.

Item 9.01Financial Statements and Exhibits.  

(d) Exhibits

99.1

Press Release, titled “Capricor Therapeutics Appoints Michael Kelliher to Board of Directors”, dated September 6, 2023.

104

Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as inline XBRL).

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, hereunto duly authorized.

CAPRICOR THERAPEUTICS, INC.

Date:  September 6, 2023

By:

/s/ Linda Marbán, Ph.D.

Linda Marbán, Ph.D.

Chief Executive Officer

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