Dianthus Therapeutics, Inc. /DE/ Stock Compensation Disclosure
11. Stock-Based Compensation
2018 Stock Option and Incentive Plan
The Company grants stock-based awards under the Second Amended and Restated Dianthus Therapeutics, Inc. Stock Option and Incentive Plan, which originally became effective on June 19, 2018 as the Magenta Therapeutics, Inc. 2018 Stock Option and Incentive Plan and was amended and restated in September 2023 and renamed the Amended and Restated Dianthus Therapeutics, Inc. Stock Option and Incentive Plan (the “Prior 2018 Incentive Plan”).
On May 23, 2024, the Company’s stockholders approved an amendment and restatement of the Prior 2018 Incentive Plan and it was renamed the Second Amended and Restated Dianthus Therapeutics, Inc. Stock Option and Incentive Plan (the “2018 Amended Plan”) to:
The 2018 Amended Plan provides for the grant of incentive stock options, nonqualified stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock awards, restricted stock units, unrestricted stock awards, cash-based awards, and dividend equivalent rights. The 2018 Amended Plan is administered by either the board of directors or the compensation committee of the board of directors. The exercise prices, vesting and other restrictions are determined at the discretion of the administrator, except that the term of stock options and stock appreciation rights may not be greater than ten years (or five years for certain incentive stock options). Awards typically vest over 12 months to four years. The exercise price for stock options granted may not be less than the fair value of common stock as of the date of grant (or 110% of the fair value of common stock for certain incentive stock options). The fair value of common stock is based on quoted market prices.
The 2018 Amended Plan also provides for the assumption of shares remaining available for delivery under the 2019 Stock Plan (as defined below) pursuant to the terms of the Reverse Merger, and such shares will be available for the granting of awards under the 2018 Amended Plan in accordance with applicable stock exchange requirements. The Company also has outstanding stock options under the Magenta Therapeutics, Inc. 2016 Stock Option and Grant Plan, as amended (the “2016 Plan”), but is no longer granting awards under the 2016 Plan.
The 2018 Amended Plan provides that the number of shares reserved and available for issuance under the 2018 Amended Plan will automatically increase each January 1 by 5% of the outstanding number of shares of the Company’s common stock on the immediately preceding December 31 (the “Evergreen Provision”), or such lesser number of shares as determined by the Company’s board of directors or compensation committee of the board of directors.
Pursuant to the Evergreen Provision, the number of shares reserved for issuance under the 2018 Amended Plan increased by 1,555,767 on January 1, 2025. Shares of common stock underlying any awards under the 2018 Amended Plan, the 2019 Stock Plan and the 2016 Plan that are forfeited, cancelled, held back upon exercise or settlement of an award to satisfy the exercise price or tax withholding, reacquired by the Company prior to vesting, satisfied without any issuance of stock, expire or are otherwise terminated (other than by exercise) will be available for future awards under the 2018 Amended Plan.
As of December 31, 2025, 1,174,479 shares of common stock were available for grant under the 2018 Amended Plan.
2019 Stock Plan
In July 2019, Former Dianthus’s board of directors adopted, and the Former Dianthus’s stockholders approved, the Dianthus Therapeutics, Inc. 2019 Stock Plan (the “2019 Stock Plan”). In connection with the Reverse Merger, the Company assumed options to purchase shares of Former Dianthus’s common stock that were outstanding under the 2019 Stock Plan immediately prior to the Reverse Merger and such options were converted into options to purchase 1,273,454 shares of common stock (the “Assumed Options”). No further awards will be made under the 2019 Stock Plan; however, the Assumed Options will remain outstanding under the 2019 Stock Plan in accordance with their terms, as adjusted to reflect the Reverse Merger.
2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Employees may elect to participate in the Dianthus Therapeutics, Inc. 2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, as amended (the “ESPP”). The purchase price of common stock under the ESPP is equal to 85% of the lower of the fair market value of the common stock on (i) the offering date or (ii) the exercise date. The six-month offering periods begin in January and July of each year. During the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company issued 18,801 shares of common stock pursuant to the ESPP, respectively. As of December 31, 2025, 143,277 shares remained available for issuance under the ESPP.
The ESPP provides that the number of shares reserved and available for issuance under the ESPP will automatically increase each January 1 through January 1, 2029, by the lesser of (i) 1% of the number of shares issued and outstanding on the immediately preceding December 31, (ii) 62,500 shares and (iii) such number of shares as determined by the Company’s board of directors or its appointed administrator. The number of shares reserved for issuance under the ESPP increased by 62,500 on January 1, 2025.
Inducement Plan
In February 2024, the Company’s board of directors approved the Dianthus Therapeutics, Inc. Equity Inducement Plan (the “Inducement Plan”), which provides for up to 300,000 shares of common stock for inducement awards. In December 2025, the Company’s board of directors approved an amendment to the Inducement Plan (the “Amended Inducement Plan”), which increased the number of shares of common stock available for inducement awards to 900,000. As of December 31, 2025, 714,000 shares of common stock were available for grant under the Amended Inducement Plan.
Stock Options
The following table summarizes stock option activity for the year ended December 31, 2025:
|
|
Number of |
|
|
Weighted |
|
|
Weighted |
|
|
Aggregate |
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(in years) |
|
|
|
|
||||
Balance at January 1, 2025 |
|
|
4,499,702 |
|
|
$ |
17.19 |
|
|
|
8.7 |
|
|
$ |
24,867 |
|
Options granted |
|
|
2,432,800 |
|
|
|
23.77 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
42,437 |
|
|
Options exercised |
|
|
(627,148 |
) |
|
|
12.60 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
14,919 |
|
|
Options forfeited |
|
|
(314,011 |
) |
|
|
21.07 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,690 |
|
|
Balance at December 31, 2025 |
|
|
5,991,343 |
|
|
$ |
20.14 |
|
|
|
8.3 |
|
|
$ |
127,547 |
|
Exercisable options at December 31, 2025 |
|
|
2,336,600 |
|
|
$ |
17.01 |
|
|
|
7.6 |
|
|
$ |
57,823 |
|
Unvested options at December 31, 2025 |
|
|
3,654,743 |
|
|
$ |
22.14 |
|
|
|
8.8 |
|
|
$ |
69,724 |
|
The aggregate intrinsic value of options granted, options exercised and options forfeited represents the difference between (i) the exercise price of the option and (ii) the closing market price of the Company’s common stock on (x) December 31, 2025, (y) the date of exercise, or (z) the date of forfeiture, respectively.
The weighted average grant-date fair value per share of stock options granted during the year ended December 31, 2025 was $18.27 per share.
The table below summarizes the assumptions used to determine the grant-date fair value of stock options issued, presented on a weighted average basis:
|
|
Year Ended |
|
|||||
|
|
2025 |
|
|
2024 |
|
||
Risk-free interest rate |
|
|
4.2 |
% |
|
|
4.2 |
% |
Expected term (in years) |
|
|
6.0 |
|
|
|
6.0 |
|
Expected volatility |
|
|
91.5 |
% |
|
|
92.6 |
% |
Expected dividend yield |
|
|
0.0 |
% |
|
|
0.0 |
% |
Stock Warrants
In April 2021, Former Dianthus issued 4,677 warrants for the purchase of common stock at an exercise price of $1.65 per share. The warrants vested on July 30, 2023 and had a grant date fair value of $1.16 per warrant. As of December 31, 2025, the warrants have a weighted average remaining contractual term of 5.3 years.
Stock-based Compensation Expense
The following table provides a summary of stock-based compensation expense:
|
|
Year Ended |
|
|||||
|
|
2025 |
|
|
2024 |
|
||
Research and development |
|
$ |
10,090 |
|
|
$ |
5,576 |
|
General and administrative |
|
|
12,703 |
|
|
|
7,318 |
|
Total stock-based compensation expense |
|
$ |
22,793 |
|
|
$ |
12,894 |
|
As of December 31, 2025, there was $59.0 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to granted stock options. The Company expects to recognize that cost over a remaining weighted average period of 2.7 years.
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Mar 9, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Mar 11, 2025 | |
| 2023 | Mar 21, 2024 | |
About Stock Compensation Disclosures
Stock-based compensation disclosures detail the equity awards granted to employees and executives — including stock options, restricted stock units (RSUs), and performance shares — along with the valuation methods and assumptions used to expense them. This section reveals the true cost of talent retention and the alignment between management incentives and shareholder interests.
Key signals: total unrecognized compensation expense and its expected recognition period signal future earnings headwinds from already-granted awards. For stock options, examine Black-Scholes assumptions — expected volatility, risk-free rate, and expected term — as understating any of these reduces reported compensation expense. Compare stock compensation expense as a percentage of revenue against peers to assess dilution cost. Watch vesting schedules for acceleration clauses tied to change-of-control events. Performance-based awards with undemanding targets may indicate weak governance. Add back stock compensation to operating cash flow to calculate a more conservative free cash flow figure.