Verve Therapeutics Grants Equity Awards to New Employees as Part of Inducement Stock Incentive Plan

Verve Therapeutics grants equity awards to new employees as part of its stock incentive plan, promoting talent in genetic medicine development.

Quiver AI Summary

Verve Therapeutics announced on June 2, 2025, that it granted equity awards to four new employees as part of its 2024 Inducement Stock Incentive Plan, in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4). The awards include stock options for 65,000 shares and 22,000 restricted stock units (RSUs), with the options priced at $4.45 per share, the closing price on the grant date. Options will vest over four years while the RSUs will vest annually over three years. Verve Therapeutics is focused on developing genetic medicines to treat cardiovascular diseases, aiming to shift treatment from chronic therapies to gene editing solutions. The company’s leading programs target major cholesterol drivers involved in atherosclerosis, including drugs designed to inhibit the PCSK9, ANGPTL3, and LPA genes.

Potential Positives

The granting of equity awards to four new employees indicates Verve Therapeutics' commitment to attracting and retaining talent, which is crucial for its growth as a clinical-stage company.
The equity awards consist of stock options and restricted stock units, aligning the interests of new employees with company performance, potentially leading to enhanced employee motivation and productivity.
The specific focus on a new class of genetic medicines for cardiovascular disease positions Verve Therapeutics as a potential leader in a transformative area of healthcare, addressing significant unmet medical needs.
The company's lead programs targeting major cholesterol drivers reflect innovative approaches that can disrupt traditional chronic therapy models, showcasing potential for significant advancements in patient outcomes.

Potential Negatives

Granting of equity awards to new employees may indicate the company is in a hiring phase, which could imply challenges in retaining talent or scaling operations effectively.
The press release focuses on employee stock options and RSUs rather than providing updates on clinical trial results or other potentially impactful developments, which might raise concerns about the company's progress and transparency.
The mention of equity awards could lead to dilution of existing shareholders' equity, which may be viewed negatively by investors.

FAQ

What is the recent announcement from Verve Therapeutics?

Verve Therapeutics announced equity awards granted to four new employees as part of their Inducement Stock Incentive Plan.

How many shares were granted to new employees?

The new employees received a total of 65,000 stock options and 22,000 restricted stock units (RSUs).

What is the exercise price for the stock options?

The exercise price for the stock options is $4.45 per share, equal to the closing price on the grant date.

What are the lead programs developed by Verve Therapeutics?

Verve's lead programs include VERVE-102, VERVE-201, and VERVE-301, targeting cholesterol drivers in atherosclerosis.

How does Verve Therapeutics aim to treat cardiovascular disease?

Verve Therapeutics is developing gene editing medicines to transform treatment from chronic therapies to single-course solutions.

Disclaimer: This is an AI-generated summary of a press release distributed by GlobeNewswire. The model used to summarize this release may make mistakes. See the full release here.

$VERV Insider Trading Activity

$VERV insiders have traded $VERV stock on the open market 7 times in the past 6 months. Of those trades, 0 have been purchases and 7 have been sales.

Here’s a breakdown of recent trading of $VERV stock by insiders over the last 6 months:

SEKAR KATHIRESAN (Chief Executive Officer) sold 9,822 shares for an estimated $40,761
ALLISON DORVAL (Chief Financial Officer) has made 0 purchases and 2 sales selling 3,905 shares for an estimated $17,032.
JASON POLITI (Chief Technical Ops. Off.) sold 3,235 shares for an estimated $13,425
JOAN NICKERSON (Chief Administrative Officer) sold 2,777 shares for an estimated $11,524
ANDREW D. ASHE (See Remarks) sold 2,681 shares for an estimated $11,126
TROY LISTER (Chief Scientific Officer) sold 2,189 shares for an estimated $9,084

To track insider transactions, check out Quiver Quantitative's insider trading dashboard.

$VERV Hedge Fund Activity

We have seen 93 institutional investors add shares of $VERV stock to their portfolio, and 95 decrease their positions in their most recent quarter.

Here are some of the largest recent moves:

WOODLINE PARTNERS LP added 2,767,719 shares (+inf%) to their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $12,648,475
MILLENNIUM MANAGEMENT LLC removed 1,808,357 shares (-46.1%) from their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $8,264,191
JACOBS LEVY EQUITY MANAGEMENT, INC removed 1,196,188 shares (-64.7%) from their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $5,466,579
BANK OF AMERICA CORP /DE/ added 1,085,205 shares (+198.1%) to their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $4,959,386
FARALLON CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC added 912,000 shares (+inf%) to their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $4,167,840
SCHONFELD STRATEGIC ADVISORS LLC removed 865,961 shares (-22.9%) from their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $3,957,441
GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INC added 671,939 shares (+90.7%) to their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $3,070,761

To track hedge funds' stock portfolios, check out Quiver Quantitative's institutional holdings dashboard.

$VERV Analyst Ratings

Wall Street analysts have issued reports on $VERV in the last several months. We have seen 3 firms issue buy ratings on the stock, and 0 firms issue sell ratings.

Here are some recent analyst ratings:

Guggenheim issued a "Buy" rating on 04/15/2025
Cantor Fitzgerald issued a "Overweight" rating on 04/15/2025
H.C. Wainwright issued a "Buy" rating on 04/14/2025

To track analyst ratings and price targets for $VERV, check out Quiver Quantitative's $VERV forecast page.

Full Release

BOSTON, June 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Verve Therapeutics , a clinical-stage company developing a new class of genetic medicines for cardiovascular disease, today announced that on May 30, 2025, the company granted equity awards to four new employees, pursuant to the company’s 2024 Inducement Stock Incentive Plan, as an inducement material to each new employee entering into employment with the company in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).

The employees received stock options to purchase an aggregate of 65,000 shares of the company’s common stock and an aggregate of 22,000 restricted stock units (RSUs). The options have an exercise price of $4.45 per share, which is equal to the closing price of the company’s common stock on the date of grant. Each option has a 10-year term and will vest over a period of four years, with 25% of the shares vesting on the one-year anniversary of the grant date and the remainder vesting in equal monthly installments over the following three years, subject to each such employee’s continued service with the company on each such vesting date. The RSUs will vest in equal annual installments on the first three anniversaries of July 1, 2025, subject to each such employee’s continued service with the company on each such vesting date.

About Verve Therapeutics
Verve Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: VERV) is a clinical-stage company developing a new class of genetic medicines for cardiovascular disease with the potential to transform treatment from chronic therapies to single-course gene editing medicines. The company’s lead programs –VERVE-102, VERVE-201, and VERVE-301 – target the three cholesterol drivers of atherosclerosis: LDL-C, triglycerides, and Lp(a). VERVE-102 is designed to permanently turn off the PCSK9 gene in the liver and is being developed initially for heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) and ultimately to treat patients with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) who continue to be impacted by high LDL-C levels. VERVE-201 is designed to permanently turn off the ANGPTL3 gene in the liver and is initially being developed for refractory hypercholesterolemia, where patients still have high LDL-C despite treatment with maximally tolerated standard of care therapies, and homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH). VERVE-301 is designed to permanently turn off the LPA gene to reduce Lp(a) levels. Lp(a) is a genetically validated, independent risk factor for ASCVD, ischemic stroke, thrombosis, and aortic stenosis. For more information, please visit www.VerveTx.com .

Investor Contact
Jen Robinson
Verve Therapeutics, Inc.
[email protected]

Media Contact
Ashlea Kosikowski
1AB
[email protected]