Zentalis Pharmaceuticals grants 381,000 stock options to six new employees under its 2022 Inducement Plan.
Quiver AI Summary
Zentalis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing a novel WEE1 inhibitor for ovarian cancer and other tumors, announced that on September 2, 2025, it granted non-qualified stock options for 381,000 shares of common stock to six newly hired employees. This grant, made under the Zentalis 2022 Employment Inducement Incentive Award Plan, serves as an employment inducement as per Nasdaq rules. The stock options have an exercise price of $1.72 per share, matching the closing price on the grant date, and will vest over four years with 25% vesting after the first year and the remaining 75% vesting monthly over the subsequent three years, contingent on continued employment. Zentalis is advancing its lead candidate, azenosertib, which shows promise in treating various tumor types and is well-tolerated in clinical trials.
Potential Positives
- Zentalis Pharmaceuticals is expanding its workforce by hiring six new employees, which may enhance the company’s capabilities and research efforts in developing their WEE1 inhibitor.
- The granting of 381,000 stock options under the 2022 Inducement Plan is a strategic move to attract talent, aligning employee interests with company performance through equity ownership.
- The stock options have a competitive exercise price of $1.72 per share, indicative of potential value for both the company and new hires, reinforcing commitment to future growth.
Potential Negatives
- The issuance of stock options to newly hired employees may raise concerns about potential dilution of existing shareholders' equity.
- The reliance on a stock option incentive plan may indicate challenges in attracting talent or retaining employees without offering equity compensation.
- The press release does not provide any updates on the status of clinical trials or progress of the WEE1 inhibitor, which might lead to investor concerns about the company's current standing and transparency.
FAQ
What recent stock options were granted by Zentalis Pharmaceuticals?
Zentalis granted non-qualified stock options to purchase 381,000 shares to six newly hired employees on September 2, 2025.
What is the exercise price for the newly granted stock options?
The exercise price for the stock options is $1.72 per share, equal to the closing price on the grant date.
What is the vesting schedule for the stock options?
The stock options will vest over four years, with 25% vesting on the first anniversary and the remainder monthly thereafter.
Who is eligible for the Zentalis 2022 Inducement Plan?
The plan is for individuals not previously employed by Zentalis or those returning after a bona fide period of non-employment.
What is azenosertib being developed for?
Azenosertib is a WEE1 inhibitor being developed for patients with ovarian cancer and other tumor types in clinical trials.
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.
$ZNTL Insider Trading Activity
$ZNTL insiders have traded $ZNTL stock on the open market 1 times in the past 6 months. Of those trades, 1 have been purchases and 0 have been sales.
Here’s a breakdown of recent trading of $ZNTL stock by insiders over the last 6 months:
- SCOTT DUNSETH MYERS purchased 21,000 shares for an estimated $29,372
To track insider transactions, check out Quiver Quantitative's insider trading dashboard.
$ZNTL Hedge Fund Activity
We have seen 58 institutional investors add shares of $ZNTL stock to their portfolio, and 102 decrease their positions in their most recent quarter.
Here are some of the largest recent moves:
- EVENTIDE ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC removed 4,475,054 shares (-100.0%) from their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $7,115,335
- BLACKROCK, INC. removed 2,487,750 shares (-58.8%) from their portfolio in Q2 2025, for an estimated $2,885,790
- MPM BIOIMPACT LLC removed 1,106,851 shares (-100.0%) from their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $1,759,893
- INTEGRAL HEALTH ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC removed 1,050,000 shares (-100.0%) from their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $1,669,500
- STATE STREET CORP removed 1,047,995 shares (-79.4%) from their portfolio in Q2 2025, for an estimated $1,215,674
- BALYASNY ASSET MANAGEMENT L.P. added 970,862 shares (+inf%) to their portfolio in Q2 2025, for an estimated $1,126,199
- GEODE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC removed 737,502 shares (-54.4%) from their portfolio in Q2 2025, for an estimated $855,502
To track hedge funds' stock portfolios, check out Quiver Quantitative's institutional holdings dashboard.
$ZNTL Analyst Ratings
Wall Street analysts have issued reports on $ZNTL in the last several months. We have seen 1 firms issue buy ratings on the stock, and 0 firms issue sell ratings.
Here are some recent analyst ratings:
- HC Wainwright & Co. issued a "Buy" rating on 05/15/2025
To track analyst ratings and price targets for $ZNTL, check out Quiver Quantitative's $ZNTL forecast page.
$ZNTL Price Targets
Multiple analysts have issued price targets for $ZNTL recently. We have seen 4 analysts offer price targets for $ZNTL in the last 6 months, with a median target of $7.5.
Here are some recent targets:
- Derek Archila from Wells Fargo set a target price of $5.0 on 08/07/2025
- Robert Driscoll from Wedbush set a target price of $4.0 on 05/15/2025
- Andres Maldonado from HC Wainwright & Co. set a target price of $10.0 on 05/15/2025
Full Release
SAN DIEGO, Sept. 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zentalis® Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ZNTL), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a potentially first-in-class and best-in-class WEE1 inhibitor for patients with ovarian cancer and other tumor types, today announced that on September 2, 2025, the Compensation Committee of Zentalis’ Board of Directors granted non-qualified stock options to purchase an aggregate of 381,000 shares of the Company’s common stock to six (6) newly hired employees. The stock options were granted under the Zentalis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2022 Employment Inducement Incentive Award Plan (2022 Inducement Plan) as an inducement material to each such individual’s entering into employment with Zentalis in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).
The 2022 Inducement Plan is used exclusively for the grant of equity awards to individuals who were not previously employees of Zentalis, or following a bona fide period of non-employment, as an inducement material to each such individual’s entering into employment with Zentalis, pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).
The stock options have an exercise price of $1.72 per share, which is equal to the closing price of Zentalis’ common stock on The Nasdaq Global Market on the date of grant. The stock options have a 10-year term and will vest over four years, with 25% of the options vesting on the first anniversary of the vesting commencement date and the remaining 75% of the options vesting in equal monthly installments over the three years thereafter.
Vesting of the stock options is subject to the employee’s continued service to Zentalis on each vesting date.
About Zentalis Pharmaceuticals
Zentalis® Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing azenosertib (ZN-c3), a potentially first-in-class and best-in-class WEE1 inhibitor for patients with Cyclin E1+ platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC). Azenosertib is being evaluated as a monotherapy and in combination across multiple tumor types in clinical trials and has broad franchise potential. In clinical trials, azenosertib has been well tolerated and has demonstrated anti-tumor activity as a single agent across multiple tumor types. The Company is also leveraging its extensive experience and capabilities to translate its science to advance research on additional areas of opportunity for azenosertib outside PROC. Zentalis has operations in San Diego.
For more information, please visit www.zentalis.com . Follow Zentalis on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/zentalis-pharmaceuticals .
ZENTALIS ® and its associated logo are trademarks of Zentalis and/or its affiliates. All website addresses and other links in this press release are for information only and are not intended to be an active link or to incorporate any website or other information into this press release.
Contacts:
Aron Feingold – VP, IR & Corp Comms
[email protected]
