Rocket One Inc. 10-K

ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES Evaluation of Disclosure Controls Our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, after evaluating the effectiveness of the Company’s “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) as of December 31, 2021, the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K, have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective such that the information required to be disclosed by us in reports filed under the Exchange Act is (i) recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms and (ii) accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding disclosure. In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, cannot provide absolute assurance that the objectives of the controls system are met, and no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within a company have been detected. Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as such term is defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f). Internal control over financial reporting is a process designed under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of consolidated financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP. All internal control systems, no matter how well designed, have inherent limitations. Therefore, even those systems determined to be effective can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation and presentation. As of December 31, 2021, under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission in Internal Control-Integrated Framework - 2013. Based on this assessment, our management concluded that, as of December 31, 2021, our internal control over financial reporting was effective based on such criteria. This Annual Report on Form 10-K does not include an attestation report of our registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting. Management’s report was not subject to attestation by the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm pursuant to the exemption provided to issuers that are not “large accelerated filers” nor “accelerated filers” under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting There have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during our last fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting. ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION None. ITEM 9C. DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS. Not applicable. 49 PART III ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE The following table sets forth the name, age and positions of our executive officers and directors. NAME AGE POSITION Robb Knie 53 President, Chief Executive Officer and Director David Briones 45 Chief Financial Officer Stefanie Johns 37 Chief Scientific Officer Wayne Linsley 65 Director David B. Sarnoff 54 Director Graig Springer 42 Director The business background and certain other information about our directors and executive officers is set forth below. Robb Knie Robb Knie has served as President and Chief Executive Officer and as a director of the Company since May 2017 and served as our principal financial and accounting officer from June 2018 until March 2019. Since October 15, 2020, Mr. Knie has served as the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and chairman of the board of directors of FoxWayne Enterprises Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: FOXW). Mr. Knie served as the President of Lifeline Industries Inc. since its inception in 1995. From 2002 to 2010 he was a Semiconductor Analyst for PAW Partners. From 1993 until 1995, Mr. Knie served as Northeast Regional Manager of American Express Financial Advisors. Mr. Knie has served as a board member for Nasdaq-listed companies. He has been featured on Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal and Forbes Magazine as an Independent Equity Analyst. Mr. Knie has over 20 years of equity markets experience. Mr. Knie has been a member of the American Chemical Society, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, as well as The National Alliance for Youth Sports. We believe that Mr. Knie is qualified to serve as a director because of his business and leadership experience and experience as a board member of public companies in the healthcare industry. David Briones David Briones has served as Chief Financial Officer of the Company since March 2019 and has over nineteen years of public accounting and executive level experience. He consults with various public companies in financial reporting, internal control development and evaluation, budgeting and forecasting. Since September 2021, Mr. Briones has served as Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary and a member of the board of directors of Larkspur Healthcare Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: LSPR), a special purpose acquisition corporation. Since October 2010, he has served as the managing member and founder of Brio Financial Group, LLC, a full-service financial consulting firm that brings experienced finance and accounting expertise to both public and private companies. Since 2010, Mr. Briones has served over 75 companies as well as numerous banks, hedge funds, venture capital funds and private equity firms. In addition, from May 2018 until its dissolution in April 2021, Mr. Briones served as Executive Chair of Zovis Pharmaceuticals, and from August 2013 to January 2020, Mr. Briones served as Chief Financial Officer of Petro River Oil Corp. (“PTRC”), an independent energy company focused on the exploration and development of conventional oil and gas assets. Mr. Briones also served as interim Chief Financial Officer of AdiTx Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADTX), a pre-clinical stage, life sciences company with a mission to prolong life and enhance life quality of transplanted patients from January 2018 to July 2020 (until the company’s initial public offering). From October 2017 to May 2018, Mr. Briones served as the Chief Financial Officer of Bitzumi, Inc., a Bitcoin exchange and marketplace. Prior to founding Brio Financial Group, LLC, Mr. Briones was an auditor with Bartolomei Pucciarelli, LLC in Lawrenceville, New Jersey and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in New York, New York. Since May 2020, Mr. Briones has served as a member of the board of directors of Unique Logistics International Inc (OTC Pink: UNQL). Mr. Briones received a bachelors of science degree in accounting from Fairfield University. 50 Stefanie Johns Stefanie Johns has served as Chief Scientific Officer of the Company since September 2020. Prior to serving as our Chief Scientific Officer, from February 2019 to September 2020, Dr. Johns served as a member of the Company’s Scientific Advisory Board, and from May 2020 to September 2020, she served as a consultant of the Company. Dr. Johns has worked in the biopharmaceutical and medical device industries for more than eight years, and has experience spanning drug, biologic, medical device, and in vitro diagnostic device products in U.S. and global markets. From January to September 2020, Dr. Johns served as Director, Regulatory Affairs of Enable Injections, Inc., and from January 2019 until January 2020, she served as Associate Director, Regulatory Affairs of Enable Injections, Inc., an investigational-stage company developing and manufacturing on-body subcutaneous infusion delivery systems. From December 2018 until August 2018, Dr. Johns served as Manager, Regulatory Strategy of Camargo Pharmaceutical Services, LLC (“Camargo”) and from July 2016 until August 2018, she served as Scientific Regulator Specialist of Camargo, a company specializing in complex drug development programs. From June 2013 through June 2016, Dr. Johns served as Regulatory Affairs and Design Assurance Associate of Meridian Bioscience Inc., a producer and distributor of diagnostic test kits. In addition, Dr. Johns previously served as Program Manager, Xavier Health Initiatives for Xavier University and a Graduate Research Assistant for the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Johns received her bachelors of science degree in biological sciences from Wright State University and her Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Wayne Linsley Wayne D. Linsley has served as a director of the Company since April 2020. Mr. Linsley has been in business management for over 40 years. He possesses a wide and varied skillset including sales and sales management, finance (for both public and private companies), accounting, audit support and financial reporting. He has a bachelor’s in business administration from Siena College in Loudonville, NY. From 2009 to September 2021 he worked for a financial reporting firm that works with publicly traded companies. He has extensive knowledge of financial statements, MD&A, SEC Filings (10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, etc.) Edgar, etc. He often negotiated on behalf of clients in such areas as audit fees, transfer agents, Edgar companies, etc. He currently serves as an independent director for DatChat Inc. (Nasdaq: DATS), serving the chair of its audit committee, compensation committee and nominating and corporate governance committee, and Silo Pharma, Inc. (OTCQB: SILO). We believe Mr. Linsley is qualified to serve as a member of the Board because his business management experience. David B. Sarnoff David Sarnoff has served as a director of the Company since August 2018. Since June 2015, Mr. Sarnoff has served as the founder and Principal of Sarnoff Group, LLC, and since January 2019, he has served as the Director of Strategic Partnerships and Executive Leadership Coach at Loeb Leadership. In addition, since December 2021, Mr. Sarnoff has served as Adjunct Faculty at iCoach New York with respect to a professional coaching program. From October 2003 until June 2015, Mr. Sarnoff served as the co-founder and Principal of Morandi, Taub & Sarnoff LLC, an executive search firm, and from July 1998 until October 2003 he served as a Legal Recruiter for Schneider Legal Search, Inc. From August 1994 until July 1998, Mr. Sarnoff served as a litigation associate attorney at Wachtel Missry LLP (formerly known as Gold & Wachtel LLP). Since July 2018, Mr. Sarnoff has served as a member of the advisory committee of the New Jersey Association of School Resource Officers. From January 2015 until January 2018, Mr. Sarnoff served as board President of Fort Lee Board of Education and served as a board member from January 2013 through January 2019. In September of 2020, Mr. Sarnoff was appointed to a three year term on the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee of the New York City Bar Association. Mr. Sarnoff received his Juris Doctor from Rutgers University School of Law and his bachelor of arts from Hofstra University. Mr. Sarnoff is admitted to the New York and New Jersey (retired status) state bars. We believe that Mr. Sarnoff is qualified to serve as a director because of his legal experience as well as his extensive experience in executive leadership and business development. 51 Graig Springer Graig Springer has served as a director of the Company since February 2020. Since April 2021, Mr. Springer has served as Vice President for Brookfield Asset Management Inc. (“Brookfield”) in their Legal and Regulatory Department ,and from August 2020 to April 2021, he served as a consultant to Brookfield. From May 2019 to August 2019, Mr. Springer assisted with product development and governance at Invesco U.S., an investment management company, and from December 2013 to May 2019, he served in various capacities at OppenheimerFunds, Inc., an investment management company acquired by Invesco U.S., including distribution compliance and product development. In addition, Mr. Springer served on the Sub-Adviser Oversight Committee at OppenheimerFunds, Inc. Mr. Springer received his bachelor of arts from Columbia University and his Juris Doctor from Fordham University School of Law. Mr. Springer also holds a Series 7 and a Series 24 license. We believe that Mr. Springer is qualified to serve as a director because of his fifteen years of experience within the financial services industry overseeing and advising firms’ compliance with federal rules and regulations. Family Relationships There are no family relationships among any of our executive officers or directors. Arrangements between Officers and Directors Except as set forth herein, to our knowledge, there is no arrangement or understanding between any of our officers or directors and any other person pursuant to which the officer or director was selected to serve as an officer or director. Involvement in Certain Legal Proceedings We are not aware of any of our directors or officers being involved in any legal proceedings in the past ten years relating to any matters in bankruptcy, insolvency, criminal proceedings (other than traffic and other minor offenses), or being subject to any of the items set forth under Item 401(f) of Regulation S-K. Committees of Our Board of Directors Our board of directors directs the management of our business and affairs, as provided by Nevada law, and conducts its business through meetings of the board of directors and its standing committees. We have a standing audit committee, compensation committee and nominating and corporate governance committee. In addition, from time to time, special committees may be established under the direction of the board of directors when necessary to address specific issues. Our board of directors has determined that all of the members of the audit committee, the compensation committee and the nominating and corporate governance committee are independent as defined under the applicable rules of The Nasdaq Capital Market, including, in the case of all of the members of our audit committee, the independence requirements contemplated by Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act. In making such determination, the board of directors considered the relationships that each director has with our Company and all other facts and circumstances that the board of directors deemed relevant in determining director independence, including the beneficial ownership of our capital stock by each director. 52 Audit Committee Our audit committee will be responsible for, among other things: ● approving and retaining the independent registered public accounting firm to conduct the annual audit of our consolidated financial statements; ● reviewing the proposed scope and results of the audit; ● reviewing and pre-approval of audit and non-audit fees and services; ● reviewing accounting and financial controls with the independent registered public accounting firm and our financial and accounting staff; ● reviewing and approving transactions between us and our directors, officers and affiliates; ● establishing procedures for complaints received by us regarding accounting matters; ● overseeing internal audit functions, if any; and ● preparing the report of the audit committee that the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission require to be included in our annual meeting proxy statement. Our audit committee consists of Wayne Linsley, David Sarnoff and Graig Springer, with Wayne Linsley serving as chair. Each member of our audit committee meets the financial literacy requirements of the Nasdaq rules. In addition, our board of directors has determined that Wayne Linsley qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert,” as such term is defined in Item 407(d)(5) of Regulation S-K. Our board of directors adopted a written charter for the audit committee which is available on our website at www.hoththerapeutics.com . Compensation Committee Our compensation committee is responsible for, among other things: ● reviewing and recommending the compensation arrangements for management, including the compensation for our president and chief executive officer; ● establishing and reviewing general compensation policies with the objective to attract and retain superior talent, to reward individual performance and to achieve our financial goals; ● administering our stock incentive plans; and ● preparing the report of the compensation committee that the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission require to be included in our annual meeting proxy statement. 53 As of December 31, 2021, our compensation committee consisted of Wayne Linsley, Vadim Mats and David Sarnoff, with Wayne Linsley serving as chair. Currently, our compensation committee consists of Wayne Linsley, Graig Springer and David Sarnoff, with Wayne Linsley serving as chair. Our board of directors adopted a written charter for the compensation committee which is available on our website at www.hoththerapeutics.com. Nominating and Governance Committee Our nominating and governance committee is responsible for, among other things: ● identifying and nominating members of the board of directors; ● developing and recommending to the board of directors a set of corporate governance principles applicable to our Company; and ● overseeing the evaluation of our board of directors. As of December 31, 2021, our nominating and corporate governance committee consisted of Vadim Mats, Graig Springer and David Sarnoff, with Vadim Mats serving as chair. Currently, our nominating and corporate governance committee consists of Wayne Linsley, Graig Springer and David Sarnoff, with Graig Springer serving as chair. Our board of directors adopted a written charter for the nominating and corporate governance committee which is available on our website at www.hoththerapeutics.com. 54 Scientific Advisory Board In July 2017, the board of directors formed a Scientific Advisory Board (formerly known as the Technology Advisory Board). The members of such board are as follows: (i)Dr. Mario Lacouture, Dr. William Weglicki, and Dr. Adam Friedman as Medical Doctor members and (ii) Dr. Andrew Herr, Dr. Michael Peters, Dr. Glenn Cruse, Dr. Vincent Njar, Dr. Carla Yuede, Dr. John Cirrito and Sergio Traversa as Non-Medical Doctor members. Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our directors and executive officers, and persons who own more than 10% of a registered class of our equity securities, to file with the SEC initial reports of ownership and reports of changes in ownership of our common stock and other equity securities. To our knowledge, based solely upon a review of Forms 3, 4, and 5 filed with the SEC during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, we believe that, except as set forth below, our directors, executive officers, and greater than 10% beneficial owners have complied with all applicable filing requirements during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. ● AIkido Pharma Inc. failed to report 1 transaction on time on a Form 5. Code of Business Code and Ethics Conduct We adopted a written code of business conduct and ethics that applies to our directors, officers and employees, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions. A copy of the code is posted on our website at www.hoththerapeutics.com. Disclosure regarding any amendments to, or waivers from, provisions of the code of conduct and ethics that apply to our directors, principal executive and financial officers will be posted on the “Investors-Corporate Governance” section of our website at www.hoththerapeutics.com or will be included in a Current Report on Form 8-K, which we will file within four business days following the date of the amendment or waiver. Changes in Nominating Procedures None. ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION Summary Compensation Table The following table sets forth the compensation paid or accrued during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 to our principal executive officer and two additional officers (collectively, the “named executive officers”): ● Robb Knie, Chief Executive Officer ● Stefanie Johns, Chief Scientific Officer ● Jane H. Springer, Vice President of Operations 55 Name and Principal Position Year Salary ($) Bonus ($) Stock Awards ($) Option Awards ($) Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation ($) Nonqualified deferred compensation earnings ($) All Other Compensation ($) Total ($) Robb Knie 2021 400,000 200,000 - 388,919 - - 86,261 (2) 1,075,180 Chief Executive Officer and President 2020 350,000 175,000 - 195,186 - - 61,002 (3) 781,188 Stefanie Johns (1) 2021 253,333 10,000 - 216,066 - - 46,894 (4) 526,293 Chief Scientific Officer 2020 62,879 - - - - - 13,955 (5) 76,834 Jane H. Springer 2021 191,875 85,000 - 259,279 - - 47,438 (6) 583,592 Vice President of Operations 2020 175,000 40,000 - 109,792 - - 31,023 (7) 355,815 (1) Stefanie Johns was appointed as Chief Scientific Officer of the Company effective as of September 8, 2020. (2) This amount reflects employer contributions to the 401(k) Plan of $15,917 and executive health or supplemental medical insurance premiums of $70,344. (3) This amount reflects employer contributions to executive health or supplemental medical insurance premiums of $61,002. (4) This amount reflects employer contributions to the 401(k) Plan of $6,475 and executive health or supplemental medical insurance premiums of $40,419. (5) This amount reflects employer contributions to executive health or supplemental medical insurance premiums of $13,955. (6) This amount reflects employer contributions to the 401(k) Plan of $8,546 and executive health or supplemental medical insurance premiums of $38,892. (7) This amount reflects employer contributions to executive health or supplemental medical insurance premiums of $31,023. Outstanding Equity Awards at December 31, 2021 The following table provides information regarding option awards held by each of our named executive officers that were outstanding as of December 31, 2021. There were no stock awards or other equity awards outstanding as of December 31, 2021. Option Awards Name Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#) Exercisable Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#) Unexercisable Option Exercise Price ($) Option Expiration Date Robb Knie 250,000 (1) - $ 5.26 12/24/2029 80,000 (2) - $ 3.05 7/21/2030 225,000 (3) - $ 2.11 1/29/2031 Stefanie Johns 125,000 (4) - $ 2.11 1/29/2031 Jane H. Springer 50,000 (5) - $ 5.26 12/24/2029 45,000 (6) - $ 3.05 7/21/2030 150,000 (7) - $ 2.11 1/29/2031 (1) Stock options granted to Robb Knie vested in full immediately upon grant. (2) Stock options granted to Robb Knie vested in full immediately upon grant. (3) Stock options granted to Robb Knie vested in full immediately upon grant. (4) Stock options granted to Stefanie Johns vested in full immediately upon grant. (5) Stock options granted to Jane Springer vested in full immediately upon grant. (6) Stock options granted to Jane Springer vested in full immediately upon grant. (7) Stock options granted to Jane Springer vested in full immediately upon grant. 56 Non-Employee Director Compensation The following table presents the total compensation for each person who served as a non-employee member of our board of directors and received compensation for such service during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. Other than as set forth in the table and described more fully below, we did not pay any compensation, make any equity awards or non-equity awards to, or pay any other compensation to any of the non-employee members of our board of directors in 2021. Name Fees earned or paid in cash ($) Stock Awards ($) Option Awards ($) Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation ($) Nonqualified deferred compensation earnings ($) All Other Compensation ($) Total ($) Vadim Mats (1) 30,000 - 57,041 - - - 87,041 David Sarnoff 30,000 - 57,041 - - - 87,041 Graig Springer 30,000 - 57,041 - - - 87,041 Wayne Linsley 30,000 - 57,041 - - - 87,041 (1) Vadim Mats resigned from the Company’s board of directors effective as of January 31, 2022. Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy Our directors receive $30,000 cash compensation per year for their service on the board of directors, as well as reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses with respect to such directors’ attendance at meetings of the board of directors of the Company. Committee chairs receive an additional one-time $6,000 cash compensation upon appointment for their added services in such roles. In addition, in January 2021, non-employee directors received options to purchase up to 33,000 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $2.11 per share. Employment Agreements Robb Knie Employment Agreement On February 20, 2019 (the “Knie Effective Date”), the Company entered into an amended and restated employment agreement with Robb Knie, as amended on June 25, 2021 (as amended, the “Employment Agreement”), pursuant to which Robb Knie serves as Chief Executive Officer of the Company. The term of the Employment Agreement will continue for a period of one year from the Knie Effective Date and automatically renews for successive one year periods at the end of each term until either party delivers written notice of their intent not to review at least six months prior to the expiration of the then effective term. Pursuant to the Employment Agreement, Mr. Knie (i) shall receive an annual base salary of $450,000 (effective as of July 1, 2021) and (ii) shall be entitled to receive an annual bonus of $350,000 (effective as July 1, 2021), which annual bonus may be increased by the compensation committee of the Company in its sole discretion, upon the achievement of additional criteria established by the compensation committee from time to time. In addition, Mr. Knie is also entitled to participate in any and all Benefit Plans (as defined in the Employment Agreement), from time to time, in effect for senior executives, along with vacation, sick and holiday pay in accordance with the Company’s policies established and in effect from time to time. The Employment Agreement may be terminated upon (i) Mr. Knie’s death, (ii) Mr. Knie’s Total Disability (as defined in the Employment Agreement), (iii) expiration of the term if either party has provided a timely non-renewal notice, (iv) at Mr. Knie’s option (A) upon 90 days prior written notice; provided, however, Mr. Knie may terminate the Employment Agreement by providing written notice at any time within 40 days of the consummation of a Change in Control Transaction (as defined in the Employment Agreement) or (B) for Good Reason (as defined in the Employment Agreement); or (v) at the Company’s option (A) for Cause (as defined in the Employment Agreement) or (B) upon 90 days prior written notice without Cause (as defined in the Employment Agreement). 57 Upon the termination of Mr. Knie’s employment for any reason, whether by Mr. Knie or by the Company, Mr. Knie shall be paid (i) accrued but unpaid compensation and vacation pay through the date of termination, (ii) any other benefits accrued to him under any Benefit Plans outstanding at the date of termination and (iii) the reimbursement of expenses incurred on or prior to such date (collectively, the “Severance Package”). In addition to the Severance Package, upon Mr. Knie’s termination for death or Total Disability, Mr. Knie or his estate or beneficiaries, as applicable, shall receive (i) 24 months base salary at the then current rate, (ii) if Mr. Knie elects continuation coverage for group health coverage pursuant to COBRA Rights (as defined in the Employment Agreement), then for a period of 24 months following Mr. Knie’s termination he will be obligated to pay only the portion of the full COBRA Rights cost of the coverage equal to an active employee’s share of premiums (if any) for coverage for the respective plan year and (iii) payment on a pro-rated basis of any annual bonus or other payments earned in connection with any bonus plan to which the Mr. Knie was a participant as of the date of death or Total Disability. Upon Mr. Knie’s termination for Good Reason, without Cause or Mr. Knie’s termination upon 90 days prior written notice to the Company or notice to the Company within 40 days of the consummation of a Change in Control Transaction, in addition to the Severance Package, Mr. Knie shall receive (i) 24 months base salary at the then current rate, (ii) if Mr. Knie elects continuation coverage for group health coverage pursuant to COBRA Rights, then for a period of 24 months following Mr. Knie’s termination he will be obligated to pay only the portion of the full COBRA Rights cost of the coverage equal to an active employee’s share of premiums (if any) for coverage for the respective plan year, (iii) payment on a pro-rated basis of any annual bonus or other payments earned in connection with any bonus plan to which the Mr. Knie was a participant as of the date of termination; provided, however, that the pro-rated annual bonus payable pursuant to the Employment Agreement shall be no less than $200,000 and (iv) any equity grants to Mr. Knie shall immediately vest upon termination of Mr. Knie’s employment by him for Good Reason or by the Company at its option upon 90 days prior written notice to Mr. Knie, without Cause. The Employment Agreement also contains covenants prohibiting Mr. Knie from disclosing confidential information with respect to the Company. Jane Springer Employment Agreement On November 13, 2019 (the “Springer Effective Date”), the Company entered into an Amended and Restated Employment Agreement with Jane Springer, as amended on June 25, 2021 (as amended, the “Springer Employment Agreement”), pursuant to which Mrs. Springer serves as Vice President of Operations of the Company. The term of the Springer Employment Agreement will continue for a period of one year from the Springer Effective Date and automatically renews for successive one year periods at the end of each term until either party delivers written notice of their intent not to review at least 30 days prior to the expiration of the then effective term. Pursuant to the terms of the Springer Employment Agreement, Mrs. Springer (i) shall receive an annual base salary of $200,000 (effective as of July 1, 2021), (ii) shall be entitled to earn a bonus, subject to the sole discretion of the Company’s Board and (iii) shall be eligible to receive awards pursuant to the Company’s equity incentive plans, subject to the sole discretion of the Company’s compensation committee. Mrs. Springer is also entitled to participate in any and all Employee Benefit Plans (as defined in the Springer Employment Agreement), from time to time, that are then in effect along with vacation, sick and holiday pay in accordance with the Company’s policies established and in effect from time to time. The Springer Employment Agreement may be terminated by either the Company or Mrs. Springer at any time and for any reason upon 10 days prior written notice. Upon termination of the Springer Employment Agreement, Mrs. Springer shall be entitled to (i) any equity award that has vested prior to the termination date, (ii) reimbursement of expenses incurred on or prior to such termination date and (iii) such employee benefits to which Mrs. Springer may be entitled as of the termination date (collectively, the “Accrued Amounts”). The Springer Employment Agreement shall also terminate upon Mrs. Springer’s death or the Company may terminate Mrs. Springer’s employment upon her Disability (as defined in the Springer Employment Agreement). Upon the termination of Mrs. Springer’s employment for death or Disability, Mrs. Springer shall be entitled to receive the Accrued Amounts. The Springer Employment Agreement also contains covenants prohibiting Mrs. Springer from disclosing confidential information with respect to the Company. 58 Stephanie Johns Employment Agreement On August 28, 2020, the Company entered into an employment agreement with Dr. Johns, as amended on January 29, 2021 and June 25, 2021 (as amended, the “Johns Employment Agreement”), pursuant to which Dr. Johns serves as Chief Scientific Officer of the Company effective as of September 8, 2020 (the “Effective Date”). The term of the Johns Employment Agreement will continue for a period of one year from the Effective Date and automatically renews for successive one year periods at the end of each term until either party delivers written notice of their intent not to review at least 60 days prior to the expiration of the then effective term. Pursuant to the terms of the Johns Employment Agreement, Dr. Johns (i) shall receive an annual base salary of $265,000 (effective as of July 1, 2021), (ii) shall be eligible to receive an annual bonus as determined by the Company’s compensation committee and (iii) shall be eligible to receive grants of awards under the Company’s equity incentive plans as determined by the Company’s compensation committee. Furthermore, Dr. Johns shall be eligible to participate in Benefit Plans (as defined in the Johns Employment Agreement) from time to time, in effect for senior employees. The Johns Employment Agreement may be terminated upon (i) Dr. Johns’ death, (ii) Dr. Johns’ Total Disability (as defined in the Johns Employment Agreement), (iii) expiration of the term if either party has provided a timely non-renewal notice, (iv) at Dr. Johns’ option (A) upon 60 days prior written notice or (B) for Good Reason (as defined in the Johns Employment Agreement) or (v) at the Company’s option for Cause (as defined in the Johns Employment Agreement). In the event Dr. Johns’ employment is terminated for death or Total Disability, Dr. Johns shall receive (i) her accrued but unpaid compensation and vacation through the date of death or Total Disability, (ii) the reimbursement unpaid of expenses, (iii) Benefit Plans for a period of 12 months following her death and (iv) payment, on a pro-rated basis, of any bonus or other payments earned by Dr. Johns as of the date of her death or Total Disability. In the event Dr. Johns’ employment is terminated upon the expiration of the term of the Johns Employment Agreement where the Company has offered to renew the term but Dr. Johns has declined such renewal, Dr. Johns shall receive (i) her accrued but unpaid compensation and vacation through the date of termination, (ii) any other benefits accrued to her under any Benefit Plans and (iii) the reimbursement of unpaid expenses. In the event Dr. Johns’ employment is terminated upon the expiration of the term of the Johns Employment Agreement as a result of the Company tendering a non-renewal notice (other than for Cause), Dr. Johns shall receive the same payment she would receive if she terminated her employment for Good Reason. In the event Dr. Johns’ employment is terminated for Good Reason, Dr. Johns shall receive (i) her accrued but unpaid compensation and vacation through the date of termination, (ii) any other benefits accrued to her under any Benefit Plans, (iii) the reimbursement of unpaid expenses, (iv) a cash payment of 12 months of her then base salary, (v) Benefit Plans for a period of 12 months following the date of termination and (vi) payment on a pro-rated basis of any bonus or other payments earned in connection with any bonus plan to which she was a participant as of the date of termination. Any options or restricted stock owned by Dr. Johns shall immediately vest upon her termination for Good Reason or termination by the Company without Cause. In the event Dr. Johns’ employment is terminated by her upon 60 days prior notice or by the Company for Cause, Dr. Johns shall receive (i) her accrued but unpaid compensation and vacation through the date of termination, (ii) continued provision for a period of one month after the date of termination of benefits under the Benefit Plans and (iii) the reimbursement of unpaid expenses. The Johns Employment Agreement also contains covenants prohibiting Mrs. Springer from disclosing confidential information with respect to the Company. 59 ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS The following table sets forth certain information regarding beneficial ownership of shares of our common stock as of March 28, 2022 by (i) each person known to beneficially own more than 5% of our outstanding common stock, (ii) each of our directors, (iii) each of our named executive officers and (iv) all of our directors and named executive officers as a group. Except as otherwise indicated, the persons named in the table below have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares beneficially owned, subject to community property laws, where applicable. Beneficial Owner (1) Shares of Common Stock Beneficially Owned Percentage (2) Directors and Named Executive Officers: Robb Knie 1,863,259 (3) 7.44 % Stefanie Johns 375,000 (4) * Wayne Linsley 90,392 (5) * David Sarnoff 148,000 (6) * Jane H. Springer 613,209 (7) 2.50 % Graig Springer 613,209 (8) 2.50 % All Named Executive Officers and Directors as a Group (6 persons) 3,089,860 11.79 % 5% or Greater Shareholders: Intracoastal Capital LLC (9) 245 Palm Trail Delray Beach, FL 33483 1,425,200 (10) 5.61 % * Represents beneficial ownership of less than 1%. (1) The address of each person is c/o Hoth Therapeutics, Inc., 1 Rockefeller Plaza, Suite 1039, New York, New York 10020 unless otherwise indicated herein. (2) The calculation in this column is based upon 23,975,098 shares of common stock outstanding on March 28, 2022. Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC and generally includes voting or investment power with respect to the subject securities. Shares of common stock that are currently exercisable or convertible within 60 days of March 28, 2022 are deemed to be beneficially owned by the person holding such securities for the purpose of computing the percentage beneficial ownership of such person, but are not treated as outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage beneficial ownership of any other person. (3) Includes options to purchase up to 1,055,000 shares of the Company’s common stock. (4) Includes options to purchase up to 375,000 shares of the Company’s common stock. (5) Includes options to purchase up to 88,000 shares of the Company’s common stock. Excludes 941 shares of common stock which are subject to vesting. (6) Includes options to purchase up to 123,000 shares of the Company’s common stock. 60 (7) Includes (i) 27,817 shares of the Company’s common stock held by Jane H. Springer, (ii) options to purchase up to 495,000 shares of the Company’s common stock held by Jane H. Springer, (iii) options to purchase up to 88,000 shares of the Company’s common stock held by Graig Springer and (iv) 2,392 shares of the Company’s common stock held by Graig Springer. Excludes 941 shares of the Company’s common stock held by Graig Springer which are subject to vesting. Graig Springer is the spouse of Jane H. Springer. (8) Includes (i) 2,392 shares of the Company’s common stock held by Graig Springer, (ii) options to purchase up to 88,000 shares of the Company’s common stock held by Graig Springer, (iii) 27,817 shares of the Company’s common stock held by Jane H. Springer and (iv) options to purchase up to 495,000 shares of the Company’s common stock held by Jane H. Springer. Excludes 941 shares of the Company’s common stock held by Graig Springer which are subject to vesting. Jane H. Springer is the spouse of Graig Springer. (9) Mitchell P. Kopin (“Mr. Kopin”) and Daniel B. Asher (“Mr. Asher”), each of whom are managers of Intracoastal Capital LLC (“Intracoastal”), have shared voting control and investment discretion over the securities reported herein that are held by Intracoastal. As a result, each of Mr. Kopin and Mr. Asher may be deemed to have beneficial ownership (as determined under Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act) of the securities reported herein that are held by Intracoastal. (10) Pursuant to the Schedule 13G filed by Intracoastal Capital LLC on February 11, 2022, includes warrants to purchase up to 1,425,200 shares of common stock. The warrants contain an ownership limitation such that the holder may not exercise such warrants to the extent that such exercise would result in the holder’s beneficial ownership being in excess of 9.99% of the Company’s issued and outstanding common stock together with all shares owned by the holder and its affiliates. Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans The following table summarizes information about our equity compensation plans as of December 31, 2021. Number of securities remaining available for Number of securities Weighted future issuance under to be issued upon exercise of average exercise price of equity compensation plans outstanding options, outstanding options, (excluding securities Plan Category warrants and rights (a) warrants and rights reflected in column (a)) Equity compensation plans approved by security holder 1,321,212 $ 3.37 2,083,061 Equity compensation plans not approved by security holder - - - Total 1,321,212 2,083,061 61 ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE The following includes a summary of transactions during our fiscal years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 to which we have been a party, including transactions in which the amount involved in the transaction exceeds the lesser of $120,000 or 1% of the average of our total assets at year-end for the last two completed fiscal years, and in which any of our directors, executive officers or, to our knowledge, beneficial owners of more than 5% of our capital stock or any member of the immediate family of any of the foregoing persons had or will have a direct or indirect material interest, other than equity and other compensation, termination, change in control and other arrangements, which are described elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We are not otherwise a party to a current related party transaction, and no transaction is currently proposed, in which the amount of the transaction exceeds the lesser of $120,000 or 1% of the average of our total assets at year-end for the last two completed fiscal years and in which a related person had or will have a direct or indirect material interest. Laidlaw & Company (UK) Ltd. (“Laidlaw”) On March 26, 2020, we entered into an underwriting agreement with Laidlaw pursuant to which we paid Laidlaw a fee in the amount of 9% of the gross proceeds of our sale of 1,449,275 shares of common stock, or approximately $400,000. We also reimbursed Laidlaw approximately $50,000 for management fee and certain out-of-pocket expenses, including the fees and disbursements of their counsel in an amount equal to $25,000. In addition, Laidlaw received a warrant to purchase 72,464 shares of our common stock at an exercise price of $4.14 per share. Related Person Transaction Policy We have adopted a formal policy regarding approval of transactions with related parties. For purposes of our policy only, a related person transaction is a transaction, arrangement or relationship, or any series of similar transactions, arrangements or relationships, in which we and any related person are, were or will be participants in which the amount involved exceeds the lesser of $120,000 or 1% of our total assets at the end of our last completed fiscal year. Transactions involving compensation for services provided to us as an employee or director are not covered by this policy. A related person is any executive officer, director or beneficial owner of more than 5% of any class of our voting securities, including any of their immediate family members and any entity owned or controlled by such persons. Under the policy, if a transaction has been identified as a related person transaction, including any transaction that was not a related person transaction when originally consummated or any transaction that was not initially identified as a related person transaction prior to consummation, our management must present information regarding the related person transaction to our audit committee, or, if audit committee approval would be inappropriate, to another independent body of our board of directors, for review, consideration and approval or ratification. The presentation must include a description of, among other things, the material facts, the interests, direct and indirect, of the related persons, the benefits to us of the transaction and whether the transaction is on terms that are comparable to the terms available to or from, as the case may be, an unrelated third party or to or from employees generally. Under the policy, we will collect information that we deem reasonably necessary from each director, executive officer and, to the extent feasible, significant shareholder to enable us to identify any existing or potential related-person transactions and to effectuate the terms of the policy. In addition, under our code of business conduct and ethics, our employees and directors will have an affirmative responsibility to disclose any transaction or relationship that reasonably could be expected to give rise to a conflict of interest. In considering related person transactions, our audit committee, or other independent body of our board of directors, will take into account the relevant available facts and circumstances including, but not limited to: ● the risks, costs and benefits to us; ● the impact on a director’s independence in the event that the related person is a director, immediate family member of a director or an entity with which a director is affiliated; ● the availability of other sources for comparable services or products; and ● the terms available to or from, as the case may be, unrelated third parties or to or from employees generally. The policy requires that, in determining whether to approve, ratify or reject a related person transaction, our audit committee, or other independent body of our board of directors, must consider, in light of known circumstances, whether the transaction is in, or is not inconsistent with, our best interests and those of our shareholders, as our audit committee, or other independent body of our board of directors, determines in the good faith exercise of its discretion. 62 Director Independence Our board of directors determined that a majority of the board during the year ended December 31, 2021 consisted of members who were “independent” as that term is defined under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605(a)(2). The Board considered Wayne Linsley, Vadim Mats, David Sarnoff and Graig Springer to be “independent.” ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES The following table sets forth the aggregate fees billed by WithumSmith+Brown, PC as described below: 2021 2020 Audit Fees $ 98,365 $ 91,567 Audit Related Fees - - Tax Fees 3,605 - All Other Fees - - Total $ 101,970 $ 91,567 Audit Fees: Audit fees consist of fees billed for professional services performed by WithumSmith+Brown, PC for the audit of our annual consolidated financial statements, the review of interim consolidated financial statements, and related services that are normally provided in connection with registration statements. There were $98,365 and $91,567 of such fees incurred by the Company in the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Audit-Related Fees: Audit related fees may consist of fees billed by an independent registered public accounting firm for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of our consolidated financial statements. There were no such fees incurred by the Company in the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020. Tax Fees: Tax fees may consist of fees for professional services, including tax compliance performed by WithumSmith+Brown, PC. There were $3,605 and $0 of such fees incurred by the Company in the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. All Other Fees: There were no such fees incurred by the Company in the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020. Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures In accordance with Sarbanes-Oxley, our audit committee charter requires the audit committee to pre-approve all audit and permitted non-audit services provided by our independent registered public accounting firm, including the review and approval in advance of our independent registered public accounting firm’s annual engagement letter and the proposed fees contained therein. The audit committee has the ability to delegate the authority to pre-approve non-audit services to one or more designated members of the audit committee. If such authority is delegated, such delegated members of the audit committee must report to the full audit committee at the next audit committee meeting all items pre-approved by such delegated members. In the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 all of the services performed by our independent registered public accounting firm were pre-approved by the audit committee. 63 PART IV ITEM 15. EXHIBIT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES (a) The following documents are filed as part of this report: (1) Financial Statements: Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm F-2 Consolidated Balance Sheets F-3 Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss F-4 Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity F-5 Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows F-6 Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements F-7 The consolidated financial statements required by this Item are included beginning at page F-1. (1) Financial Statement Schedules: All financial statement schedules have been omitted because they are not applicable, not required or the information required is shown in the consolidated financial statements or the notes thereto. 64 (b) Exhibits EXHIBIT INDEX Exhibit Number Exhibit 3.1 Articles of Incorporation (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Form S-1/A filed on December 14, 2018) 3.2 Amendment to Articles of Incorporation (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company’s Form S-1/A filed on December 14, 2018) 3.3 Certificate of Designations, Preferences and Rights of the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.3 to the Company’s Form S-1/A filed on December 14, 2018) 3.4 Amendment to Articles of Incorporation (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed on February 20, 2019) 3.5 Amended and Restated Bylaws (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed on February 20, 2019) 4.1 Specimen Stock Certificate evidencing the shares of common stock (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Form S-1/A filed on December 14, 2018) 4.2 Form of Underwriter Warrant (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Company’s Form S-1/A filed on January 11, 2019) 4.3 Form of Warrant (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed on March 25, 2020) 4.4 Form of Warrant (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed on May 22, 2020) 4.5* Description of the Registrant’s Securities 10.1+ Amended and Restated Employment Agreement between Hoth Therapeutics, Inc. and Robb Knie (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed on February 20, 2019) 10.2 Office Service Agreement with Regus dated June 26, 2017 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 to the Company’s Form S-1/A filed on December 14, 2018) 10.3 Form of Warrant (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.8 to the Company’s Form S-1/A filed on December 14, 2018) 10.4 Form of Investor Rights Agreement (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.10 to the Company’s Form S-1/A filed on December 14, 2018) 10.5+ 2018 Equity Incentive Plan (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Form S-8 filed on February 4, 2022) 10.6 Renewal Agreement with Regus dated April 14, 2020 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.9 to the Company’s Form 10-K filed on March 2, 2020 ) 10.7 Form of Registration Rights Agreement (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.14 to the Company’s Form S-1/A filed on December 14, 2018) 10.8+ Employment Agreement between Hoth Therapeutics, Inc. and David Briones (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed on March 7, 2019) 65 10.9 Form of Warrant (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed on August 21, 2019) 10.10 Form of Registration Rights Agreement (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed on August 21, 2019) 10.11 Form of Placement Agent Warrant (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed on August 21, 2019) 10.12+ Amended and Restated Employment Agreement between Hoth Therapeutics, Inc. and Jane H. Springer (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 to the Company’s Form 10-Q filed on November 12, 2019) 10.13 License Agreement with North Carolina State University dated November 20, 2019 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.22 to the Company’s Form 10-K filed on March 2, 2020) 10.14 Development and Royalty Agreement by and between the Company and Voltron Therapeutics, Inc. dated March 23, 2020 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed on March 23, 2020) 10.15## Exclusive License Agreement between the Company and Virginia Commonwealth University Intellectual Property Foundation dated May 18, 2020 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed on May 19, 2020) 10.16## Sponsored Project Agreement by and between the Company and Virginia Commonwealth University (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed on July 2, 2020) 10.17## Sublicense Agreement by and between the Company and Isoprene Pharmaceutics, Inc. dated July 30, 2020 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed on August 5, 2020) 10.18 License Agreement by and between the University of Cincinnati and Chelexa BioSciences, Inc. dated February 27, 2013 assigned to the Company on May 14, 2020 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Company’s Form 10-Q filed on August 13, 2020) 10.19 First Amendment to Exclusive License Agreement by and between the University of Cincinnati and Chelexa BioSciences, Inc. dated April 17, 2013 assigned to the Company on May 14, 2020 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Company’s Form 10-Q filed on August 13, 2020) 10.20 Second Amendment to Exclusive License Agreement by and between the University of Cincinnati and Chelexa BioSciences, Inc. dated February 27, 2013 assigned to the Company on May 14, 2020 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Company’s Form 10-Q filed on August 13, 2020) 10.21 Assignment and Assumption Agreement by and between the Company and Chelexa BioSciences, Inc. dated May 14, 2020 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 to the Company’s Form 10-Q filed on August 13, 2020) 10.22 Royalty Agreement by and between the Company and Chelexa BioSciences, Inc. dated May 14, 2020 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 to the Company’s Form 10-Q filed on August 13, 2020) 10.23 Novation Agreement by and among the Company, Chelexa BioSciences, Inc. and the University of Cincinnati dated May 14, 2020 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.8 to the Company’s Form 10-Q filed on August 13, 2020) 10.24 Patent License Agreement by and between the Company and the George Washington University dated August 7, 2020 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.9 to the Company’s Form 10-Q filed on August 13, 2020) 10.25+ Employment Agreement by and between the Company and Stefanie Johns dated August 28, 2020 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed on August 31, 2020) 10.26## Sponsored Research Agreement by and between the Company and the George Washington University (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed on September 21, 2020) 10.27 Form of Warrant (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed on January 8, 2021) 10.28 Form of Registration Rights Agreement (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed on January 8, 2021) 10.29 Form of Placement Agent Warrant (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed on January 8, 2021) 66 10.30+ First Amendment to the Employment Agreement between Hoth Therapeutics, Inc. and Stefanie Johns (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed on January 29, 2021) 10.31 Form of Common Stock Warrants (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed on March 9, 2021) 10.32 Form of Pre-Funded Warrants (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed on March 9, 2021) 10.33 Form of Registration Rights Agreement (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed on March 9, 2021) 10.34 Form of Placement Agent Warrants (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed on March 9, 2021) 10.35+ First Amendment to the Amended and Restated Employment Agreement between the Company and Robb Knie dated June 25, 2021 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed on June 30, 2021) 10.36+ Second Amendment to the Employment Agreement between the Company and Stefanie Johns dated June 25, 2021 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed on June 30, 2021) 10.37+ First Amendment to the Amended and Restated Employment Agreement between the Company and Jane Springer dated June 25, 2021 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed on June 30, 2021) 21.1* Subsidiaries of the registrant 23.1* Consent of WithumSmith+Brown, PC 31.1* Certification of the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) of the Exchange Act, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 31.2* Certification of the Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) of the Exchange Act, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 32.1* Certification of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(b) of the Exchange Act and 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 101.INS* Inline XBRL Instance Document 101.SCH* Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document 101.CAL* Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document 101.DEF* Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document 101.LAB* Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document 101.PRE* Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document 104* Cover Page Interactive Data File – the cover page of the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 is formatted in Inline XBRL * Filed herewith. + Indicates a management contract or any compensatory plan, contract or arrangement. # Confidential treatment has been requested to a portion of this exhibit, and such confidential portion has been deleted and filed separately with the SEC. ## Pursuant to Item 601(b)(10) of Regulation S-K, certain confidential portions of this exhibit were omitted by means of marking such portions with an asterisk because the identified confidential portions (i) are not material and (ii) would be competitively harmful if publicly disclosed. ITEM 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY Not applicable. 67 SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this Annual Report on Form 10-K to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized on this 29th day of March, 2022. HOTH THERAPEUTICS, INC. /s/ Robb Knie Robb Knie Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) /s/ David Briones David Briones Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1934, this Annual Report on Form 10-K has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated. Signature Title Date /s/ Robb Knie Chief Executive Officer, President and Director March 29, 2022 Robb Knie (Principal Executive Officer) /s/ Stefanie Johns Chief Scientific Officer March 29, 2022 Stefanie Johns /s/ David Briones Chief Financial Officer March 29, 2022 David Briones (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) /s/ Wayne Linsley Director March 29, 2022 Wayne Linsley /s/ David B. Sarnoff Director March 29, 2022 David B. Sarnoff /s/ Graig Springer Director March 29, 2022 Graig Springer 68