Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
ITEM
9A – CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Management’s
evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures
Our
management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of
our disclosure controls and procedures pursuant to Rule 13a-15 under the Exchange Act. In designing and evaluating the disclosure
controls and procedures, management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can
provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives. In addition, the design of disclosure controls
and procedures must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and that management is required to apply its judgment
in evaluating the benefits of possible controls and procedures relative to their costs.
Based
on management’s evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls
and procedures are designed at a reasonable assurance level and are effective to provide reasonable assurance that information
we are required to disclose in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported
within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management,
including our chief executive officer and chief financial officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required
disclosure.
Management’s
report on internal control over financial reporting.
Our
management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting for our company.
Internal control over financial reporting is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) promulgated under the Exchange Act, as a
process designed by, or under the supervision of, a company’s principal executive and principal financial officer and effected
by our board of directors, management and other personnel, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial
reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles
and includes those policies and procedures that:
(1)
pertain to
the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of
the assets of the company;
(2)
provide reasonable
assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made in accordance with authorizations
of management and directors of the company; and
(3)
provide reasonable
assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the company’s
assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because
of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Projections of
any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes
in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. Management recognizes that any
controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives
and management necessarily applies its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible enhancements to controls
and procedures.
We
conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting based on the framework in Internal Control
— Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on this
evaluation, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer conclude that, at December 31, 2025, our internal
control over financial reporting was effective.
This Annual Report does not include an attestation report by EisnerAmper
LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting. As a smaller reporting company,
our management’s report was not subject to attestation by our registered public accounting firm pursuant to rules of the Securities
and Exchange Commission that permit us to provide only management’s report in this Annual Report.
99
Changes
in internal control over financial reporting.
There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the year
ended December 31, 2025 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over
financial reporting.
ITEM
9B – OTHER INFORMATION
During
the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2025, our officers or directors, as those terms are defined in Rule 16a-1(f), adopted or
terminated a “Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement” or a “non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement,” as those terms
are defined in Item 408 of Regulation S-K.
ITEM
9C – DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS
Not
Applicable.
100
PART
III
ITEM
10 – DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
The
Board of Directors elects our executive officers annually. A majority vote of the directors who are in office is required to fill
vacancies. Each director shall be elected for the term of one year and until his successor is elected and qualified or until his
earlier resignation or removal. Our directors and executive officers are as follows:
NAME
AGE
CURRENT
POSITION
Seth Lederman
68
President, CEO and Chairman of the Board of
Directors
Richard Bagger
65
Director
Margaret Smith Bell
66
Director
David Grange
78
Director
James Hunter
70
Director
Adeoye Olukotun
81
Director
Newcomb Stillwell
69
Director
Carolyn Taylor
66
Director
James Treco
70
Lead Director
Jessica Morris
48
Chief Operating Officer
Bradley Saenger
52
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
Gregory Sullivan
60
Chief Medical Officer and Secretary
Siobhan Fogarty
57
Chief Technical Officer
The
following information with respect to the principal occupation or employment of each nominee for director, the principal business
of the corporation or other organization in which such occupation or employment is carried on, and such nominee’s business
experience during the past five years, as well as the specific experiences, qualifications, attributes and skills that have led
the Board to determine that such Board members should serve on our Board, has been furnished to the Company by the respective
director nominees:
Seth Lederman, MD became
our President, Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Board and a Director in October 2011. Dr. Lederman founded Tonix Pharmaceuticals,
Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary, in 2007 and has acted as its Chairman of the Board of Directors since its inception, and as President
since 2010. Prior to becoming a biopharma entrepreneur, Dr. Lederman served as an Associate Professor at Columbia University, where he
directed basic science research in molecular immunology, infectious diseases and the development of therapeutics for autoimmune diseases.
In addition to his research, Dr. Lederman served as attending physician in the Edward Daniels Arthritis and Autoimmunity Clinic on the
Medical Service at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Lederman received his BA degree in Chemistry from Princeton University in 1979
and his M.D. from Columbia University in 1983. Dr. Lederman’s significant experience with drug discovery, development and commercialization
and his experience as an biotechnology executive director were instrumental in his selection as a member of the Board.
101
Richard
Bagger became a Director in June 2020. Mr. Bagger has been a Partner and Executive Director of Christie 55 Solutions,
LLC, a New Jersey based consulting firm, since January 2020. Mr. Bagger has also been an Adjunct Faculty member at Rutgers
University since 2018. From 2012 through 2019, Mr. Bagger was Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Market Access
for Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ: CELG), a global biopharmaceutical company, as well as a member of its Executive Committee. From
1993 to 2010, Mr. Bagger held roles of increasing responsibility with Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE), a global pharmaceutical company,
and served as Senior Vice President, Worldwide Public Affairs and Policy, from 2006 to 2009. Prior to joining Pfizer, Mr. Bagger
was Assistant General Counsel of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Jersey, a health insurer, and practiced law with the law firm
of McCarter & English. Mr. Bagger served as Board Chair of the National Pharmaceutical Council for 2019 and is a member of
the Board of Directors of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He is also on the advisory board for the Lerner Center for the Study of
Pharmaceutical Management Issues at Rutgers University Business School. Mr. Bagger received an A.B. degree from Princeton University’s
School of Public and International Affairs and a J.D. degree from Rutgers University Law School. Mr. Bagger’s extensive
healthcare and public policy experience were instrumental in his selection as a member of the Board.
Margaret
Smith Bell became a Director in September 2017. Previously, Ms. Bell was a Vice President at Standard Life Investments
where she was a portfolio manager and health care equity analyst. Ms. Bell was also a Managing Director at Putnam Investments
and served as a senior health care analyst and a portfolio manager of the Putnam Health Sciences Trust. Ms. Bell was an analyst
and vice president at State Street Research and a research analyst at Alex. Brown & Sons, Inc. Ms. Bell is a past member of
the Board of Overseers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Ms. Bell holds a B.A. from Wesleyan University and an M.B.A. from
the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Ms. Bell’s extensive healthcare and investment banking experience
were instrumental in her selection as a member of the Board.
Major
General David Grange (U.S. Army, retired) became a director in February 2018. MG Grange has been President and founder
of Osprey Global Solutions, LLC (“OGS”), a Service Disabled Veterans Organization, since 2011. MG Grange was Chief Executive
Officer of Pharm-Olam International, Ltd., a contract research organization, from April 2017 to October 2019. Prior to founding OGS, MG
Grange was a member of the Board of Pharmaceutical Product Development, Inc. (Nasdaq: PPDI), a contract research organization, from 2003
to 2009, and Chief Executive Officer from 2009 to 2011.
Prior to PPDI MG Grange served in the McCormick Tribune Foundation for
10 years, most recently as Chief Executive Officer and President, where he also oversaw the support of Veteran Programs. MG Grange served
30 years in the U.S. Army as a Ranger, Green Beret, Aviator, Infantryman and a member of special operating units. At the Pentagon, he
was Director of Army Current Operations, Readiness, and Mobilization. MG Grange commanded the Ranger Regiment and the First Infantry Division
(the Big Red One). MG Grange holds a master’s degree in Public Service from Western Kentucky University. MG Grange’s extensive
experience in the pharmaceutical industry and service with the U.S. military was instrumental in his selection as a member of our Board.
James
Hunter became a Director in June 2025. Mr. Hunter served as executive Vice President
of Commercial Operations at Tonix Pharmaceuticals and President of Tonix Medicines from June 2023 to December 2024. Mr. Hunter was CEO
and Co-founder of Validus Pharmaceuticals from 2007 to 2018. Before co-founding Validus, Mr. Hunter was Executive Director of Neuroscience
Sales at Novartis Pharmaceuticals. Previously, Mr. Hunter served as Executive Director of the Northeast Business Unit at Ciba Geigy Pharmaceuticals.
Mr. Hunter received his B.S. from Seton Hall University and earned his M.B.A from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Mr. Hunter’s extensive
experience in the pharmaceutical industry was instrumental in his selection as a member of our Board.
Adeoye
Olukotun, MD became a Director in September 2018. Dr. Olukotun is a board member of
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals (ARWR), a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company. Dr. Olukotun has been the Chief Executive Officer of CR
Strategies, LLC, a medical products consulting company, since 2000. Dr. Olukotun was the Chief Executive Officer of Genesis Unicorn Corporation,
a special acquisition company listed on Nasdaq (GENQU) that became Genesis Unicorn Capital Corp. (GENQ), and later became ESGL Holdings
Ltd trading on Nasdaq (ESGL). Dr. Olukoton was the Chief Executive Officer of EpiGen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a pharmaceutical company,
from 2014 to January of 2018. Dr. Olukotun served as Vice Chairman of CardoVax, Inc., a pharmaceutical company, from 2012 to 2016, and
as its Chief Executive Officer from 2006 to 2012. He is also co-founder of VIA Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a pharmaceutical company, and served
as the company’s Chief Medical Officer from 2004 to 2008. Dr. Olukotun is a member of the board of directors of Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals.
Dr. Olukotun received his B.A. from University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, his M.D. from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and
his M. P.H. from Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Olukotun’s extensive medical background and experience in the pharmaceutical
industry was instrumental in his selection as a member of our Board.
R.
Newcomb Stillwell became a director in March 2023. Mr. Stillwell has held positions of varying responsibility at the law
firm of Ropes & Gray LLP from 1984 to 2021, including, most recently, as co-managing partner of the Ropes & Gray Boston
office. Mr. Stillwell graduated from Harvard Law School and earned an A.B. from Princeton University. Mr. Stillwell’s extensive
advisory experience on numerous transactions in the life science and healthcare sectors was instrumental in his selection as a
member of the Board.
102
Carolyn
Taylor became a director in July 2021. Ms. Taylor was general counsel of Strike
Protocols Inc., a financial technology company, from 2019 to 2020, and held positions of varying responsibility, including partner, and
most recently, of counsel, at the law firm of Covington & Burling LLP from 1989 to 2000 and 2004 to 2015. From 2000 to 2003, Ms. Taylor
served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Longitude, Inc., a financial services company. Ms. Taylor graduated from Columbia
Law School and earned a B.A. from Brown University. Ms. Taylor’s broad transactional experience was instrumental in her selection
as a member of the Board.
James
Treco became a director in February 2019 and has been our Lead Director since March 2020. Mr.
Treco continues to be involved with several small clinical research companies operating out of the Hanover, New Hampshire area.
Mr. Treco has been a Managing Partner at First Chicago Advisors, Inc., a boutique financial advisory firm where he advised
executives and boards of directors of a wide range of companies, from global, large-cap companies to emerging companies, from
2009 to 2012 and from 2014 to 2024. From 2012 to 2013 Mr. Treco was an investment banker with Gleacher & Company, a company
that previously operated an investment banking business, providing corporate and institutional clients with strategic and financial
advisory services. Mr. Treco held various positions of increasing responsibility at Salomon Brothers/Citigroup from 1984 to 2008,
where he used his extensive experience in the global capital markets to advise a wide range of clients. Mr. Treco holds a B.A.
from Yale University and an M.B.A. from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Mr. Treco’s extensive healthcare
and investment banking experience were instrumental in his selection as a member of the Board.
Jessica
Morris is our Chief Operating Officer and has worked for the Company since April 2013, first as a consultant (April 2013
– September 2013), then as SVP of Finance (September 2013 – October 2015), followed by Chief Administrative Officer
(October 2015 – January 2016), Acting Chief Financial Officer (January 2016 – February 2016), and Executive Vice President,
Operations (February 2016 – January 2018). Prior to joining the Company, Ms. Morris was a Vice President in investment management
at Zhong Rong Group. Previously, Ms. Morris was a Senior Associate in the Sponsor Finance Group at American Capital, a Vice President
of the mezzanine debt fund at Calvert Street Capital Partners, an Associate in the commercial finance department of Silicon Valley
Bank, and a Financial Analyst in the investment banking group at Deutsche Bank. Ms. Morris earned a B.S. in Commerce and a B.A.
in Music from the University of Virginia, where she was an Echols Scholar.
Bradley
Saenger, CPA became Chief Financial Officer in February 2016 and joined Tonix in May
2014, where he held positions of increasing responsibility. Since November 2015, Mr. Saenger has been a director of Tonix Pharma Holdings
Limited. Between June 2013 and March 2014, Mr. Saenger worked for Shire Pharmaceuticals as a consultant in the financial analyst research
and development group. Between February 2013 and May 2013, Mr. Saenger worked for Stewart Health Care System, formerly a private, for-profit
hospital operator, as a financial consultant. Between October 2011 and December 2012, Mr. Saenger was an Associate Director of Accounting
at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a publicly traded biotech company (Nasdaq: VRTX). Between January 2005 and September 2011, Mr. Saenger
worked for Alere Inc., formerly a global manufacturer of rapid point-of-care diagnostic tests that was acquired by Abbott Laboratories,
as a Manager of Corporate Accounting and Consolidations (2007 – 2011) and Manager of Financial Reporting (2005 – 2006). Mr.
Saenger also worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Shifren Hirsowitz, public accountants and auditors in Johannesburg, South Africa,
Investec Bank in Johannesburg, South Africa and Norman Sifris and Company, public accountants and auditors in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Mr. Saenger received his Bachelor’s and Honors’ degrees in Accounting Science from the University of South Africa. Mr. Saenger
is a Chartered Accountant in South Africa and a Certified Public Accountant in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Gregory
Sullivan, MD became our Chief Medical Officer on June 3, 2014 and our Secretary in March 2017. Prior to becoming our Chief Medical Officer, he served on our Scientific Advisory Board since October 2010, and had also provided ad hoc consulting services. Previously, Dr. Sullivan had been a member of the faculty of Columbia University since July 1999, where he served as an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center (“CUMC”) until June 2014. Between June 1997 and August 2014, Dr. Sullivan maintained a part-time psychiatry practice. He served as a Research Scientist at the New York State Psychiatric Institute (“NYSPI”) from December 2006 to June 2014. He Dr. Sullivan also served as a member of the Institutional Review Board of the NYSPI from January 2009 to June 2014. As Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator on several human studies of PTSD, Dr. Sullivan has administered the recruitment, biological assessments, treatment, and safety of participants with PTSD in clinical trials of the disorder. He has published more than 50 articles and chapters on research topics ranging from stress and anxiety disorders to abnormal serotonin receptor expression in depression, PTSD and panic disorder. He is a recipient of grants from the National Institute of Mental Health ("NIMH"), the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, NARSAD, the Dana Foundation, and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Dr. Sullivan received a BA in Biology from the University of California, Berkeley, and received his MD from the College of Physicians & Surgeons at Columbia University. He completed his residency training in psychiatry at CUMC, and then a two-year NIMH-sponsored research fellowship in anxiety and affective disorders before joining the faculty at Columbia.
Siobhan
Fogarty became our Chief Technical Officer in February 2025, prior to which. Siobhan has worked for she held roles of
increasing responsibility Tonix Pharma Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, since September 2016, holding roles with
increasing responsibility, most recently as Executive Vice President, Product Development, since February 2021, and prior to that as
Vice President, Product Development, since February 2019. Ms. Fogarty started her career with Elan Corporation, an Irish
pharmaceutical company, as a formulation scientist. Ms. Fogarty moved to Glaxo SmithKline, a publicly traded pharmaceutical company
(NYSE: GSK), as a manufacturing strategist post following the merger of Glaxo and SmithKline Beecham. Ms. Fogarty established
European product development sites for Fuisz Technologies, a privately held technology company, and Biovail Corporation, a privately
held specialty pharmaceutical company. Subsequently Ms. Fogarty started her own consultancy company, eMSc, continuing to consult
with pharmaceutical companies in product development and implementation of a phased approach to quality. Ms. Fogarty earned a
Bachelor of Science in Industrial Chemistry from the University of Limerick, and a Masters in Pharmaceutical Science from the School
of Pharmacy, Trinity College Dublin.
103
Directors
serve until the next annual meeting of shareholders or until their successors are elected and qualified. Officers serve at the
discretion of the Board.
Board
Independence
The Board has determined that
(i) because Seth Lederman is an executive officer of the Company, he has a relationship which, in the opinion of the Board, would interfere
with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director and is not an “independent director”
as defined in the Marketplace Rules of The NASDAQ Stock Market, (ii) because James Hunter was a former employee of the Company, he has
a relationship which, in the opinion of the Board, would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities
of a director and is not an “independent director” as defined in the Marketplace Rules of The NASDAQ Stock Market, and (iii)
Richard Bagger, Margaret Smith Bell, David Grange, Adeoye Olukotun, Newcomb Stillwell, Carolyn Taylor and James Treco are each an independent
director as defined in the Marketplace Rules of The NASDAQ Stock Market.
Board
Leadership Structure
Our
CEO also serves as the chairman of the Board. An independent director serves as the Board’s lead director. This structure
allows one person to speak for and lead both the Company and the Board, while also providing for effective independent board oversight
through an independent lead director. Having Dr. Lederman, our CEO, serve as Chairman creates clear and unambiguous authority,
which is essential to effective management. Our Board and management can respond more effectively to a clearer line of authority.
By designating our CEO as its Chairman, our Board also sends as an important signal to our employees and shareholders about who
is accountable. Further, since Dr. Lederman is the founder of our Company and is an inventor on key patents and patent applications
underlying our programs, we believe that Dr. Lederman is best-positioned to set our Board’s agenda and provide leadership.
We have established the position of lead director, which has been held
by Mr. Treco since 2020. The lead director has the following responsibilities, as detailed in the Lead Director charter, adopted by the
Board (and also performs any other functions the Board may request):
●
Board leadership
— provides leadership to the Board in any situation where the chairman’s role may be, or may be perceived
to be, in conflict, and also chairs meetings when the chairman is absent;
●
Leadership of
independent director meetings — leads independent director meetings, which take place without any management directors
or Tonix employees present;
●
Additional meetings
— calls additional independent director meetings as needed;
●
Chairman-independent
director liaison — regularly meets with the chairman and serves as liaison between the chairman and the independent
directors;
●
Stockholder communications
— makes himself available for direct communication with our stockholders;
●
Board agenda,
schedule & information — works with the chairman regarding meeting agendas, meeting schedules and information
sent to directors for Board meetings, including the quality, quantity, appropriateness and timeliness of such information;
and
●
Advisors and
consultants — recommends to the Board the retention of outside advisors and consultants who report directly to the
Board on Board-wide issues.
104
Board
Role in Risk Oversight
Risk
is an integral part of the Board and Board committee deliberations throughout the year. While the Board has the ultimate oversight
responsibility for the risk management process, various committees of the Board also have responsibility for risk management.
In particular, the Audit Committee focuses on financial risk, including internal controls, and receives financial risk assessment
reports from management. Risks related to the compensation programs are reviewed by the Compensation Committee. The Board is advised
by these committees of significant risks and management’s response through periodic updates.
Stockholder
Communications with the Board
The
Company’s stockholders may communicate with the Board, including non-executive directors or officers, by sending written
communications addressed to such person or persons in care of Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp., Attention: Secretary, 200 Connell
Drive, Suite 3100, Berkeley Heights, New Jersey 07922. All communications will be compiled by the Secretary and submitted to the
addressee. If the Board modifies this process, the revised process will be posted on the Company’s website.
Meetings
and Committees of the Board
During
the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, the Board held 10 meetings, the Audit Committee held eight meetings, the Compensation
Committee held eight meetings and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee held five meetings. The Board and Board
committees also approved certain actions by unanimous written consent.
Each
of the directors attended at least 75% of the aggregate of the total number of meetings of our Board (held during the period for
which such directors served on the Board). Each of the directors attended at least 75% of the total number of meetings of all
committees of our Board on which the director served (during the periods for which the director served on such committee or committees).
Dr. Lederman was the only member of the Board who attended last year’s annual meeting of stockholders. The Company does
not have a formal policy requiring members of the Board to attend our annual meetings.
Board
Committees
The
Board has standing Audit, Compensation, and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees. Information concerning the membership
and function of each committee is as follows:
Board
Committee Membership
Name
Audit
Committee
Compensation
Committee
Nominating
and
Corporate Governance
Committee
Richard Bagger
*
**
Margaret Smith Bell
*
**
David Grange
*
*
Adeoye Olukotun
*
Newcomb Stillwell
*
*
Carolyn Taylor
*
James Treco
**
*
*
Member of Committee
**
Chair of
Committee
Audit
Committee
Our
Audit Committee consists of James Treco, Chair of the Committee, Richard Bagger, Margaret Smith Bell and Newcomb Stillwell. Our
Board has determined each of the members are “independent” as that term is defined under applicable SEC rules and
under the current listing standards of the NASDAQ Stock Market. Mr. Treco is our audit committee financial expert.
Our
Audit Committee’s responsibilities include: (i) reviewing the independence, qualifications, services, fees, and performance
of the independent auditors, (ii) appointing, replacing and discharging the independent auditor, (iii) pre-approving the professional
services provided by the independent auditor, (iv) reviewing the scope of the annual audit and reports and recommendations submitted
by the independent auditor, and (v) reviewing our financial reporting and accounting policies, including any significant changes,
with management and the independent auditor. The Audit Committee reviewed and discussed with management the Company’s audited
financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2025. Our Board has adopted a written charter for the Audit Committee, a
copy of which is posted under the “Investors” tab under “Governance” on our website, which is located
at www.tonixpharma.com.
105
Compensation
Committee
Our
Compensation Committee consists of Margaret Smith Bell, Chair of the Committee, David Grange, Adeoye Olukotun and Carolyn Taylor.
Our Board has determined that all of the members are “independent” under the current listing standards of the NASDAQ
Stock Market. Our Board has adopted a written charter setting forth the authority and responsibilities of the Compensation Committee.
Our
Compensation Committee has responsibility for, among other things, evaluating and making decisions regarding the compensation
of our executive officers, assuring that the executive officers are compensated effectively in a manner consistent with our stated
compensation strategy, producing an annual report on executive compensation in accordance with the rules and regulations promulgated
by the SEC and periodically evaluating and administering the terms and administration of our incentive plans and benefit programs.
In addition, our Compensation Committee reviews and makes recommendations to the Board regarding incentive compensation plans
that require shareholder approval, director compensation and the related executive compensation information for inclusion in the
Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and proxy statement, and employment and severance agreements relating to the chief
executive officer. Our Compensation Committee has engaged Aon plc, an independent executive compensation consultant, to provide
guidance with respect to the development and implementation of our compensation programs. Our Board has adopted a written charter
for the Compensation Committee, a copy of which is posted under the “Investors” tab under “Governance”
on our website, which is located at www.tonixpharma.com.
Nominating
and Corporate Governance Committee
Our Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee consists of Richard Bagger, Chair of the Committee, David Grange, Newcomb Stillwell and James Treco. The Board has
determined that all of the members are “independent” under the current listing standards of the NASDAQ Stock Market.
Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has responsibility for
assisting the Board in, among other things, effecting the organization, membership and function of the Board and its committees. The Nominating
and Corporate Governance Committee identifies and evaluates the qualifications of all candidates for nomination for election as directors,
and seeks director nominees that complement and enhance the effectiveness of the existing Board to ensure that its members have varied
and relevant backgrounds, skills, knowledge, perspectives and experiences. In addition, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
is responsible for developing, recommending and evaluating corporate governance standards and a code of business conduct and ethics. The
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is also responsible for developing, recommending and evaluating corporate governance standards
and a code of business conduct and ethics. Our Board has adopted a written charter for the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee,
a copy of which is posted under the “Investors” tab under “Governance” on our website, which is located at www.tonixpharma.com .
Nomination
of Directors
As
provided in its charter and our Company’s corporate governance principles, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
is responsible for identifying individuals qualified to become directors. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee seeks
to identify director candidates based on input provided by a number of sources, including (1) the Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee members, (2) our other directors, (3) our shareholders, (4) our Chief Executive Officer or Chairman, and (5) third parties
such as professional search firms. In evaluating potential candidates for director, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
considers the entirety of each candidate’s credentials.
Qualifications
for consideration as a director nominee may vary according to the particular areas of expertise being sought as a complement to
the existing composition of the Board. However, at a minimum, candidates for director must possess:
●
high personal and
professional ethics and integrity;
●
the ability to exercise
sound judgment;
106
●
the ability to make
independent analytical inquiries;
●
a willingness and
ability to devote adequate time and resources to diligently perform Board and committee duties; and
●
the appropriate
and relevant business experience and acumen.
In
addition to these minimum qualifications, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee also takes into account when considering
whether to nominate a potential director candidate the following factors:
●
whether the person
possesses specific industry expertise and familiarity with general issues affecting our business;
●
whether the person’s
nomination and election would enable the Board to have a member that qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert”
as such term is defined by the SEC in Item 401 of Regulation S-K;
●
whether the person
would qualify as an “independent” director under the listing standards of the Nasdaq Stock Market;
●
the importance of
continuity of the existing composition of the Board to provide long term stability and experienced oversight; and
●
the importance of
diversified Board membership, in terms of both the individuals involved and their various experiences and areas of expertise.
The
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider director candidates recommended by shareholders provided such recommendations
are submitted in accordance with the procedures set forth below. In order to provide for an orderly and informed review and selection
process for director candidates, the Board has determined that shareholders who wish to recommend director candidates for consideration
by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee must comply with the following:
●
The recommendation
must be made in writing to the Corporate Secretary at Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp.;
●
The recommendation
must include the candidate’s name, home and business contact information, detailed biographical data and qualifications,
information regarding any relationships between the candidate and the Company within the last three years and evidence of
the recommending person’s ownership of the Company’s common stock;
●
The recommendation
shall also contain a statement from the recommending shareholder in support of the candidate; professional references, particularly
within the context of those relevant to board membership, including issues of character, judgment, diversity, age, independence,
expertise, corporate experience, length of service, other commitments and the like; and personal references; and
●
A statement from
the shareholder nominee indicating that such nominee wants to serve on the Board and could be considered “independent”
under the Rules and Regulations of the Nasdaq Stock Market and the SEC, as in effect at that time.
All
candidates submitted by shareholders will be evaluated by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee according to the criteria
discussed above and in the same manner as all other director candidates.
Prohibition
Against Certain Transactions
All
of our employees and directors are prohibited from hedging or pledging Tonix stock, or engaging in short sales or trading in standardized
options under our Statement of Company Policy on Insider Trading and Policy Regarding Special Trading Procedures (the “Insider
Trading Policy”).
107
Insider
Trading Policies and Procedures
We
have adopted the Insider Trading Policy. These policies and procedures apply to all of our directors, officers and employees. We believe
that the Insider Trading Policy is reasonably designed to promote compliance with insider trading laws, rules and regulations,
and listing standards applicable to us. A copy of the Insider Trading Policy is filed as Exhibit 19.01 to this Form 10-K.
Code
of Ethics
We
have adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that applies to all of our directors, officers and employees which can be found on
our website at https://ir.tonixpharma.com/corporate-governance/governance-documents. We intend to disclose future amendments to certain
provisions of our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, or waivers of such provisions applicable to any principal executive officer, principal
financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions, and our directors, on our website
identified above or in filings with the SEC.
Delinquent
Section 16(a) Reports
Section
16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our directors, executive officers and persons who beneficially own more than 10% of our outstanding
common shares to file reports with the SEC regarding their share ownership and changes in their ownership of our common shares.
Based on our records and representations from our directors and executive officers, we believe that all Section 16(a) filing requirements
applicable to our directors and executive officers were complied with during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025.
ITEM
11 – EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Compensation
Philosophy and Practices
We
believe that the performance of our executive officers significantly impacts our ability to achieve our corporate goals. We, therefore,
place considerable importance on the design and administration of our executive officer compensation program. This program is
intended to enhance stockholder value by attracting, motivating and retaining qualified individuals to perform at the highest
levels and to contribute to our growth and success. Our executive officer compensation program is designed to provide compensation
opportunities that are tied to individual and corporate performance.
Our
compensation packages are also designed to be competitive in our industry. The Compensation Committee from time-to-time consults
with compensation consultants, legal counsel and other advisors in designing our compensation program, including in evaluating
the competitiveness of individual compensation packages and in relation to our corporate goals.
108
Our
overall compensation philosophy has been to pay our executive officers an annual base salary and to provide opportunities, through
cash and equity incentives, to provide higher compensation if certain key performance goals are satisfied. We believe that many
of our key practices and programs demonstrate good governance. The main principles of our fiscal year 2024 compensation strategy
included the following:
●
An emphasis on
pay for performance . A significant portion of our executive officers’ total compensation is variable and at risk
and tied directly to measurable performance, including pre-specified corporate, strategic or developmental goals, which aligns
the interests of our executives with those of our stockholders;
●
Performance results
are linked to Company and individual performance . When looking at performance over the year, we equally weigh individual
performance as well as that of the Company as a whole. Target annual compensation is positioned to allow for above-median
compensation to be earned through an executive officer’s and the Company’s extraordinary performance;
●
Equity as a key
component to align the interests of our executives with those of our stockholders. Our Compensation Committee believes
that keeping executives interests aligned with those of our stockholders is critical to driving toward achievement of long-term
goals of both our stockholders and the Company. Accordingly, a significant portion of our executives’ compensation are
stock based, including stock options that are exercisable at a percentage above market value at the time of grant; and
●
Peer group positioning . While the Compensation Committee considers the level of compensation paid
by the companies in our peer group as a reference point that provides a framework for its compensation decisions, in order to maintain
competitiveness and flexibility, the Compensation Committee does not employ a formal benchmarking strategy or rely upon specific peer–derived
targets.
In
2025, we also continued practices that demonstrate good governance and careful stewardship of corporate assets, including:
●
Limited personal
benefits . Our executive officers are eligible for the same benefits as our non-executive salaried employees, and they
do not receive any additional perquisites.
●
No retirement
benefits . We do not provide our executive officers with a traditional retirement plan, or with any supplemental deferred
compensation or retirement benefits.
●
No tax gross-ups .
We do not provide our executive officers with any tax gross-ups.
●
No single-trigger
cash change in control benefits . We do not provide cash benefits to, or accelerate the vesting of unvested equity grants
issued to, our executives upon a change in control, absent an actual termination of employment.
At
our annual meeting in May 2025, we conducted our tri-annual advisory vote on executive compensation, commonly referred to as a
“say-on-pay” vote. At that time, a majority of the votes affirmatively cast on the advisory say-on-pay proposal were
voted in favor of the compensation of our named executive officers. The Compensation Committee understood this level of approval
to indicate strong stockholder support for our executive compensation policies and programs generally, and as a result, our Compensation
Committee made no fundamental changes to our executive compensation programs. We will hold our next say-on-pay vote at the 2028
annual meeting. Our Compensation Committee and our Board will consider shareholder feedback through the say-on-pay vote and remains
committed to engaging with shareholders and are open to feedback from shareholders.
Summary
Compensation Table
The
following table provides certain summary information concerning compensation awarded to, earned by or paid to our Chief Executive
Officer, and the two next most highly paid executive officers for fiscal years 2025 and 2024.
Name
& Principal
Position
Year
Salary
($)
Bonus
($)
Stock
Awards
($)
Option
Awards
($) (1)
Non-Equity
Incentive Plan
Compensation
($)
All
Other
Compensation
($)
Total
($)
Seth Lederman
2025
702,000
596,700
—
1,870,130
—
—
3,168,830
Chief
Executive Officer
2024
675,000
417,656
—
717,111
—
—
1,809,767
Jessica Morris
2025
522,912
261,450
—
441,907
—
—
1,226,269
Chief Operations Officer
2024
494,000
180,310
—
213,431
—
—
887,741
Bradley Saenger
2025
502,944
251,450
—
389,119
—
—
1,143,513
Chief Financial Officer
2024
483,600
176,514
—
189,867
—
—
849,981
Gregory Sullivan
2025
519,168
259,600
—
437,774
—
—
1,216,542
Chief Medical Officer
2024
499,200
182,208
—
241,036
—
—
922,444
(1)
Represents
the aggregate grant date fair value of options granted in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, Accounting
Standards Codification, or ASC, Topic 718, “Stock Compensation.” For the relevant assumptions used in determining
these amounts, refer to Note 18 to our audited financial statements.
109
Grants
of Plan-Based Awards in Fiscal 2025
The
following table provides information with regard to each grant of plan-based award made to a named executive officer under any
plan during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025.
Name
Grant
Date
All
Other Option Awards:
Number of Securities
Underlying Options (#)
Exercise
or
Base Price of
Option Awards ($/Share)
Grant
Date Fair Value of
Stock and Option Awards
($) (1)
Seth Lederman
2/25/2025
123,958
8.05
938,610
2/25/2025
123,958
10.06
(2)
931,520
Bradley
Saenger
2/25/2025
25,792
8.05
195,297
2/25/2025
25,792
10.06
(2)
193,822
Jessica
Morris
2/25/2025
29,291
8.05
221,791
2/25/2025
29,291
10.06
(2)
220,116
Gregory
Sullivan
2/25/2025
29,017
8.05
219,717
2/25/2025
29,017
10.06
(2)
218,057
(1)
Represents the aggregate
grant date fair value of options granted in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718.
(2)
Represents an exercise
price at a 125% premium of the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the grant date.
Policies
and Practices Related to the Grant of Certain Equity Awards Close in Time to the Release of Material Nonpublic Information
We
do not have any formal policy that requires us to grant, or avoid granting, stock options at particular times. Consistent with
our annual compensation cycle, if options are to be granted, the Compensation Committee generally seeks to grant annual stock
option awards in connection with their conducting and completing such annual review, which typically occurs in approximately February
of each year. Options are awarded to our non-employee directors pursuant to our Amended and Restated 2020 Plan, which is awarded
on the date of our annual meeting of stockholders. The timing of any stock option grants in connection with new hires, promotions,
or other non-routine grants may be tied to the event giving rise to the award (such as an employee’s commencement of employment
or promotion effective date), and in other cases such grants may be awarded at the same time with other annual grants. As a result,
in all cases, the timing of grants of stock options occurs independent of the release of any material nonpublic information, and
we do not time the disclosure of material nonpublic information for the purpose of affecting the value of executive compensation.
110
No
stock options were issued to executive officers in 2025 during any period beginning four business days before the filing of a
periodic report or current report disclosing material non-public information (other than a current report on Form 8-K disclosing
a material new option award grant under Item 5.02(e) of that form) and ending one business day after the filing or furnishing
of such report with the SEC.
Outstanding
Equity Awards at December 31, 2025
The
following table presents information regarding outstanding equity awards held by our named executive officers as of December 31,
2025.
Name
Number
of
Securities
underlying
Unexercised
Options (#)
Exercisable
Number
of
Securities
underlying
Unexercised
Options (#)
Unexercisable
Option
Exercise
Price ($/Sh)
Option
Expiration
Date
Seth Lederman
1
—
$
3,219,200,000.00
2/9/2026
—
1
(1)
$
3,219,200,000.00
2/9/2026
1
—
$
352,000,000.00
3/1/2027
1
—
$
217,600,000.00
2/13/2028
1
—
$
272,000,000.00
2/13/2028
1
—
$
12,096,000.00
2/26/2029
1
—
$
15,104,000.00
2/26/2029
1
—
$
13,120,000.00
5/6/2029
1
—
$
16,384,000.00
5/6/2029
1
—
$
256,000.00
2/25/2030
1
—
$
320,000.00
2/25/2030
4
—
$
492,800.00
5/4/2030
4
—
$
614,400.00
5/4/2030
5
—
$
780,800.00
2/23/2031
5
—
$
979,200.00
2/23/2031
8
—
(2)
$
134,400.00
2/15/2032
5
3
(2)
$
262,400.00
2/15/2032
5
3
(2)
$
396,800.00
2/15/2032
5
3
(2)
$
531,200.00
2/15/2032
34
1
(3)
$
14,624.00
2/23/2033
34
1
(3)
$
18,208.00
2/23/2033
410
—
(4)
$
1,177.60
2/27/2034
46
28
(5)
$
1,177.60
2/27/2034
369
226
(5)
$
1,472.00
2/27/2034
—
123,958
(6)
$
8.05
2/25/2035
—
123,958
(6)
$
10.06
2/25/2035
Jessica Morris
1
—
$
3,219,200,000.00
2/9/2026
—
1
(1)
$
3,219,200,000.00
2/9/2026
1
—
$
352,000,000.00
3/1/2027
1
—
$
217,600,000.00
2/13/2028
1
—
$
272,000,000.00
2/13/2028
1
—
$
12,096,000.00
2/26/2029
1
—
$
15,104,000.00
2/26/2029
1
—
$
13,120,000.00
5/6/2029
1
—
$
16,384,000.00
5/6/2029
1
—
$
256,000.00
2/25/2030
1
—
$
320,000.00
2/25/2030
1
—
$
492,800.00
5/4/2030
1
—
$
614,400.00
5/4/2030
1
—
$
780,800.00
2/23/2031
1
—
$
979,200.00
2/23/2031
2
—
(2)
$
134,400.00
2/15/2032
1
1
(2)
$
262,400.00
2/15/2032
1
1
(2)
$
396,800.00
2/15/2032
1
1
(2)
$
531,200.00
2/15/2032
7
4
(3)
$
14,624.00
2/23/2033
7
4
(3)
$
18,272.00
2/23/2033
63
37
(5)
$
1,177.60
2/27/2034
63
37
(5)
$
1,472.00
2/27/2034
—
29,291
(6)
$
8.05
2/25/2035
—
29,291
(6)
$
10.06
2/25/2035
Bradley Saenger
1
—
$
3,219,200,000.00
2/9/2026
—
1
(1)
$
1,548,800,000.00
5/27/2026
1
—
$
1,548,800,000.00
5/27/2026
1
—
$
352,000,000.00
3/1/2027
1
—
$
217,600,000.00
2/13/2028
1
—
$
272,000,000.00
2/13/2028
1
—
$
12,096,000.00
2/26/2029
1
—
$
15,104,000.00
2/26/2029
1
—
$
13,120,000.00
5/6/2029
1
—
$
16,384,000.00
5/6/2029
1
—
$
256,000.00
2/25/2030
1
—
$
320,000.00
2/25/2030
1
—
$
492,800.00
5/4/2030
1
—
$
614,400.00
5/4/2030
1
—
$
780,800.00
2/23/2031
1
—
$
979,200.00
2/23/2031
1
1
(2)
$
134,400.00
2/15/2032
1
1
(2)
$
262,400.00
2/15/2032
1
1
(2)
$
396,800.00
2/15/2032
1
1
(2)
$
531,200.00
2/15/2032
7
3
(3)
$
14,624.00
2/23/2033
7
3
(3)
$
18,272.00
2/23/2033
60
29
(5)
$
1,177.60
2/27/2034
60
29
(5)
$
1,472.00
2/27/2034
—
25,792
(6)
$
8.05
2/25/2035
—
25,792
(6)
$
10.06
2/25/2035
Gregory Sullivan
1
—
$
3,219,200,000.00
2/9/2026
—
1
(1)
$
3,219,200,000.00
2/9/2026
1
—
$
352,000,000.00
3/1/2027
1
—
$
217,600,000.00
2/13/2028
1
—
$
272,000,000.00
2/13/2028
1
—
$
12,096,000.00
2/26/2029
1
—
$
15,104,000.00
2/26/2029
1
—
$
13,120,000.00
5/6/2029
1
—
$
16,384,000.00
5/6/2029
1
—
$
256,000.00
2/25/2030
1
—
$
320,000.00
2/25/2030
1
—
$
492,800.00
5/4/2030
1
—
$
614,400.00
5/4/2030
1
—
$
780,800.00
2/23/2031
1
—
$
979,200.00
2/23/2031
2
—
(2)
$
134,400.00
2/15/2032
1
1
(2)
$
262,400.00
2/15/2032
1
1
(2)
$
396,800.00
2/15/2032
1
1
(2)
$
531,200.00
2/15/2032
8
3
(3)
$
14,624.00
2/23/2033
8
3
(3)
$
18,272.00
2/23/2033
70
42
(5)
$
1,177.60
2/27/2034
70
42
(5)
$
1,472.00
2/27/2034
—
29,017
(6)
$
8.05
2/25/2035
—
29,017
(6)
$
10.06
2/25/2035
(1)
The shares
subject to this stock option vest 1/3 rd upon the date(s) that certain stock price goals are achieved. The stock price
goals are such date(s) when the Company’s common stock has an average closing sales price equal to or exceeding each of $3,840,000,000.00,
$4,480,000,000.00 and $5,120,000,000.00 per share for 20 consecutive trading days, subject to a one year minimum service period prior
to vesting.
(2)
The shares subject
to this stock option vested as to 10% of the shares on February 15, 2023, 10% of the shares on February 15, 2024, 40% of the
shares on February 15, 2025 and 40% of the shares on February 15, 2026.
(3)
The shares subject to this
stock option vested as to 1/3 rd of the shares on February 23, 2024, with the remaining shares vesting on an equal monthly
basis over the following 24 months.
(4)
The shares subject to this stock option were in lieu of a cash award, Dr.
Lederman’s 2024 cash bonus was paid in the form of a stock option award granted pursuant to the 2020 Plan, with 100% of such options
vesting on the six-month anniversary of issuance, expiring 10 years from date of issuance.
(5)
The shares subject
to this stock option vested as to 1/3 of the shares on February 23, 2025, with the remaining shares vesting on an equal monthly
basis over the following 24 months.
(6)
The
shares subject to this stock option vested as to 1/3 of the shares on February 25, 2026, with the remaining shares vesting
on an equal monthly basis over the following 24 months.
111
Option
Exercises and Stock Vested
No
options were exercised by any of the named executive officers and no named executive officers held restricted stock units during
the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025.
Equity
Compensation Plan Information
The
following table provides certain information with respect to our equity compensation plans in effect as of December 31, 2025.
Plan
Category
Number
of
securities to be
issued upon
exercise of
outstanding
options,
warrants and
rights (A)
Weighted-
average exercise
price of
outstanding
options,
warrants and
rights (B)
Number
of
securities
remaining
available for
future issuance
under equity
compensation
plans (excluding
securities
reflected in
column A) (2) (C)
Equity compensation plans
approved by security holders (1)
1,150,551
$
43,825.73
2,000,159
Equity compensation
plans not approved by security holders
—
—
—
Total
1,150,551
$
43,825.73
2,000,159
(1)
Consists of the Company’s 2014 Stock Incentive Plan, the 2016 Stock
Incentive Plan, the 2017 Stock Incentive Plan, the 2018 Equity Incentive Plan, the 2019 Stock Incentive Plan, the 2020 Stock Incentive
Plan, the Amended and Restated 2020 Stock Incentive Plan and the 2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, the 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan,
2022 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, and the 2025 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “ESPP”).
(2)
Consists of shares available for future issuance under the Amended and
Restated 2020 Plan and our ESPP. As of December 31, 2025, 159 shares of common stock were available for issuance under the Amended and
Restated 2023 Plan and 2,000,000 shares of common stock were available for issuance under the 2025 ESPP.
112
Employment
Contracts and Termination of Employment and Change-In-Control Arrangements
Employment
Agreement with Seth Lederman
On
February 11, 2014, the Company entered into an employment agreement (the “Lederman Agreement”) with Dr. Seth Lederman
to continue to serve as our President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board.
The
base salary for Dr. Lederman under the Lederman Agreement was $425,000 per annum and as of March 1, 2026, the base salary is $743,000.
The Lederman Agreement has an initial term of one year and automatically renews for successive one year terms unless either party
delivers written notice not to renew at least 60 days prior to the end of the current term.
Pursuant
to the Lederman Agreement, if the Company terminates Dr. Lederman’s employment without Cause (as defined in the Lederman
Agreement) or Dr. Lederman resigns for Good Reason (as defined in the Lederman Agreement), Dr. Lederman is entitled to the following
payments and benefits: (1) his fully earned but unpaid base salary through the date of termination at the rate then in effect,
plus all other benefits, if any, under any group retirement plan, nonqualified deferred compensation plan, equity award plan or
agreement, health benefits plan or other group benefit plan to which Dr. Lederman may be entitled to under the terms of such plans
or agreements; (2) a lump sum cash payment in an amount equal to 12 months of his base salary as in effect immediately prior to
the date of termination; (3) continuation of health benefits for Dr. Lederman and his eligible dependents for a period of 12 months
following the date of termination; and (4) the automatic acceleration of the vesting and exercisability of outstanding unvested
stock awards as to the number of stock awards that would have vested over the 12-month period following termination had Dr. Lederman
remained continuously employed by the Company during such period.
Pursuant
to the Lederman Agreement, if Dr. Lederman’s employment is terminated as a result of death or permanent disability, Dr.
Lederman or his estate, as applicable, is entitled to the following payments and benefits: (1) his fully earned but unpaid base
salary through the date of termination at the rate then in effect; (2) a lump sum cash payment in an amount equal to six months
of his base salary as in effect immediately prior to the date of termination; and (3) the automatic acceleration of the vesting
and exercisability of outstanding unvested stock awards.
If
Dr. Lederman is terminated without Cause or resigns for Good Reason during the period commencing 90 days prior to a Change in
Control (as defined below) or 12 months following a Change in Control, Dr. Lederman shall be entitled to receive, in lieu of the
severance benefits described above, the following payments and benefits: (1) a lump sum cash payment in an amount equal to 36
months of his base salary as in effect immediately prior to the date of termination, except that, if and while Dr. Lederman is
still entitled to the Sale Bonus (as defined below), it will only be 18 months; (2) continuation of health benefits for Dr. Lederman
and his eligible dependents for a period of 24 months following the date of termination, except that, if and while Dr. Lederman
is still entitled to the Sale Bonus it will only be 12 months; and (3) the automatic acceleration of the vesting and exercisability
of outstanding unvested stock awards.
If
during the term of the Lederman Agreement or within 120 days after Dr. Lederman is terminated without Cause or resigns for Good
Reason, following a Change in Control, the Company consummates a Change in Control transaction in which the Enterprise Value (as
defined below) equals or exceeds $50 million, Dr. Lederman shall be entitled to receive a lump sum payment equal to 4.4% of the
Enterprise Value (the “Sale Bonus”). The Sale Bonus provision of the Lederman Agreement will terminate upon the Company
granting Dr. Lederman long-term incentive compensation mutually agreed to by the Board and Dr. Lederman.
For
purposes of the Lederman Agreement, “Cause” generally means (1) commission of an act of fraud, embezzlement or dishonesty
or some other illegal act that has a demonstrable material adverse impact on the Company or any successor or affiliate of the
Company, (2) conviction of, or entry into a plea of “guilty” or “no contest” to, a felony, (3) unauthorized
use or disclosure of the Company’s confidential information or trade secrets or any successor or affiliate of the Company
that has, or may reasonably be expected to have, a material adverse impact on any such entity; (4) gross negligence, failure to
follow a material, lawful and reasonable request of the Board or material violation of any duty of loyalty to the Company or any
successor or affiliate of the Company, or any other demonstrable material willful misconduct by Dr. Lederman, (5) ongoing and
repeated failure or refusal to perform or neglect of his duties as required by his employment agreement, which failure, refusal
or neglect continues for 30 days following Dr. Lederman’s receipt of written notice from the Board stating with specificity
the nature of such failure, refusal or neglect, provided that such failure to perform is not as a result of illness, injury or
medical incapacity, or (6) material breach of any Company policy or any material provision of the Lederman Agreement.
113
For
purposes of the Lederman Agreement, “Good Reason” generally means (1) a material diminution in Dr. Lederman’s
title, authority, duties or responsibilities, (2) a material diminution in Dr. Lederman’s base compensation, unless such
a reduction is imposed across-the-board to the Company’s senior management, and such reduction is not greater than 15%,
(3) a material change in the geographic location at which Dr. Lederman must perform his duties, (4) any other action or inaction
that constitutes a material breach by the Company or any successor or affiliate of the Company’s obligations to Dr. Lederman
under the Lederman Agreement, or (5) the Company elects not to renew the Lederman Agreement for another term.
For
purposes of the Lederman Agreement, “Change in Control” generally means:
●
A transaction or
series of transactions (other than public offerings) that results in any person or entity or related group of persons or entities
(other than the Company, its subsidiaries, an employee benefit plan maintained by the Company or any of its subsidiaries or
a person or entity that, prior to such transaction, directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common
control with, the Company) of beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) of more than
40% of the total combined voting power of the Company’s securities outstanding immediately after such acquisition;
●
(1) a merger, consolidation,
reorganization, or business combination or (2) the sale, exchange or transfer of all or substantially all of the Company’s
assets in any single transaction or series of transactions or (3) the acquisition of assets or stock of another entity, in
each case other than a transaction:
○
which results in
the Company’s voting securities outstanding immediately before the transaction continuing to represent, directly or
indirectly, at least 60% of the combined voting power of the successor entity’s outstanding voting securities immediately
after the transaction, and
○
after which no person
or group beneficially owns voting securities representing 40% or more of the combined voting power of the Company or its successor;
provided, however, that no person or group is treated as beneficially owning 40% or more of combined voting power of the Company
or its successor solely as a result of the voting power held in the Company prior to the consummation of the transaction.
For
purposes of the Lederman Agreement, “Enterprise Value” generally means (1) in a Change in Control in which consideration
is received by the Company, the total cash and non-cash consideration, including debt assumed, received by the Company, net of
any fees and expenses in connection with the transaction and (2) in a Change in Control in which consideration is payable to the
stockholders of the Company, the total cash and non-cash consideration, including debt assumed, payable to the Company’s
stockholders net of any fees and expenses in connection with the transaction. Enterprise Value also includes any cash or non-cash
consideration payable to the Company or to the Company’s stockholders on a contingent, earnout or deferred basis.
Employment
Agreement with Gregory Sullivan
On
June 3, 2014, the Company entered into an employment agreement (the “Sullivan Agreement”) with Dr. Gregory Sullivan
to serve as our Chief Medical Officer. The base salary for Dr. Sullivan under the Sullivan Agreement was $225,000 per annum and
as of March 1, 2026, the base salary is $550,000. The Sullivan Agreement had an initial term of one year and automatically renews
for successive one year terms unless either party delivers written notice not to renew at least 60 days prior to the end of the
current term.
Pursuant
to the Sullivan Agreement, if the Company terminates Dr. Sullivan’s employment without Cause (as defined below) or Executive
resigns for Good Reason (as defined below), Dr. Sullivan is entitled to the following payments and benefits: (1) his fully earned
but unpaid base salary through the date of termination at the rate then in effect, plus all other benefits, if any, under any
group retirement plan, nonqualified deferred compensation plan, equity award plan or agreement, health benefits plan or other
group benefit plan to which Dr. Sullivan may be entitled to under the terms of such plans or agreements; (2) a lump sum cash payment
in an amount equal to 12 months of his base salary as in effect immediately prior to the date of termination; (3) continuation
of health benefits for Dr. Sullivan and his eligible dependents for a period of 12 months following the date of termination; and
(4) the automatic acceleration of the vesting and exercisability of outstanding unvested stock awards as to the number of stock
awards that would have vested over the 12-month period following termination had Dr. Sullivan remained continuously employed by
the Company during such period.
Pursuant
to the Sullivan Agreement, if Dr. Sullivan’s employment is terminated as a result of death or permanent disability, Dr.
Sullivan or his estate, as applicable, is entitled to his fully earned but unpaid base salary through the end of the month in
which termination occurs at the rate then in effect.
114
For
purposes of the Sullivan Agreement, “Cause” generally means (1) commission of an act of fraud, embezzlement or dishonesty
or some other illegal act that has a demonstrable material adverse impact on the Company or any successor or affiliate of the
Company, (2) conviction of, or entry into a plea of “guilty” or “no contest” to, a felony, (3) unauthorized
use or disclosure of the Company’s confidential information or trade secrets or any successor or affiliate of the Company
that has, or may reasonably be expected to have, a material adverse impact on any such entity, (4) gross negligence, failure to
follow a material, lawful and reasonable request of the Company or material violation of any duty of loyalty to the Company or
any successor or affiliate of the Company, or any other demonstrable material misconduct by Dr. Sullivan, (5) ongoing and repeated
failure or refusal to perform or neglect of his duties as required by his employment agreement, which failure, refusal or neglect
continues for 30 days following Dr. Sullivan’s receipt of written notice from the Company stating with specificity the nature
of such failure, refusal or neglect, or (6) material breach of any Company policy or any material provision of the Sullivan Agreement.
For
purposes of the Sullivan Agreement, “Good Reason” generally means (1) a material diminution in Dr. Sullivan’s
title, authority, duties or responsibilities, (2) a material diminution in the executive officer’s base compensation, unless
such a reduction is imposed across-the-board to the Company’s senior management and such reduction is not greater than 15%,
(3) a material change in the geographic location at which the executive officer must perform his duties, (4) any other action
or inaction that constitutes a material breach by the Company or any successor or affiliate of the Company’s obligations
to Dr. Sullivan under the Agreement, or (5) the Company elects not to renew the Agreement for another term.
Employment
Agreement with Bradley Saenger
On
February 23, 2021, the Company entered into an employment agreement (the “Saenger Agreement”) with Mr. Bradley Saenger
to serve as our Chief Financial Officer. The base salary for Mr. Saenger under the Saenger Agreement was $545,000 per annum as
of March 1, 2026. The Saenger Agreement has an initial term of one year and automatically renews for successive one year terms
unless either party delivers written notice not to renew at least 60 days prior to the end of the current term.
Pursuant
to the Saenger Agreement, if the Company terminates Mr. Saenger’s employment without Cause (as defined below) or Executive
resigns for Good Reason (as defined below), Mr. Saenger is entitled to the following payments and benefits: (1) his fully earned
but unpaid base salary through the date of termination at the rate then in effect, plus all other benefits, if any, under any
group retirement plan, nonqualified deferred compensation plan, equity award plan or agreement, health benefits plan or other
group benefit plan to which Mr. Saenger may be entitled to under the terms of such plans or agreements; (2) a lump sum cash payment
in an amount equal to 12 months of his base salary as in effect immediately prior to the date of termination; (3) continuation
of health benefits for Mr. Saenger and his eligible dependents for a period of 12 months following the date of termination; and
(4) the automatic acceleration of the vesting and exercisability of outstanding unvested stock awards as to the number of stock
awards that would have vested over the 12-month period following termination had Mr. Saenger remained continuously employed by
the Company during such period.
Pursuant
to the Saenger Agreement, if Mr. Saenger’s employment is terminated as a result of death or permanent disability, Mr. Saenger
or his estate, as applicable, is entitled to his fully earned but unpaid base salary through the end of the month in which termination
occurs at the rate then in effect.
For
purposes of the Saenger Agreement, “Cause” generally means (1) commission of an act of fraud, embezzlement or dishonesty
or some other illegal act that has a demonstrable material adverse impact on the Company or any successor or affiliate of the
Company, (2) conviction of, or entry into a plea of “guilty” or “no contest” to, a felony, (3) unauthorized
use or disclosure of the Company’s confidential information or trade secrets or any successor or affiliate of the Company
that has, or may reasonably be expected to have, a material adverse impact on any such entity, (4) gross negligence, failure to
follow a material, lawful and reasonable request of the Company or material violation of any duty of loyalty to the Company or
any successor or affiliate of the Company, or any other demonstrable material misconduct by Mr. Saenger, (5) ongoing and repeated
failure or refusal to perform or neglect of his duties as required by his employment agreement, which failure, refusal or neglect
continues for 30 days following Mr. Saenger’s receipt of written notice from the Company stating with specificity the nature
of such failure, refusal or neglect, or (6) material breach of any Company policy or any material provision of the Saenger Agreement.
For
purposes of the Saenger Agreement, “Good Reason” generally means (1) a material diminution in Mr. Saenger’s
title, authority, duties or responsibilities, (2) a material diminution in the executive officer’s base compensation, unless
such a reduction is imposed across-the-board to the Company’s senior management and such reduction is not greater than 15%,
(3) a material change in the geographic location at which the executive officer must perform his duties, (4) any other action
or inaction that constitutes a material breach by the Company or any successor or affiliate of the Company’s obligations
to Mr. Saenger under the Agreement, or (5) the Company elects not to renew the Agreement for another term.
Employment
Agreement with Jessica Morris
On
February 23, 2021, the Company entered into an employment agreement (the “Morris Agreement”) with Ms. Jessica Morris
to serve as our Chief Operating Officer. The base salary for Ms. Morris under the Morris Agreement was $580,000 per annum as of
March 1, 2026. The Morris Agreement has an initial term of one year and automatically renews for successive one year terms unless
either party delivers written notice not to renew at least 60 days prior to the end of the current term.
115
Pursuant
to the Morris Agreement, if the Company terminates Ms. Morris’s employment without Cause (as defined below) or Executive
resigns for Good Reason (as defined below), Ms. Morris is entitled to the following payments and benefits: (1) her fully earned
but unpaid base salary through the date of termination at the rate then in effect, plus all other benefits, if any, under any
group retirement plan, nonqualified deferred compensation plan, equity award plan or agreement, health benefits plan or other
group benefit plan to which Ms. Morris may be entitled to under the terms of such plans or agreements; (2) a lump sum cash payment
in an amount equal to 12 months of her base salary as in effect immediately prior to the date of termination; (3) continuation
of health benefits for Ms. Morris and her eligible dependents for a period of 12 months following the date of termination; and
(4) the automatic acceleration of the vesting and exercisability of outstanding unvested stock awards as to the number of stock
awards that would have vested over the 12-month period following termination had Ms. Morris remained continuously employed by
the Company during such period.
Pursuant
to the Morris Agreement, if Ms. Morris’s employment is terminated as a result of death or permanent disability, Ms. Morris
or her estate, as applicable, is entitled to her fully earned but unpaid base salary through the end of the month in which termination
occurs at the rate then in effect.
For
purposes of the Morris Agreement, “Cause” generally means (1) commission of an act of fraud, embezzlement or dishonesty
or some other illegal act that has a demonstrable material adverse impact on the Company or any successor or affiliate of the
Company, (2) conviction of, or entry into a plea of “guilty” or “no contest” to, a felony, (3) unauthorized
use or disclosure of the Company’s confidential information or trade secrets or any successor or affiliate of the Company
that has, or may reasonably be expected to have, a material adverse impact on any such entity, (4) gross negligence, failure to
follow a material, lawful and reasonable request of the Company or material violation of any duty of loyalty to the Company or
any successor or affiliate of the Company, or any other demonstrable material misconduct by Ms. Morris, (5) ongoing and repeated
failure or refusal to perform or neglect of her duties as required by her employment agreement, which failure, refusal or neglect
continues for 30 days following Ms. Morris’s receipt of written notice from the Company stating with specificity the nature
of such failure, refusal or neglect, or (6) material breach of any Company policy or any material provision of the Morris Agreement.
For
purposes of the Morris Agreement, “Good Reason” generally means (1) a material diminution in Ms. Morris’s title,
authority, duties or responsibilities, (2) a material diminution in the executive officer’s base compensation, unless such
a reduction is imposed across-the-board to the Company’s senior management and such reduction is not greater than 15%, (3)
a material change in the geographic location at which the executive officer must perform her duties, (4) any other action or inaction
that constitutes a material breach by the Company or any successor or affiliate of the Company’s obligations to Ms. Morris
under the Agreement, or (5) the Company elects not to renew the Agreement for another term.
Directors
Compensation Table
Each
of our non-employee directors, other than the lead director, receives an annual cash retainer of $55,000; the retainer for the
lead director is $75,000. In addition, during 2025, each of our non-employee directors received stock options to purchase shares
of our common stock valued at $188,830 as determined by the Black Scholes method on the date of grant, which vest on the next
annual meeting of stockholders. The following table sets forth summary information concerning the total compensation paid to our
non-employee directors in 2025 for services to our Company.
Name
Cash
Compensation ($)
Option
Awards ($) (1)
Total
($)
Richard
Bagger
$
55,000
$
188,830
$
243,830
Margaret Smith
Bell
$
55,000
$
188,830
$
243,830
David
Grange
$
55,000
$
188,830
$
243,830
James Hunter
$
30,250
$
249,957
$
280,207
Adeoye Olukotun
$
55,000
$
188,830
$
243,830
Newcomb Stillwell
$
55,000
$
188,830
$
243,830
Carolyn Taylor
$
55,000
$
188,830
$
243,830
James Treco (2)
$
75,000
$
188,830
$
263,830
Total:
$
435,250
$
1,571,767
$
2,007,017
(1)
Represents the aggregate
grant date fair value of stock options granted in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. For the relevant assumptions used in
determining these amounts, refer to Note 14 to our audited financial statements. These amounts do not necessarily correspond
to the actual value that may be recognized from the stock option grant.
(2)
Mr. Treco received additional cash compensation for serving as lead director.
As of December 31, 2025, our non-employee
directors listed in the table above held outstanding stock options, as follows:
Name
Number of Shares Underlying Outstanding Stock Options
Richard Bagger
10,042
Margaret Smith Bell
10,045
David Grange
10,045
James Hunter
7,744
Adeoye Olukotun
10,044
Newcomb Stillwell
10,041
Carolyn Taylor
10,041
James Treco
10,045
116
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 our common stock as of March 11, 2026:
●
by
each person who is known by us to beneficially own more than 5% of our common stock;
●
by each of our officers
and directors; and
●
by all of our officers
and directors as a group.
Unless
otherwise indicated in the footnotes to the following table, each person named in the table has sole voting and investment power
and that person’s address is c/o Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp., 200 Connell Drive, Suite 3100, Berkeley Heights, New
Jersey 07922.
NAME
OF OWNER
TITLE
OF CLASS
NUMBER
OF
SHARES
OWNED
PERCENTAGE
OF
COMMON
STOCK (1)
5% Holders
The Vanguard Group
Common Stock
673,605
(2)
5.0
BlackRock, Inc.
Common Stock
845,544
(3)
6.3
Point72 Asset Management, L.P.
Common Stock
1,235,058
(4)
9.2
Directors and Executive
Officers
Seth Lederman
Common Stock
87,588
(5)
*
Jessica Morris
Common Stock
19,708
(6)
*
Bradley Saenger
Common Stock
17,357
(7)
*
Gregory Sullivan
Common Stock
19,543
(8)
*
Siobhan Fogarty
Common
Stock
9,033
(9)
*
Richard Bagger
Common Stock
42
(10)
*
Margaret Smith Bell
Common Stock
45
(11)
*
David Grange
Common Stock
45
(12)
*
James Hunter
Common Stock
2
(13)
*
Adeoye Olukotun
Common Stock
43
(14)
*
Newcomb Stillwell
Common Stock
41
(15)
*
Carolyn Taylor
Common Stock
459
(16)
*
James Treco
Common Stock
294
(17)
*
Officers and Directors as a Group (11 persons)
Common Stock
154,200
(18)
*
%
*
Denotes less than 1%
(1) Percentage based upon 13,405,401 shares of common stock issued and outstanding
as of March 11, 2026.
(2) Based solely on Amendment No. 1 to the stockholder’s Schedule
13G filed on January 20, 2026. The stockholder has shared voting power with respect to 79,137 shares of common stock and shared dispositive
power with respect to 673,605 shares of common stock. The address of the stockholder is 100 Vanguard Blvd., Malvern, PA 19355.
(3) Based solely on Amendment No. 1 to the stockholder’s Schedule
13G filed on January 20, 2026. The stockholder has sole voting and dispositive power with respect to 845,544.00 shares of common stock.
The address of the stockholder is 50 Hudson Yards New York, NY 10001.
(4) Based solely on the Schedule 13G filed by Point72 Asset Management,
L.P., Point72 Capital Advisors, Inc., and Steven A. Cohen on December 31, 2025. The address of the stockholder is 72 Cummings Point Road,
Stamford, CT 06902. Includes 615,025 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of warrants.
(5)
Includes 83,581 shares of common stock underlying options which are currently exercisable or become exercisable within 60 days,
1 share of common stock owned by Lederman & Co, and 1 share owned through an IRA account. Seth Lederman, as the Managing Member
of Lederman & Co has investment and voting control over the shares held by these entities.
(6)
Includes 19,708 shares of common stock underlying options which are currently exercisable or become exercisable within 60 days.
(7)
Includes 17,357 shares of common stock underlying options which are currently exercisable or become exercisable within 60 days.
(8)
Includes 19,543 shares of common stock underlying options which are currently exercisable or become exercisable within 60 days.
(9)
Includes 9,033 shares of common stock underlying options and restricted stock units which are currently exercisable or vested
or become exercisable within 60 days.
(10)
Includes 42 shares of common stock underlying options and restricted stock units which are currently exercisable or vested or
become exercisable within 60 days.
(11)
Includes 45 shares of common stock underlying options and restricted stock units which are currently exercisable or vested or
become exercisable within 60 days.
(12)
Includes 45 shares of common stock underlying options and restricted stock units which are currently exercisable or vested or
become exercisable within 60 days.
(13)
Includes 2 shares of common stock underlying options and restricted stock units which are currently exercisable or vested or become
exercisable within 60 days.
(14)
Includes 43 shares of common stock underlying options which are currently exercisable or become exercisable within 60 days
(15)
Includes 41 shares of common stock underlying options which are currently exercisable or become exercisable within 60 days
(16)
Includes 41 shares of common stock underlying options which are currently exercisable or become exercisable within 60 days
(17)
Includes 44 shares of common stock underlying options which are currently exercisable or become exercisable within 60 days
(18)
Includes 149,525 shares of common stock underlying options which are currently exercisable or vested or become exercisable within
60 days, 1 share of common stock owned by Lederman & Co, and 1 share owned through an IRA account of Dr. Lederman.
117
ITEM
13 – CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
We
have adopted a written related-person transactions policy that sets forth our policies and procedures regarding the identification,
review, consideration and oversight of “related-party transactions.” For purposes of our policy only, a “related-party
transaction” is a transaction, arrangement or relationship (or any series of similar transactions, arrangements or relationships)
in which we and any “related party” are participants involving an amount that exceeds
the lesser of $120,000 or one percent of the average of our total assets at year end for the last two completed fiscal years.
A
related party is any executive officer, director or a holder of more than five percent of our common stock, including any of their
immediate family members and any entity owned or controlled by such persons.
Where
a transaction has been identified as a related-party transaction, our Chief Compliance Officer must present information regarding
the proposed related-party transaction to our Audit Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee for review. The
presentation must include a description of, among other things, the material facts, the direct and indirect interests of the related
parties, the benefits of the transaction to us and whether any alternative transactions are available. To identify related-party
transactions in advance, we rely on information supplied by our executive officers, directors and certain significant stockholders.
In considering related-party transactions, our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will take into account the relevant
available facts and circumstances including, but not limited to:
●
whether
the transaction was undertaken in the ordinary course of our business;
●
whether
the related party transaction was initiated by us or the related party;
●
whether
the transaction with the related party is proposed to be, or was, entered into on terms no less favorable to us than terms
that could have been reached with an unrelated third party;
●
the
purpose of, and the potential benefits to us from the related party transaction;
●
the
approximate dollar value of the amount involved in the related party transaction, particularly as it relates to the related
party;
●
the
related party’s interest in the related party transaction, and
●
any
other information regarding the related party transaction or the related party that would be material to investors in light
of the circumstances of the particular transaction.
The
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee shall then make a recommendation to the Board, who will determine whether or not
to approve of the related party transaction, and if so, upon what terms and conditions. In the event a director has an interest
in the proposed transaction, the director must recuse himself or herself from the deliberations and approval.
Other
than as set forth below, during the last two fiscal years, there have been no related party transactions.
December 2025 Registered Direct Offering
On December 29, 2025, we entered into a securities
purchase agreement with an affiliate of Point72 Asset Management, L.P., a holder of 5% or more of our common stock, pursuant to which
we sold 615,025 shares of common stock and pre-funded warrants to purchase up to 615,025 shares of common stock. The offering price per
share of common stock was $16.26, and the offering price per share of pre-funded warrant was $16.259.
Board
Independence
The
Board has determined that (i) because Seth Lederman is an executive officer of the Company, he has a relationship which, in the opinion
of the Board, would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director and is not
an “independent director” as defined in the Marketplace Rules of The NASDAQ Stock Market, (ii) because James Hunter was a
former employee of the Company, he has a relationship which, in the opinion of the Board, would interfere with the exercise of independent
judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director and is not an “independent director” as defined in the Marketplace
Rules of The NASDAQ Stock Market, and (iii) Richard Bagger, Margaret Smith Bell, David Grange, Adeoye Olukotun, Newcomb Stillwell, Carolyn
Taylor and James Treco are each an independent director as defined in the Marketplace Rules of The NASDAQ Stock Market.
118
ITEM
14 – PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
Our
independent registered public accounting firm is EisnerAmper LLP , Iselin, New Jersey , PCAOB ID: 274 .
(1)
Audit Fees
The
aggregate fees billed by our independent registered public accounting firm, for professional services rendered for the audit of our
annual financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, including review of our interim financial statements as
well as registration statement filings with the SEC and comfort letters issued to underwriters were $537,075 and $648,375,
respectively.
(2)
Audit-Related Fees
We
did not incur fees to our independent registered public accounting firm for audit related fees during the fiscal years ended December
31, 2025 and 2024.
(3)
Tax Fees
We
did not incur fees to our independent registered public accounting firm for tax services during the fiscal years ended December
31, 2025 and 2024.
(4)
All Other Fees
None.
Pre-Approval
Policies and Procedures
Consistent
with SEC policies and guidelines regarding audit independence, the Audit Committee is responsible for the pre-approval of all
audit and permissible non-audit services provided by our principal accountants on a case-by-case basis. Our Audit Committee has
established a policy regarding approval of all audit and permissible non-audit services provided by our principal accountants.
Our Audit Committee pre-approves these services by category and service. Our Audit Committee has pre-approved all of the services
provided by our principal accountants.
119
PART
IV
ITEM
15 – EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
(c)
Index
to Exhibits
The
Exhibits listed below are identified by numbers corresponding to the Exhibit Table of Item 601 of Regulation S-K. The Exhibits
designated by an asterisk (*) are management contracts or compensatory plans or arrangements required to be filed pursuant to
Item 15.
EXHIBIT
INDEX
Exhibit
No.
Description
3.01
Articles
of Incorporation, filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement on Form S-1, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the “Commission”) on April 9, 2008 and incorporated herein by reference.
3.02
Articles
of Merger between Tamandare Explorations Inc. and Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp., effective October 11, 2011, filed as
an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on October 17, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference.
3.03
Third
Amended and Restated Bylaws, filed as an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on June 3, 2016
and incorporated herein by reference.
3.04
Certificate
of Change of Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp., dated March 13, 2017 and effective March 17, 2017, filed as an exhibit to
the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on March 16, 2017 and incorporated herein by reference.
3.05
Certificate
of Amendment to Articles of Incorporation, effective June 16, 2017, filed as an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K,
filed with the Commission on June 16, 2017 and incorporated herein by reference.
3.06
Certificate
of Amendment to Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp.’s Articles of Incorporation, as amended, filed with the Secretary
of State of the State of Nevada on May 3, 2019.
3.07
Form
of Certificate of Designation of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, filed as an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K,
filed with the Commission on October 25, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference.
3.08
Form
of Certificate of Designation of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock, filed as an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K,
filed with the Commission on October 25, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference.
3.09
Certificate
of Amendment to Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp.’s Articles of Incorporation, filed as an exhibit to the Current
Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on May 16, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference.
3.10
Certificate
of Amendment to Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp.’s Articles of Incorporation, filed as an exhibit to the Current
Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on January 25, 2024 and incorporated herein by reference
4.01
Specimen
Common Stock Certificate of the Registrant, filed as an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission
on May 24, 2018 and incorporated herein by reference.
4.02
Description
of Registrant’s Securities, filed herewith.
4.03
Form
of Common Warrant, filed as an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on July 28, 2023 and incorporated
herein by reference.
4.04
Form
of Series C Warrant. filed as an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on December 21, 2023
and incorporated herein by reference.
4.05
Form
of Series D Warrant. filed as an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on December 21, 2023
and incorporated herein by reference.
4.06
Form
of Series E Warrant, filed as an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with
the Commission on March 29, 2024, and incorporated herein by reference.
4.07
Amendment to Common Stock Purchase Warrant, filed as an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on March 29, 2024, and incorporated herein by reference.
4.08
Form of Pre-Funded Warrant, filed as an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on December 29, 2025 and incorporated herein by reference.
120
10.01
Employment
Agreement, between Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. and Seth Lederman, dated February 11, 2014, filed as an exhibit to
the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on February 14, 2014 and incorporated herein by reference.*
10.02
Tonix
Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. 2014 Stock Incentive Plan, incorporated herein by reference to Annex A to our Definitive Proxy
Statement on Schedule 14A (File No. 001-36019), filed with the Commission on May 2, 2014.*
10.03
Lease
Amendment and Expansion Agreement, dated February 11, 2014, by and between 509 Madison Avenue Associates, L.P. and Tonix Pharmaceuticals,
Inc., filed as an exhibit to the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Commission on February 27, 2015 and incorporated
herein by reference.
10.04
Employment
Agreement, between Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. and Gregory Sullivan, dated June 3, 2014, filed as an exhibit to the
Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on June 3, 2014 and incorporated herein by reference.*
10.05
Tonix
Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. 2016 Stock Incentive Plan, incorporated herein by reference to Annex A to our Definitive Proxy
Statement on Schedule 14A (File No. 001-36019), filed with the Commission on March 25, 2016.*
10.06
Tonix
Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. 2017 Stock Incentive Plan, incorporated herein by reference to Appendix A to our Definitive
Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A (File No. 001-36019), filed with the Commission on May 2, 2017.*
10.07
Tonix
Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. 2018 Equity Incentive Plan, incorporated herein by reference to our Definitive Proxy Statement
on Schedule 14A (File No. 001-36019), filed with the Commission on April 19, 2018.*
10.08
Purchase
Agreement, dated October 18, 2018, between Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. and Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC, filed as
an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on October 24, 2018 and incorporated herein by reference.
10.09
Tonix
Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. 2019 Stock Incentive Plan, incorporated herein by reference to Appendix A to our Definitive
Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A (File No. 001-36019), filed with the Commission on March 18, 2019.*
10.10
Tonix
Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. 2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, incorporated herein by reference to Appendix B to our Definitive
Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A (File No. 001-36019), filed with the Commission on March 18, 2019.*
10.11
License
Agreement, dated May 20, 2019, between Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. and The Trustees of Columbia University in the
City of New York, filed as an exhibit to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Commission on August 12, 2019 and
incorporated herein by reference.
121
10.12
Asset
Purchase Agreement, dated August 19, 2019, between Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. and TRImaran Pharma, Inc., filed as
an exhibit to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Commission on November 8, 2019 and incorporated herein by reference.
10.13
First
Amended and Restated Exclusive License Agreement, dated August 19, 2019, between Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. and Wayne
State University, filed as an exhibit to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Commission on November 8, 2019 and
incorporated herein by reference.
10.14
Exclusive
License Agreement, dated September 16, 2019, between Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. and The Trustees of Columbia University
in the City of New York, filed as an exhibit to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Commission on November 8,
2019 and incorporated herein by reference.
10.15
Tonix
Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. 2020 Stock Incentive Plan, incorporated herein by reference to Appendix A to our Definitive
Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A (File No. 001-36019), filed with the Commission on December 13, 2019.*
10.16
Research
Collaboration Agreement between Tonix Pharmaceutical, Inc. and Southern Research Institute, dated November 7, 2018, filed
as an exhibit to the Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Commission on March 24, 2020 and incorporated herein by reference.
10.17
License
Agreement, dated May 5, 2020, between Tonix Pharmaceuticals (Canada) Inc. and The Governors of the University of Alberta,
filed as an exhibit to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, filed with the Commission on August 10, 2020 and incorporated herein
by reference.†
10.18
Asset
Purchase Agreement, dated June 11, 2020, between Tonix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Trigemina, Inc., filed as an exhibit to the
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, filed with the Commission on May 12, 2020 and incorporated herein by reference.†
10.19
Amended
and Restated Exclusive License Agreement, dated June 11, 2020, between Tonix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and The Board of Trustees
of the Leland Stanford Junior University, filed as an exhibit to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, filed with the Commission
on August 10, 2020 and incorporated herein by reference.
10.20
Assignment
and Agreement, dated June 11, 2020, between Tonix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior
University, filed as an exhibit to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, filed with the Commission on August 10, 2020 and incorporated
herein by reference.
10.21
Tonix
Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. Amended and Restated 2020 Stock Incentive Plan, incorporated herein by reference to Appendix
A to our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A (File No. 001-36019), filed with the Commission on March 30, 2020.*
122
10.22
Employment
Agreement, between Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. and Jessica Morris, dated February 23, 2021, filed as an exhibit to
the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on February 26, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.*
10.23
Employment
Agreement, between Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. and Bradley Saenger, dated February 23, 2021, filed as an exhibit to
the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on February 26, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.*
10.24
License
Agreement, dated April 14, 2021, between the Company and OyaGen, Inc., filed as an exhibit to the Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q filed with the Commission on May 10, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.†
10.25
Purchase
Agreement, dated August 16, 2022, by and between Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. and Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC, filed
as an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on August 17, 2022, and incorporated herein by reference.
10.26
Tonix
Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. 2022 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, incorporated herein by reference to Appendix A to our Definitive
Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, filed with the Commission on March 18, 2022.*
10.27
Asset
Purchase Agreement, dated as of June 23, 2023, by and among Upsher-Smith Laboratories, LLC, Tonix Medicines, Inc. and Tonix
Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp., filed as an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on June 26,
2023, and incorporated herein by reference.
10.28
Transition
Services Agreement, dated as of June 30, 2023, by and among Upsher-Smith Laboratories, LLC and Tonix Medicines Inc., filed
as an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on July 3, 2023, and incorporated herein by reference.
123
10.29
Loan
and Guaranty Agreement, dated as of December 8, 2023, by and among the Loan Parties, the Lenders and the JGB Agent, filed
with the Commission on December 8, 2023, and incorporated herein by reference.
10.30
Placement
Agent Agreement, dated March 28, 2024, between Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. and A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners, filed
as an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on March 29, 2024 and incorporated herein by reference.
10.31
Form
of Series C Warrant. filed as an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on December 21, 2023
and incorporated herein by reference.
10.32
Form
of Series D Warrant. filed as an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on December 21, 2023
and incorporated herein by reference.
10.33
Placement
Agent Agreement, dated March 28, 2024, between Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. and A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners, filed
as an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on March 29, 2024 and incorporated herein by reference.
10.34
Placement
Agency Agreement, dated June 12, 2024, between Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. and Dawson James Securities Inc., filed
as an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on June 13, 2024, and incorporated herein by reference.
10.35
Warrant
Agent Agreement, dated June 13, 2024, between Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. and
VStock Transfer, filed as an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the
Commission on June 13, 2024 and incorporated herein by reference.
10.36
Placement
Agency Agreement, dated June 27, 2024, between Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. and Dawson James Securities Inc., filed
as an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on June 28, 2024 and incorporated herein by reference.
10.37
Warrant
Agent Agreement, dated June 28, 2024, between Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. and
VStock Transfer, filed as an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the
Commission on June 28, 2024 and incorporated herein by reference.
10.38
Placement
Agency Agreement, dated July 9, 2024, between Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. and Dawson James Securities Inc., filed
as an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on July 10, 2024 and incorporated herein by reference.
10.39
Warrant
Agent Agreement, dated July 10, 2024, between Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. and
VStock Transfer, filed as an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the
Commission on July 10, 2024 and incorporated herein by reference.
10.40
Form
of Security Purchase Agreement, filed as an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K,
filed with the Commission on July 10, 2024 and incorporated herein by reference.
10.41
Sales
Agreement, dated July 30, 2024, between Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. and A.G.P./
Alliance Global Partners, filed as an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed
with the Commission on July 30, 2024 and incorporated herein by reference.
124
10.42
Pay-Off
Letter, dated February 3, 2025, by and among the Loan Parties, the Lenders and the JGB Agent, filed as an exhibit to the Current
Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on February 3, 2025 and incorporated herein by reference.†
10.43
Base Agreement between Advanced Technology International (ATI) and Tonix
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., dated July 17, 2023, filed as an exhibit to the Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Commission on March 18, 2025.
10.44
Project Agreement No. 1 by and between Advanced Technology International
and Tonix Pharmaceuticals, Inc., dated June 28, 2024, filed as an exhibit to the Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Commission on March 18, 2025.†
10.45
Sales Agreement, dated June 11, 2025, by
and between Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holdings Corp. and A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners, filed as an exhibit to the Current Report on Form
8-K, filed with the Commission on June 11, 2025 and incorporated herein by reference.
10.46
Purchase
Agreement, dated June 11, 2025, by and between Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. and Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC, filed as
an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on June 11, 2025 and incorporated herein by reference. †
10.47
Registration Rights Agreement, dated June 11, 2025, by and between Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. and Lincoln Park Capital Fund,
LLC, filed as an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on June 11, 2025 and incorporated herein
by reference. †
10.48
Amendment No. 1 to Sales Agreement, dated November 21, 2025, filed as an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on November 21, 2025 and incorporated herein by reference.
10.49
Placement Agency Agreement, dated December 29, 2025, between Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. and TD Securities (USA) LLC, filed as
an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on December 29, 2025 and incorporated herein by reference.
10.50
Form of Securities Purchase Agreement, filed as an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on December 29, 2025 and incorporated herein by reference.
10.51
Exclusive License Agreement, dated June 26, 2025, by and between University
of Massachusetts and Tonix Pharmaceuticals, Inc., filed herewith †
14.01
Code
of Business Conduct and Ethics for Employees, Executive Officers and Directors, filed as an exhibit to the Current Report
on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on February 16, 2016, and incorporated herein by reference.
19.01
Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. Insider Trading Policy, filed as an exhibit to the Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Commission on March 18, 2025.
21.01
List
of Subsidiaries, filed herewith.
23.01
Consent
of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, filed herewith.
31.01
Certification
of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Exchange Act Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a), as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, filed herewith.
31.02
Certification
of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Exchange Act Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a), as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, filed herewith.
32.01
Certifications
of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section
906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, filed herewith.
97.01
Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. Compensation Recovery Policy,
filed as an exhibit to the Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Commission on March 18, 2025.
101
The
following materials from Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December
31, 2023, formatted in XBRL (Extensible Business Reporting Language): (i) the Consolidated Balance Sheets, (ii) the Consolidated
Statements of Operations, (iii) the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss, (iv) the Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’
Equity, (v) the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, and (vi) Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
104
The
cover page from this Annual Report on Form 10-K, formatted as Inline XBRL.
†
Certain
portions of this exhibit, that are not material and would likely cause competitive harm to the registrant if publicly disclosed,
have been redacted pursuant to Item 601(b)(10) of Regulation S-K.
††
This
certification is not deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or otherwise subject
to the liability of that section. Such certification will not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing under the
Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except to the extent that the registrant specifically incorporates
it by reference.
*
Denotes
a management compensatory agreement or arrangement.
125
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report
to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
TONIX
PHARMACEUTICALS HOLDING CORP.
Date:
March 12, 2026
By:
/s/
SETH LEDERMAN
Seth
Lederman
Chief
Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)
Date:
March 12, 2026
By:
/s/
BRADLEY SAENGER
Bradley
Saenger
Chief
Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)
POWER
OF ATTORNEY
KNOW
ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Seth Lederman and Bradley
Saenger, jointly and severally, his or her attorney-in-fact, with the power of substitution, for him or her in any and all capacities,
to sign any amendments to this Annual Report on Form 10-K and to file the same, with exhibits thereto and other documents in connection
therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact,
or his or her substitute or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange 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.
Name
Position
Date
/s/
SETH LEDERMAN
Chief
Executive Officer, President and Director (Principal Executive Officer)
March
12, 2026
Seth
Lederman
/s/
BRADLEY SAENGER
Chief
Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)
March
12, 2026
Bradley
Saenger
/s/
RICHARD BAGGER
Director
March
12, 2026
Richard
Bagger
/s/
MARGARET SMITH BELL
Director
March
12, 2026
Margaret
Smith Bell
/s/
DAVID GRANGE
Director
March
12, 2026
David
Grange
/s/
JAMES HUNTER
Director
March
12, 2026
James
Hunter
/s/
ADEOYE OLUKOTUN
Director
March
12, 2026
Adeoye
Olukotun
/s/
NEWCOMB STILLWELL
Director
March
12, 2026
Newcomb
Stillwell
/s/
CAROLYN TAYLOR
Director
March
12, 2026
Carolyn
Taylor
/s/
JAMES TRECO
Director
March
12, 2026
James
Treco
126