DEF 14A: Definitive proxy statements
Published on May 16, 2007
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE
14A
(Rule
14a-101)
INFORMATION
REQUIRED IN PROXY STATEMENT
SCHEDULE
14A INFORMATION
Proxy
Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the
Securities
Exchange Act of 1934
Filed
by
the Registrant S
Filed
by
a Party other than the Registrant £
Check
the
appropriate box:
£
|
Preliminary
Proxy Statement
|
£
|
Confidential,
for Use of the
|
S
|
Definitive
Proxy Statement
|
Commission
Only (as permitted
|
|
£
|
Definitive
Additional Materials
|
by
Rule 14a-6(e)(2))
|
|
£
|
Soliciting
Material Pursuant to § 240.14a-12
|
REXAHN
PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
|
(Name
of
Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
(Name
of
Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)
Payment
of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
S
|
No
fee required.
|
£
|
Fee
computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and
0-11.
|
(1)
|
Title
of each class of securities to which transaction
applies:
|
(2)
|
Aggregate
number of securities to which transaction
applies:
|
(3)
|
Per
unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant
to
Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing
fee is
calculated and state how it was
determined):
|
(4)
|
Proposed
maximum aggregate value of
transaction:
|
(5)
|
Total
fee paid:
|
£
|
Fee
paid previously with preliminary
materials.
|
£
|
Check
box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act
Rule
0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was
paid
previously. Identify the previous filing by registration
statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its
filing.
|
(1)
|
Amount
Previously Paid:
|
(2)
|
Form,
Schedule or Registration Statement
No.:
|
(3)
|
Filing
Party:
|
(4)
|
Date
Filed:
|
REXAHN
PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
NOTICE
OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
To
be held June 11, 2007
TO
OUR
STOCKHOLDERS:
Notice
is
hereby given that the Annual Meeting of the Stockholders of Rexahn
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”) will be held on June 11, 2007, at 10:00
a.m. (local time), at the corporate headquarters of Rexahn Pharmaceuticals,
Inc., located at 9620 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850 (the“Annual Meeting”). The
Annual Meeting is called for the following purposes:
1.
To
elect six directors to a term of one year each, or until their successors have
been elected and qualified;
2.
To
ratify the appointment of Lazar, Levine & Felix, LLP as the independent
registered public accounting firm of the Company for fiscal 2007;
and
3.
To
consider and take action upon such other matters as may properly come before
the
Annual Meeting or any postponement or adjournment thereof.
The
Board
of Directors has fixed May 11, 2007 as the record date for the determination
of
stockholders entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting. Only
stockholders of record at the close of business on that date will be entitled
to
notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting.
You
are
cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting. Whether or not you expect to
attend, you are respectfully requested by the Board of Directors to sign, date
and return the enclosed proxy card promptly. Stockholders who execute proxies
retain the right to revoke them at any time prior to the voting thereof. A
return envelope, which requires no postage if mailed in the United States,
is
enclosed for your convenience.
|
By
Order of the Board of Directors,
|
Chairman
of the Board
|
|
May
12, 2007
|
REXAHN
PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
9620
Medical Center Drive
Rockville,
Maryland 20850
(240)
268-5300
PROXY
STATEMENT
ANNUAL
MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
To
be held June 11, 2007
This
Proxy Statement is furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies
by
the Board of Directors of Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation
(the “Company”), the principal executive offices of which are located at 9620
Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, for the Annual Meeting of
Stockholders to be held at the corporate headquarters of Rexahn Pharmaceuticals,
Inc., located at 9620 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, on June 11, 2007, at
10:00 a.m. (local time) and for any postponement, or adjournments thereof
(the “Annual Meeting”), for the purposes set forth in the accompanying Notice of
Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Any stockholder giving such a proxy has the
power to revoke it at any time before it is voted. Written notice of such
revocation should be forwarded directly to the Secretary of the Company at
the
above stated address. Attendance at the Annual Meeting will not have the effect
of revoking the proxy unless such written notice is given or the stockholder
votes by ballot at the Annual Meeting.
If
the
enclosed proxy is properly executed and returned, the shares represented thereby
will be voted in accordance with the directions thereon and otherwise in
accordance with the judgment of the persons designated as proxies. Any proxy
on
which no direction is specified will be voted in favor of the actions described
in this Proxy Statement, including the election of the director nominees set
forth under the caption “Election of Directors” and the ratification of the
appointment of Lazar, Levine & Felix, LLP as the independent auditors of the
Company.
The
approximate date on which this Proxy Statement and the accompanying form of
proxy will first be mailed or given to the Company’s stockholders is May 15,
2007.
Your
vote
is important. Accordingly, we urge you to sign and return the accompanying
proxy
card whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting. If you do attend,
you
may vote by ballot at the Annual Meeting, thereby canceling any proxy previously
given.
Common
Questions Regarding Proxies
Q: Why
am I receiving this Proxy Statement and proxy card?
A: You
are receiving a Proxy Statement and proxy card from us because you own shares
of
common stock of the Company. This Proxy Statement describes issues on which
we
would like you, as a stockholder, to vote. It also gives you information on
these issues so that you can make an informed decision.
When
you sign the proxy card, you
appoint Dr. Chang H. Ahn and Tae Heum Jeong as your representatives at the
meeting. Dr. Ahn and Mr. Jeong will vote your shares at the meeting as you
have
instructed them on the proxy card. This way, your shares will be voted whether
or not you attend the Annual Meeting. Even if you plan to attend the meeting,
it
is a good idea to complete, sign and return your proxy card in advance of the
meeting just in case your plans change. You can always decide to vote in
person.
Q: What
is the record date?
A: The
record date is May 11, 2007. Only holders of common stock of record as of the
close of business on this date will be entitled to vote at the Annual
Meeting.
Q: How
many shares are outstanding?
A: As
of the record date, the Company had 50,326,132 shares of common stock
outstanding.
Q: What
am I voting on?
A: You
are being asked to vote on the election of six directors to the terms described
in the Proxy Statement and the ratification of Lazar, Levine & Felix, LLP as
the independent registered public accounting firm of the Company for fiscal
2007.
Q: How
do I vote?
A: You
may either vote by mail or in person at the Annual Meeting. To vote by mail,
please sign your proxy card and mail it in the enclosed, prepaid and addressed
envelope. If you mark your voting instructions on the proxy card, your shares
will be voted in accordance with your instructions. If you return a signed
proxy
card but do not provide voting instructions, your shares will be voted based
on
the recommendations of the Board of Directors. We will pass out written ballots
to anyone who wants to vote at the Annual Meeting. If you hold your shares
through a brokerage account and do not have a physical share certificate, you
must request a legal proxy from your stockbroker in order to vote at the Annual
Meeting.
Q: What
does it mean if I receive more than one proxy card?
A: It
means that you have multiple accounts at the transfer agent and/or with
stockbrokers. Please sign and return all proxy cards to ensure that all your
shares are voted.
2
Q: How
many votes do you need to hold the meeting?
A: A
majority of the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock as of the record
date must be present at the meeting in order to hold the Annual Meeting and
conduct business. This is called a quorum.
Q: What
if I abstain from voting?
A: Abstentions
with respect to a proposal are counted as present or represented by proxy for
purposes of establishing a quorum. If a quorum is present, abstentions have
no
effect on the outcome of the vote for directors, but will count as a vote
against the amendments to the Stock Option Plan and the ratification of the
Company’s independent auditors.
Q: What
if I don’t provide voting instructions to my broker?
A: If
your shares are held in street name and you do not provide voting instructions
to your broker, then your shares will be counted as present or represented
by
proxy for purposes of determining the existence of a quorum, and will be voted
in the broker's discretion.
Q: How
many votes must the nominees have to be elected?
A: In
order for a director to be elected, he or she must receive the affirmative
vote
of a plurality of the shares voted. In other words, the six nominees who receive
the most number of votes cast will be elected.
Q: How
are votes counted?
A: Voting
results will be tabulated and certified by our inspector of elections, Hwan
Kim
of Chadbourne & Parke LLP, our legal counsel.
Q: Where
can I find the voting results of the Annual Meeting?
A: We
will announce the voting results at the Annual Meeting. We will also publish
the
results in our quarterly report on Form 10-QSB for the second quarter of 2007.
We will file that report with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”),
and you can get a copy:
· by
contacting Rexahn’s corporate offices
via phone at (240) 268-5300 or by e-mail at IR@Rexahn.com; or
· through
the SEC’s EDGAR system at
www.sec.gov or by contacting the SEC’s public reference room at
1-800-SEC-0330.
3
VOTING
SECURITIES
Holders
of record of shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $.0001 per share,
as of the close of business on May 11, 2007 (the “Record Date”), are entitled to
notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting on all matters. On the Record Date,
the Company had outstanding 50,326,132 shares of common
stock. Each outstanding share of common stock is entitled to one vote upon
all
matters to be acted upon at the Annual Meeting. A majority of the outstanding
shares of common stock entitled to vote on any matter and represented at the
Annual Meeting, in person or by proxy, shall constitute a quorum.
Abstentions
and broker non-votes are counted for purposes of determining the presence or
absence of a quorum for the transaction of business at the Annual Meeting.
Assuming a quorum is present, the affirmative vote of a plurality of the shares
cast in person or represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting and entitled to
vote on the election of directors is required to elect the director nominees.
Abstentions and broker non-votes will not affect the outcome of the election
of
directors.
The
affirmative vote of a majority of the shares cast in person or represented
by
proxy at the Annual Meeting and entitled to vote on the matter is necessary
to
ratify the appointment of Lazar, Levine & Felix, LLP as the independent
registered public accounting firm of the Company for fiscal 2007. Thus, an
abstention from voting on this proposal will have the same legal effect as
a
vote “against” the proposal, even though the stockholder may interpret such
action differently.
The
Company is not currently aware of any matters that will be brought before the
Annual Meeting (other than procedural matters) that are not referred to in
the
enclosed Notice of Annual Meeting.
4
SECURITY
OWNERSHIP OF MANAGEMENT AND CERTAIN SECURITY
HOLDERS
The
table
below sets forth the beneficial ownership of common stock as of May 8, 2007
by
the following individuals or entities:
·
|
each
person, or group of affiliated persons, known to us to own beneficially
own 5% or more of the outstanding common
stock;
|
·
|
each
director;
|
·
|
each
executive officer; and
|
·
|
all
of the directors and executive officers as a
group.
|
Beneficial
ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the
SEC. Except as indicated by footnote and subject to community
property laws where applicable, each person or entity named in the table has
sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of common stock
shown as beneficially owned by him, her or it. In computing the
number of shares beneficially owned by a person and the percentage ownership
of
that person, shares of common stock that will be subject to options held by
that
person that are exercisable as of May 8, 2007, or will become exercisable within
60 days thereafter are deemed outstanding, while such shares are not deemed
outstanding for purposes of computing percentage ownership of any other
person.
Shares
of Rexahn Pharmaceuticals
Common
Stock
Beneficially
Owned
|
||||
Name
of Beneficial Owner
|
Number
of Shares
|
Percentage
|
||
Directors
and Executive Officers:
|
||||
Chang
H. Ahn*
|
14,900,000
|
(1) |
29.61%
|
|
Charles
Beever*
|
20,000
|
(2) |
Less
than 1%
|
|
Kwang
Soo Cheong*
|
20,000
|
(3) |
Less
than 1%
|
|
Tae
Heum Jeong*
|
1,050,000
|
(4) |
2.09%
|
|
Y.
Michele Kang*
|
20,000
|
(5) |
Less
than 1%
|
|
David
McIntosh*
|
165,000
|
(6) |
Less
than 1%
|
|
Young-Soon
Park*
|
3,365,000
|
(7) |
6.69%
|
|
All
executive officers and directors as a group (7 persons)
|
19,540,000
|
38.84%
|
||
Holders
of more than 5% of shares:
|
||||
Rexgene
Biotech Co., Ltd.**
|
4,791,670
|
(8) |
9.52%
|
|
Chong
Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Corp.***
|
3,000,000
|
(8)(9) |
5.96%
|
|
KT&G
Corporation****
|
2,500,000
|
(8)(9) |
4.97%
|
5
*
|
c/o
Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 9620 Medical Center Drive, Rockville,
MD
20850.
|
**
|
9F
Wooyoung Venture Bldg. 1330-13, Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul
137-070, Korea.
|
***
|
368,
3 gu, Chungjeong-ro, Seodaemun gu, Seoul 120 756,
Korea.
|
****
|
100
Pyongchon dong, Daedeog gu, Daejeon 306 130,
Korea.
|
(1)
|
Includes
Dr. Ahn’s options to purchase 600,000 shares of common stock that are
currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of May 8, 2007
at an
exercise price of $0.80 per share, 500,000 shares held by Dr. Ahn’s wife,
Inok Ahn, and Mrs. Ahn’s options to purchase 300,000 shares of common
stock that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days
of
May 8, 2007 at an exercise price of $0.80 per
share.
|
(2)
|
Includes
Mr. Beever's options to purchase 20,000 shares of common stock that
are
currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of May 8, 2007
at an
exercise price of $1.20.
|
(3)
|
Includes
Mr. Cheong's options to purchase 20,000 shares of common stock that
are
currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of May 8, 2007
at an
exercise price of $1.20.
|
(4)
|
Includes
Mr. Jeong’s options to purchase (i) 150,000 shares of common stock that
are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of May 8,
2007 at
an exercise price of $0.24 per share and (ii) 400,000 shares of common
stock that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days
of May
8, 2007 at an exercise price of $0.80 per
share.
|
(5)
|
Includes
Ms. Kang's options to purchase 20,000 shares of common stock that
are
currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of May 8, 2007
at an
exercise price of $1.20.
|
(6)
|
Includes
Mr. McIntosh’s options to purchase (i) 125,000 shares of common stock
that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of May
8,
2007 at an exercise price of $0.80 per share, (ii) 20,000 shares
of common
stock that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days
of May
8, 2007 at an exercise price of $3.00 per share and (iii) 20,000
shares of
common stock that are currently exercisable or exercisable within
60 days
of May 8, 2007 at an exercise price of $1.20 per
share.
|
(7)
|
Includes
Dr. Park's options to purchase (i) 220,000 shares of common stock
that are
currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of May 8, 2007
at an
exercise price of $3.00 per share and (ii) 20,000 shares of common
stock
that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of May
8,
2007 at an exercise price of $1.20 per
share.
|
(8)
|
The
boards of directors of each of Rexgene, Chong Kun Dang and KT&G, each
a Korean corporation, have sole voting and sole investment power
as to the
shares owned by their respective
corporations.
|
(9)
|
Includes
750,000 shares of common stock held by Kyungbo Pharm, a subsidiary
of
Chong Kun Dang. Excludes 2,000,000 shares of common stock held
by Jang-Han Rhee, Chief Executive Officer of Chong Kun Dang and a
former
director of Rexahn.
|
6
PROPOSAL
1
ELECTION
OF DIRECTORS
The
terms
of the Company’s Board of Directors will expire at the Annual Meeting. At the
Annual Meeting, all six director nominees will be elected by the stockholders
to
serve a one-year term until the next Annual Meeting in 2008. The Board
recommends that the persons named below be elected as directors of the Company,
and it is intended that the accompanying proxy will be voted for the election
as
directors of the six persons named below, unless the proxy contains contrary
instructions. The Company has no reason to believe that any of the nominees
will
not be a candidate or will be unable to serve. However, in the event that any
of
the nominees should become unable or unwilling to serve as a director, the
persons named in the proxy have advised that they will vote (unless authority
has been withdrawn) for the election of such person or persons as shall be
designated by management.
All
of
the nominees currently serve as directors of the Company. All nominees have
consented to being named in this Proxy Statement and to serve if
elected.
The
Board
of Directors has determined that Messrs. Beever, Cheong and McIntosh, and Ms.
Kang, constituting a majority of the Board members, are “independent directors”
as that term is defined in listing standards of the Nasdaq Stock Market, as
applicable and as may be modified or supplemented. John Holaday, a former
director, served as an independent director during 2006 under the applicable
listing standards of the Nasdaq Stock Market.
The
following table sets forth the names, ages and positions of our
directors:
Name
|
Age
|
Position
|
Dr.
Chang H. Ahn
|
55
|
Chairman
of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and Director
|
Charles
Beever
|
54
|
Director
|
Kwang
Soo Cheong
|
46
|
Director
|
Y.
Michele Kang
|
47
|
Director
|
David
McIntosh
|
48
|
Director
|
Tae
Heum Jeong
|
36
|
Chief
Financial Officer, Secretary and
Director
|
Chang
H. Ahn. Dr. Ahn has served as Chairman
of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and a Director since
May 2005. Dr. Ahn served as Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer of Rexahn, Corp from its incorporation in March 2001 to
May 2005. From 1988 to 2001, Dr. Ahn held dual positions as
both Expert Regulatory Pharmacologist and Lab Head at the FDA's Center for
Drug
Evaluation and Research. Prior to joining the FDA in 1988,
Dr. Ahn carried out cancer research at the National Cancer Institute, as
well as at Emory University's School of Medicine. In 2003 and 2004,
Dr. Ahn organized and chaired the U.S.-Korea Bio Business and Partnership
Forum, for which Maryland State and Montgomery County are
partners. He also served as president of the Society of Biomedical
Research from 2000 to 2003. Dr. Ahn holds a Ph.D. in
pharmacology from Ohio State University. He also holds two B.S.
degrees in pharmacy from Creighton University and Seoul National
University.
7
Charles
Beever. Mr. Beever has served as a director since
May 2006. He has been a partner and Vice President of Booz Allen
& Hamilton, Inc. since October 1993, and served as staff member and
Engagement Manager at Booz Allen Hamilton from January 1984 to
October 2003. Prior to joining Booz Allen Hamilton, Mr. Beever
served as Plant Production Manager from October 1981 to January 1984,
Industrial Engineering Manager from June 1979 to October 1981 and
Production Supervisor from July 1978 to June 1979 at McGraw-Edison
Company. Mr. Beever holds a B.A. in Economics from Haverford College,
where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and an M.B.A. from the Harvard Graduate
School of Business Administration.
Kwang
Soo Cheong. Dr. Cheong has served as a director since
May 2006. He is a faculty member at the Department of Finance of the
Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School (Assistant Professor: 2001-2005
& Associate Professor: 2006 to date). Dr. Cheong was an Assistant
Professor of Economics at the University of Hawaii from 1994 to 2001, and he
was
a lecturer at the Department of Economics of Stanford University from 1993
to
1994. During the summer of 1995, Dr. Cheong was a Visiting Fellow in the
Taxation and Welfare Division at the Korea Development Institute in Korea.
Dr. Cheong holds a B.A. in Economics and an M.A. in Economics from Seoul
National University, and a Ph.D. in Economics from Stanford
University.
Y.
Michele Kang. Ms. Kang has served as a director
since May 2006. She has been Vice President and General Manager
of Northrop Grumman Information Technology's Health Solutions division since
2003; Vice President and Deputy General Manager, Global Information Technology
of Northrop Grumman Mission Systems from 2001 to 2003; and Vice President,
e-Business of Northrop Grumman Mission Systems from 2000 to 2001. She
is a member of the eHealth Initiative Leadership Council and a member of the
steering committee of Connecting for Health. Prior to joining
Northrop Grumman, Ms. Kang was a partner in the Strategic Advisory Services
group of Ernst & Young LLP. Ms. Kang received a B.A. in Economics
from the University of Chicago and a Master's degree in Public and Private
Management from the Yale School of Management.
David
McIntosh. Mr. McIntosh has served as a director
since May 2005. Mr. McIntosh served as a director of Rexahn,
Corp from March 2004 to May 2005. He has been a partner at
Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP (law firm) since
2001. Mr. McIntosh was a member of the United States House of
Representatives, representing the 2nd District of Indiana from 1995 to
2001. From 1993 to 1994, he was a director of the Hudson Institute
Competitiveness Center. He served on President Bush's Council on
Competitiveness as Executive Director from 1989 to 1993. He also
served as the Special Assistant to President Reagan for Domestic Affairs from
1987 to 1989 and was the Special Assistant to the Attorney General of the United
States from 1986 to 1987. Mr. McIntosh received a B.A. from Yale
College and a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School.
Tae
Heum Jeong. Mr. Jeong has served as
Chief Financial Officer and Secretary since May 2005 and as a director
since June 2005. Mr. Jeong served as Chief Financial Officer of
Rexahn, Corp from December 2002 to May 2005. From 1997 to
November 2002, Mr. Jeong served as a senior investment manager at
Hyundai Venture Investment Corporation, a venture capital firm where he managed
the biotech investment team. He was also a committee member of the
Industrial Development Fund of Korea's Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy
from 2000 to 2002. Mr. Jeong holds a B.S. in chemistry and an
M.S. specializing in bio-medicinal chemistry, from Pohang University of Science
and Technology (POSTECH).
8
Board
of Directors and Board Meetings
The
Board
of Directors of the Company held five meetings during the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2006. Each current director attended 75% or more of the meetings
of
the Board of Directors and committees of which they were members.
Any
stockholder who wishes to send any communications to the Board or to individual
directors should deliver such communications to the Company’s executive offices,
9620 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD 20850, ATTN: Corporate Secretary
(secretary@Rexahn.com). Any such communication should indicate whether the
communication is intended to be directed to the entire Board or to a particular
director(s), and must indicate the number of shares of common stock beneficially
owned by the stockholder. The Secretary will forward appropriate communications
to the Board and/or the appropriate director(s). Inappropriate communications
include correspondence that does not relate to the business or affairs of the
Company or the functioning of the Board or its committees, advertisements or
other commercial solicitations or communications, and communications that are
frivolous, threatening, illegal or otherwise not appropriate for delivery to
directors.
Board
Committees
The
Board
of Directors has three standing committees, the Audit Committee, the
Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee,
each composed of three members.
A
copy of
each of the Committee Charters is available on our website at
www.rexahn.com.
Audit
Committee
The
Audit
Committee Charter provides that such committee, among other things:
|
·
|
appoints
or replaces and oversee our independent auditors and approves all
audit
engagement fees and terms;
|
|
·
|
preapproves
all audit (including audit-related) services, internal control-related
services and permitted non-audit services (including fees and terms
thereof) to be performed for us by our independent
auditors;
|
|
·
|
reviews
and discusses with our management and independent auditors significant
issues regarding accounting and auditing principles and practices
and
financial statement presentations;
|
9
|
·
|
reviews
and approves our procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment
of
complaints regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or
auditing
matters and the confidential, anonymous submission by our employees
of
concerns regarding accounting or auditing matters;
and
|
|
·
|
reviews
and oversees our compliance with legal and regulatory
requirements.
|
Kwang
Soo
Cheong, Charles Beever, and Y. Michele Kang serve as members of our Audit
Committee. Dr. Cheong serves as Chair of the Audit Committee and as
the Audit Committee's audit committee financial expert. Each of the
members meets the criteria for independence required by the Nasdaq Stock Market
and Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act.
Nominating
and Corporate Governance Committee
The
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Charter provides that such
committee, among other things:
|
·
|
reviews,
evaluates and seeks out candidates qualified to become Board
members;
|
|
·
|
reviews
committee structure and recommends directors for appointment to
committees;
|
|
·
|
develops,
reevaluates (not less frequently than every three years) and recommends
the selection criteria for Board and committee
membership;
|
|
·
|
establishes
procedures to oversee evaluation of our Board, its committees, individual
directors and management; and
|
|
·
|
develops
and recommends guidelines on corporate
governance.
|
Y.
Michele Kang and David McIntosh currently serve as members of our Nominating
and
Corporate Governance Committee. Ms. Kang serves as Chair of the
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Each of the current
and expected future members meets the criteria for independence required by
the
Nasdaq Stock Market.
The
Committee reviews, evaluates and seeks out candidates qualified to become Board
members, consistent with criteria approved by the Board, who may be submitted
by
Directors, officers, employees, shareholders and others for recommendation
to
the Board of Directors. In fulfilling this responsibility, the
Committee shall also consult with the Board of Directors and the chief executive
officer concerning director candidates. While we do not have in place
formal procedures by which shareholders may recommend director candidates to
the
Committee, shareholders may communicate with the members of the Board of
Directors, including the Committee by writing to the Secretary of the Company
at
our headquarters address. In addition, our amended By-Laws establish
a procedure with regard to shareholder proposals for the annual meeting of
shareholders, including nominations of persons for election to the Board of
Directors.
10
Compensation
Committee
The
Compensation Committee Charter provides that such committee, among other
things:
|
·
|
fixes
salaries of executive officers and reviews salary plans for other
executives in senior management
positions;
|
|
·
|
reviews
and makes recommendations with respect to the compensation and benefits
for non-employee directors, including through equity-based
plans;
|
|
·
|
evaluates
the performance of our CEO and other senior executives and assists
the
Board in developing and evaluating potential candidates for executive
positions; and
|
|
·
|
administers
our incentive compensation, deferred compensation and equity-based
plans
pursuant to the terms of the respective
plans.
|
David
McIntosh, Charles Beever, and Kwang Soo Cheong serve as members of our
Compensation Committee. Mr. McIntosh serves as Chairman of the
Compensation Committee. Each of the members meets the criteria for
independence required by the Nasdaq Stock Market.
Compensation
of Directors
Our
non-employee director compensation policy for service on the Board of Directors
and the three standing committees is as follows:
Position
|
Compensation
|
Director
|
$1,000
per board meeting and limited to
maximum
of $4,000 per annum
|
Audit
Committee (Chairman)
|
$3,000
per annum
|
Audit
Committee (Member)
|
$1,500
per annum
|
Compensation
Committee (Chairman)
|
$2,000
per annum
|
Compensation
Committee (Member)
|
$1,000
per annum
|
Nominating
and Corporate Governance Committee (Chairman)
|
$1,000
per annum
|
Nominating
and Corporate Governance Committee (Member)
|
$1,000
per annum
|
No
director is compensated for more than one committee membership per year in
addition to their board stipend, and directors who are officers of the Company
receive no compensation for the board related work whatsoever.
The
Board recommends a vote FOR the approval of the persons named above be elected
as directors of the Company, and signed proxy cards that are returned will
be so
voted unless otherwise instructed on the proxy card.
11
PROPOSAL
2
RATIFICATION
OF
THE APPOINTMENT OF THE INDEPENDENT
REGISTERED
PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
The
Board
of Directors recommends a vote for the ratification of the appointment of Lazar,
Levine & Felix, LLP, as the Company’s independent registered public
accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2007. Lazar, Levine
& Felix, LLP has been the Company’s auditors for fiscal 2005 and 2006 and
has no direct or indirect financial interest in the Company. A representative
of
Lazar, Levine & Felix, LLP is expected to be present at the Annual Meeting
with the opportunity to make a statement if he or she desires to do so, and
will
be available to respond to appropriate questions.
The
following table presents fees for professional audit services rendered by Lazar
Levine & Felix LLP and SF Partnership, LLP for the audits of the Company’s
annual financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2006 and
2005.
2006
|
2005
|
|
Audit
Fees
|
$77,5001
|
$61,000
|
Audit-Related
Fees
|
—
|
—
|
Tax
Fees
|
—
|
—
|
All
Other Fees
|
—
|
—
|
1
Audit
Fees relate
to the audit of the Company's financial statements and reviews of certain
financial statements included in the Company's quarterly reports on Form
10-QSB. The amount shown represents the maximum fees for such
services.
Our
Audit
Committee reviews all audit fees at least annually.
The
Board of Directors recommends a vote FOR the ratification of the appointment
of
Lazar, Levine & Felix, LLP as the Company’s independent registered public
accounting firm for fiscal 2007.
12
REPORT
OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
On
May 1,
2006, the Board of Directors of the Company appointed an Audit Committee
composed of three directors, each of whom meets the independence, qualification
and experience requirements under the listing standards of the American Stock
Exchange, Section 10A(m)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,
and applicable rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission, in each case
as
may be modified or supplemented. The Board of Directors has adopted a
written charter for the Audit Committee. A copy of the Charter is available
on
the Company's website at www.Rexahn.com.
The
Audit
Committee’s job is one of oversight. It is not the duty of the Audit Committee
to prepare the Company’s financial statements, to plan or conduct audits, or to
determine that the Company’s financial statements are complete and accurate and
are in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and applicable
rules and regulations. The Company’s management is responsible for preparing the
Company’s financial statements and for maintaining internal control. The
independent auditors are responsible for auditing the financial statements
and
for expressing an opinion as to whether those audited financial statements
fairly present the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows
to
the Company in conformity with generally accepted accounting
principles.
The
Audit
Committee reviewed and discussed the Company’s audited financial statements with
both management and with Lazar, Levine & Felix, LLP, the Company’s
independent registered auditors for 2006.
The
Audit
Committee had discussions with Lazar, Levine & Felix, LLP regarding the
matters required to be discussed by the statement on Auditing Standards No.
61,
as amended and as adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board
(the
"PCAOB") in Rule 3200T.
The
Audit
Committee received from Lazar, Levine & Felix, LLP the written disclosures
and the letter required by Independence Standards Board Standard No. 1,
Independence Discussions with Audit Committees, as adopted by the PCAOB in
Rule
3600T, and had discussions with Lazar, Levine & Felix, LLP regarding their
independence.
Both
the
company’s management and auditors responded appropriately to issues raised by
the Audit Committee. Based on the review and discussions referred to above,
the
Audit Committee determined that the audited consolidated financial statements
be
included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-KSB for the year ended
December 31, 2006 for filing with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
By
the Audit Committee:
|
|
Kwang
Soo Cheong (Chairman)
|
|
Charles
Beever
|
|
Y.
Michele Kang
|
13
EXECUTIVE
COMPENSATION AND OTHER MATTERS
The
following table sets forth the annual and long-term compensation, from all
sources, of the three highest paid officers and directors of the Company for
services rendered in all capacities to Rexahn for the fiscal year ended December
31, 2006, except as noted below. The compensation described in this
table does not include medical, group life insurance or other benefits which
are
available generally to all of our salaried employees.
Summary
Compensation Table
Name
and
Principal
Position(s)
|
Year
|
Salary
($)
|
Bonus
($)
|
Stock
Awards
($)
|
Option
Awards
($)
|
Non-
Equity
Incentive
Plan
Compensation
($)
|
Non-
Qualified
Deferred
Compensation
Earnings
($)
|
All
Other
Compensation
($)
|
Total
($)
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chang
H. Ahn
|
2006
|
$ |
330,769
|
-
|
-
|
$ |
183,000
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
$ |
513,769
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Chairman
of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tae
Heum Jeong
|
2006
|
$ |
148,829
|
-
|
-
|
$ |
91,500
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
$ |
240,329
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Chief
Financial Officer
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
George
F. Steinfels1
|
2006
|
$ |
125,273
|
-
|
-
|
$ |
91,500
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
$ |
216,773
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Former
Chief Business Officer and Senior Vice President, Clinical
Development
|
1
Dr.
Steinfels
resigned from all his positions with the Company in
September 2006.
14
Outstanding
Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End
Shown
below is information with respect to (i) the unexercised options to
purchase common stock granted to the named executive officers in fiscal year
2006 and prior years and held by them at December 31, 2006,
(ii) common stock awards that have not vested and (iii) equity
incentive plan awards for each named executive officer outstanding as of the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2006.
Option
Awards
|
Stock
Awards
|
||||||||
Name
|
Number
of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options
(#)
Exercisable1
|
Number
of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options
(#)
Unexer-cisable
|
Equity
Incentive
Plan
Awards:
Number
of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Unearned
Options
(#)
|
Option
Exercise
Price
($)
|
Option
Expiration
Date
|
Number
Of
Shares
or
Units
of
Stock
That
Have
Not
Vested
(#)
|
Market
Value
Of
Shares
Or
Units
Of
Stock
That
Have
Not
Vested
($)
|
Equity
Incentive
Plan
Awards:
Number
Of
Unearned
Shares,
Units
or
Other
Rights
That
Have
Not
Vested
(#)
|
Equity
Incentive
Plan
Awards:
Market
or
Payout
Value
of
Unearned
Shares,
Units
or
Other
Rights
That
Have
Not
Vested
($)
|
Chang
H. Ahn
|
600,000
|
400,000
|
-
|
0.80
|
1/20/2015
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Tae
Heum Jeong
|
150,000
|
-
|
-
|
0.24
|
8/5/2013
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
100,000
|
-
|
-
|
0.80
|
8/5/2013
|
|||||
300,000
|
200,000
|
-
|
0.80
|
1/20/2015
|
|||||
George
F. Steinfels2
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
Represents
option
awards under the Company's Stock Option Plan which vest 30%, 30% and 40% on
the
first, second and third anniversaries of the date of grant.
2
Dr.
Steinfels
resigned from all his positions with the Company in
September 2006.
Stock
Option Plan
In
July 2003 the Board of Directors adopted, and in August 2003 our
stockholders approved, the Rexahn stock option plan. In connection
with the Merger, we assumed the plan and converted all outstanding options
to
purchase Rexahn common stock into options to purchase Rexahn Pharmaceuticals
common stock. The number of shares subject to the converted options
was multiplied by five and the exercise price per share was divided by
five.
The
plan
permits grants to be made from time to time as non-qualified stock options
or
incentive stock options.
15
Administration. The
stock option plan is administered by the Board of Directors. In the
alternative, the board may appoint a stock option committee to administer the
plan on behalf of the board. The plan is currently administered by
our Board of Directors. In order to meet the requirements of the
rules under Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
(the "Exchange Act"), all future grants under the plan will be made by a
committee whose members are "non-employee directors" as defined for purposes
of
Section 16 of the Exchange Act and outside directors within the meaning of
Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended.
Participation. The
persons to whom grants are made under the plan will be selected from time to
time by the stock option committee in its sole discretion from among our
employees, officers, directors and consultants.
Shares
Subject to Stock Option Plan. The plan authorizes the issuance
or delivery of an aggregate of 17,000,000 shares of common
stock. Shares of common stock subject to the unexercised,
undistributed or unearned portion of any terminated or forfeited grant under
the
plan will be available for further awards.
Stock
Options. The plan authorizes grants of stock options, which may
be either incentive stock options eligible for special tax treatment or
non-qualified stock options. Incentive stock options may be granted
only to our employees.
Under
the
provisions of the plan authorizing the grant of stock options:
·
|
the
option price will be determined by the stock option committee; provided,
however, that the option price for an incentive stock option may
not be
less than 100% of the fair market value of the shares of our common
stock
on the date of grant (110% for grants to an optionee owning more
than 10%
of our total combined voting
power);
|
·
|
the
term during which each stock option may be exercised will be determined
by
the stock option committee; provided, however, that incentive stock
options generally may not be exercised more than ten years from the
date
of grant (five years for grants to an optionee owning more than 10%
of our
total combined voting power); and
|
·
|
at
the time of exercise of a stock option the option price must be paid
in
full in cash or in shares of our common stock or in a combination
of cash
and shares of our common stock or by such other means as the stock
option
committee may determine.
|
·
|
All
grants made under the plan will be evidenced by a letter to the optionee,
together with the terms and conditions applicable to the grants,
as
determined by the stock option committee consistent with the terms
of the
plan. These terms and conditions will include, among other
things, a provision describing the treatment of grants in the event
of
certain triggering events, such as a sale of a majority of the outstanding
shares of our common stock, a merger or consolidation in which we
are not
the surviving company, and termination of an optionee's employment,
including terms relating to the vesting, time for exercise, forfeiture
or
cancellation of a grant under such
circumstances.
|
16
Under
the
plan, stock options may not be granted after August 5, 2013.
Tax
Matters. The following is a brief summary of the material
federal income tax consequences of benefits under the plan under present law
and
regulations:
(a)
|
Incentive
Stock Options. The grant of an incentive stock
option will not result in any immediate tax consequences to us or
the
optionee. An optionee will not realize taxable income, and we
will not be entitled to any deduction, upon the timely exercise of
an
incentive stock option, but the excess of the fair market value of
the
shares of our common stock acquired over the option exercise price
will be
includable in the optionee's "alternative minimum taxable income"
for
purposes of the alternative minimum tax. If the optionee does
not dispose of the shares of our common stock acquired within one
year
after their receipt, and within two years after the option was granted,
gain or loss realized on the subsequent disposition of the shares
of our
common stock will be treated as long-term capital gain or
loss. Capital losses of individuals are deductible only against
capital gains and a limited amount of ordinary income. In the
event of an earlier disposition, the optionee will realize ordinary
income
in an amount equal to the lesser of (i) the excess of the fair
market value of the shares of our common stock on the date of exercise
over the option exercise price or (ii) if the disposition is a
taxable sale or exchange, the amount of any gain realized. Upon
such a disqualifying disposition, we will be entitled to a deduction
in
the same amount as the optionee realizes such ordinary
income.
|
(b)
|
Non-qualified
Stock Options. In general, the grant of a non-qualified
stock option will not result in any immediate tax consequences to
us or
the optionee. Upon the exercise of a non-qualified stock
option, generally the optionee will realize ordinary income and we
will be
entitled to a deduction, in each case, in an amount equal to the
excess of
the fair market value of the shares of our common stock acquired
at the
time of exercise over the option exercise price.
|
Amendment,
Suspension or Termination of Stock Option Plan. Our Board of
Directors may at any time amend, suspend or discontinue the plan and the stock
option committee may at any time alter or amend awards and award agreements
made
thereunder to the extent permitted by law, provided that no such alteration
or
amendment will be effective without the approval of our stockholders to the
extent that such approval is necessary to comply with any tax or regulatory
requirement applicable to the plan and no such alteration and amendment will
impair the rights of any recipient of grants without such recipient's
consent. In the event of any change in or affecting the outstanding
shares of our common stock by reason of a stock dividend, stock split,
combination of shares or other similar event, our Board of Directors will make
such amendments to the plan and outstanding grants and award agreements, and
make such adjustments and take such actions as it deems appropriate and
equitable. In the event of any proposed change in control (as defined
by the plan), the stock option committee will take such action as it deems
appropriate and equitable to effectuate the purposes of the plan and to protect
the optionees, including, but not limited to, accelerating or changing the
exercise dates of stock options, payment of appropriate consideration for the
cancellation and surrender of stock options or if equity securities of any
other
corporation will be exchanged for outstanding shares of our common stock,
providing for stock options to become options with respect to such other equity
securities. For purposes of the plan, a change in control means the
sale, exchange or disposition of substantially all of our assets or any merger,
share exchange, consolidation or other reorganization or business combination
in
which we are not the surviving corporation or in which our stockholders become
entitled to receive cash, securities of our company other than voting common
stock or securities of another issuer.
17
Employment
Agreements
Chang
H. Ahn. Dr. Ahn's employment agreement dated September 12,
2005 provides that Dr. Ahn will serve as Chief Executive Officer
("CEO") of the Company until September 12, 2010, unless Dr. Ahn's
employment is sooner terminated as further described below. If Dr.
Ahn's employment continues beyond September 12, 2010, such employment will
become "at-will," unless his employment agreement is expressly
extended.
Dr. Ahn
will be paid an annual base salary of $350,000, subject to periodic review
and
potential increase at the Board's sole discretion. During his
employment, Dr. Ahn will be eligible to receive an annual cash bonus, as
determined by the Board in its sole discretion, not exceeding 75% of his annual
base salary. In order to receive such cash bonus, Dr. Ahn must be
actively employed by the Company on the date on which such cash bonus is
scheduled to be paid to him. Dr. Ahn will also be eligible to receive
options to purchase shares of the Company's stock, to be awarded in the Board's
sole discretion under the Company's Stock Option Plan (the "Stock Option
Plan"). In addition, Dr. Ahn will be eligible for additional bonus in
the form of cash and/or stock that may be awarded in the Board's sole
discretion.
If
Dr.
Ahn suffers a "Disability" (as defined in his employment agreement), the Board,
in its sole discretion, may terminate the employment agreement immediately
upon
written notice to Dr. Ahn. The Board may terminate Dr. Ahn's
employment with or without "Cause" (as defined in his employment agreement)
or
Dr. Ahn may voluntarily terminate his employment, in each case, upon
30 days' written notice.
18
If
the
Company terminates Dr. Ahn's employment without Cause (other than following
a
"Change of Control" (as defined in his employment agreement)), the Company
will
pay to Dr. Ahn (1) his then current base salary through the termination
date, (2) any accrued but unused vacation days as of the termination date,
(3) a pro-rata portion of Dr. Ahn's bonus for fiscal year in which the
termination occurs, assuming a bonus of 75% of his then current base salary,
(4) an amount equaling 6 months of his then current base salary, and
(5) continued coverage under the Company's health insurance plan for
18 months. If Dr. Ahn's employment is terminated by the Board
without Cause within the one-year period immediately following a Change of
Control, the Company will pay to Dr. Ahn the termination compensation and
benefits subject to the conditions as described in clauses (1), (2),
(3) and (5) of the first sentence of this paragraph. In
addition, the Company will pay to Dr. Ahn an amount equaling his then current
base salary for the greater of the remainder of the term of his employment
under
the employment agreement or a period of one year. The payments and
benefits to Dr. Ahn described in this paragraph are subject to reimbursement
by
Dr. Ahn and reduction by any compensation or benefits actually earned or
received by Dr. Ahn as an employee of or consultant to any other entity during
the period for which Dr. Ahn continues to receive salary payments
post-termination, the requirement that Dr. Ahn, in good faith, seek other
employment in a comparable position and otherwise mitigate the Company's
obligations and Dr. Ahn's execution of a customary release in a form
satisfactory to the Company.
Tae
Heum Jeong. Mr. Jeong's employment agreement dated
September 12, 2005 provides that Mr. Jeong will serve as Chief
Financial Officer of the Company until September 12, 2007, unless Mr.
Jeong's employment is sooner terminated as further described
below. If Mr. Jeong's employment continues beyond September 12,
2007, such employment will become "at-will," unless his employment agreement
is
expressly extended.
Mr.
Jeong
will be paid an annual base salary of $160,000, subject to periodic review
and
potential increase at the Board's sole discretion. During his
employment, Mr. Jeong will be eligible to receive an annual cash bonus, as
determined by the CEO in his sole discretion, in an amount not exceeding 50%
of
his annual base salary. In order to receive such cash bonus, Mr.
Jeong must be actively employed by the Company on the date on which such cash
bonus is scheduled to be paid to him. Mr. Jeong will also be eligible
to receive options to purchase shares of the Company's stock, to be awarded
in
the Board's sole discretion under the Stock Option Plan. In addition,
Mr. Jeong will be eligible for additional bonus in the form of cash and/or
stock
that may be awarded in the Board's sole discretion.
The
circumstances under which Mr. Jeong's employment agreement may terminate and
the
related terms and conditions of any payments and benefits payable to Mr. Jeong
as a result of the termination are substantially similar to Dr. Ahn's employment
agreement, except that if the Company terminates Mr. Jeong's employment without
Cause (other than following a Change of Control), the Company will pay to Mr.
Jeong a pro-rata portion of Mr. Jeong's bonus for fiscal year in which the
termination occurs, assuming a bonus of 50% of his then current
salary.
Mr.
Jeong
is restricted from soliciting employees or customers of the Company during
and
for 12 months after the employment period.
19
George
Steinfels. Dr. Steinfels' employment agreement dated
September 12, 2005 provided that Dr. Steinfels serve as Chief Business
Officer of the Company until September 12, 2007, unless Dr. Steinfels'
employment is sooner terminated as further described below. If Dr.
Steinfels' employment continued beyond September 12, 2007, such employment
would become "at will," unless his employment agreement was expressly
extended. On September 1, 2006, George Steinfels resigned from his
positions with the Company.
Dr.
Steinfels was paid an annual base salary of $200,000, which was subject to
periodic review and potential increase at the Board's sole
discretion. During his employment, Dr. Steinfels was eligible to
receive an annual cash bonus, as determined by the CEO in his sole discretion,
in an amount not exceeding 50% of his annual base salary. In order to
receive such cash bonus, Dr. Steinfels must have been actively employed by
the
Company on the date on which such cash bonus was scheduled to be paid to
him. Dr. Steinfels, during his employment, was also eligible to
receive options to purchase shares of the Company's stock, to be awarded in
the
Board's sole discretion under the Stock Option Plan. In addition, Dr.
Steinfels was eligible for additional bonus in the form of cash and/or stock
that may have been awarded in the Board's sole discretion.
The
circumstances under which Dr. Steinfels employment agreement may terminate
and
the related terms and conditions of any payments and benefits payable to Dr.
Steinfels as a result of the termination were substantially similar to Mr.
Jeong's employment agreement. Dr. Steinfels resigned from all his
positions with the Company in September 2006 and no additional amounts were
paid in connection with the termination of his employment
agreement.
Dr.
Steinfels is restricted from soliciting employees or customers of the Company
during and for 12 months after the employment period.
To
the
extent that any amounts payable to Dr. Ahn, Mr. Jeong or Dr. Steinfels described
above constitute an amount payable under a "nonqualified deferred compensation
plan," as defined in Section 409A, following a "separation from service,"
as defined in Section 409A, such payment will not be made until the date
that is six months following the executive's "separation from service," but
only
if the executive is then deemed to be a "specified employee" under
Section 409A.
20
Director
Compensation
The
table
below sets forth information concerning the compensation of the directors of
the
Company for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006.
Director
Compensation
Name
|
Fees
Earned
Or
Paid
In
Cash
($)
|
Stock
Awards
($)
|
Option
Awards
($)
|
Non-Equity
Incentive
Plan
Compensation
($)(1)
|
Non-
Qualified
Deferred
Compensation
Earnings
|
All
Other
Compensation
($)
|
Total
($)
|
Young-Soon
Park
|
$1,000
|
-
|
$39,754
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
$40,754
|
Charles
Beever
|
$3,000
|
-
|
$4,545
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
$7,545
|
Kwang
Soo Cheong
|
$3,000
|
-
|
$4,545
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
$7,545
|
Y. Michele
Kang
|
$2,000
|
-
|
$4,545
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
$6,545
|
David
McIntosh
|
$4,000
|
-
|
$36,556
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
$40,556
|
Director
Name
|
Aggregate
Number of Option
Awards
at Fiscal Year End
|
Exercise
Price ($)
|
Option
Expiration
Date
|
Young-Soon
Park
|
220,000
|
$ 3.00
|
9/12/2015
|
20,000
|
$ 1.20
|
5/1/2016
|
|
Charles
Beever
|
20,000
|
$ 1.20
|
5/1/2016
|
Kwang
Soo Cheong
|
20,000
|
$ 1.20
|
5/1/2016
|
Y.
Michele Kang
|
20,000
|
$ 1.20
|
5/1/2016
|
David
McIntosh
|
125,000
|
$ 0.80
|
4/20/2014
|
20,000
|
$ 3.00
|
9/12/2015
|
|
20,000
|
$ 1.20
|
5/1/2016
|
Our
non-employee director compensation policy for fiscal 2006 is as
follows:
|
(a)
|
each
of the non-employee directors of the Company will receive 20,000
options
to purchase shares of the common stock of the Company for each year
he or
she serves on the Board; and
|
|
(b)
|
each
of the non-employee directors of the Company will receive an additional
board meeting fee of $1,000 for each meeting he or she participates
in.
|
On
May 1,
2006, each of our directors received 20,000 options to purchase shares of common
stock with an exercise price of $1.20 per share, the fair market value on the
date of grant. The options fully vested on May 1, 2007.
21
Section
16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting
Compliance
Section
16(a) of the 1934 Securities and Exchange Act (the “1934 Act”) requires the
Company’s executive officers, directors and persons who beneficially own more
than 10% of a registered class of the Company’s equity securities to file with
the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) initial reports of ownership
and reports of changes in ownership of Common Stock and other equity securities
of the Company. Such executive officers, directors, and greater than 10%
beneficial owners are required by SEC regulation to furnish the Company with
copies of all Section 16(a) reports filed by such reporting
persons.
We
believe that during fiscal 2006, our executive officers and directors and more
than 10% beneficial owners timely filed all forms required to be filed under
Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, except that a transfer of common stock
held by Dr. Young Soon Park was not timely reported on Form 4.
Code
of Ethics
We
have
not adopted a code of ethics that applies to our principal executive officer,
principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or
persons performing similar functions. We are in the process of
reviewing a code of ethics with our attorneys and the independent board members
and will adopt one upon completion of discussions.
CERTAIN
TRANSACTIONS
Certain
Relationships and Related Transactions
On
February 6, 2003, we entered into a research collaboration agreement with
Rexgene Biotech Co., Ltd. ("Rexgene"), the holder of approximately
9.52% of outstanding common stock. Dr. Young-Soon Park, holder
of approximately 6.69% of outstanding common stock and a director, served as
the
Chairman of Rexgene Biotech until 2003.
Under
the
agreement we and Rexgene agreed to jointly develop and implement a research
and
development plan (including conducting clinical and animal trials in various
countries and exchanging data derived from such trials) in order to register
Archexin, one of our drug candidates, for sale and use in Asian
countries. We contributed a license to technology relating to
Archexin, and Rexgene contributed $1,500,000 as initial contributions under
the
agreement. In addition, Rexgene agreed to conduct clinical trials in
Asian countries at its own expense, and we agreed to conduct clinical and animal
trials in the United States and in non-Asian countries at our own
expense. We and Rexgene also agreed to share data, improvements,
developments, discoveries and inventions resulting from the
agreement. Under the agreement, Rexgene also received an exclusive
license from us to exploit any results from the research development in Asian
countries, and we received an exclusive license to exploit any results from
the
research and development everywhere in non-Asian countries. Pursuant
to the terms of the agreement, Rexgene also agreed to pay us 3% of the profits
derived from the sale of Archexin in Asian countries. The agreement,
if not earlier terminated by either us or Rexgene, will terminate on the
expiration of the patents resulting from the agreement, or if no such patents
are granted, 20 years from February 6, 2003.
22
On
September 3, 2003, we entered into a joint research and development
agreement with Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Corp. ("CKD"), the holder of
approximately 5.96% of outstanding common stock.
Under
the
agreement, we and CKD agreed to cooperate in the research and development of
a
variety of new pharmaceutical compounds for human use in their own
capacities. Each of CKD and us has performed and will continue to
perform research, development and other obligations under the agreement at
its
own expense. CKD and Rexahn equally own all information, data,
discoveries and all other results, either patentable or non-patentable, made
or
developed in connection with or arising out of the agreement. All
profits derived from or in connection with the agreement will be allocated
to
CKD and us in proportion to relative contributions based on certain ratios,
which vary depending upon a particular research and development phase during
which the profits are earned. The agreement, if not earlier
terminated by either us or CKD, will last until the expiration of any
intellectual property rights pertaining to information, data, discoveries and
all other results made or developed in connection with or arising out of the
agreement.
GENERAL
Management
of the Company does not know of any matters other than those stated in this
Proxy Statement that are to be presented for action at the Annual Meeting.
If
any other matters should properly come before the Annual Meeting, it is intended
that proxies in the accompanying form will be voted on any such other matters
in
accordance with the judgment of the persons voting such proxies. Discretionary
authority to vote on such matters is conferred by such proxies upon the persons
voting them.
The
Company will bear the cost of preparing, printing, assembling, and mailing
the
proxy, Proxy Statement and other material that may be sent to stockholders
in
connection with this solicitation. It is contemplated that brokerage houses
will
forward the proxy materials to beneficial owners at the request of the Company.
In addition to the solicitation of proxies by use of the mails, officers and
regular employees of the Company may solicit proxies by telephone without
additional compensation. The Company does not expect to pay any compensation
for
the solicitation of proxies.
Our
Annual Report, including the Annual Report on Form 10-KSB and financial
statements, for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006, was mailed to
shareholders with this Proxy Statement.
STOCKHOLDER
PROPOSALS
Stockholders
interested in submitting a proposal for inclusion in the proxy statement for
the
2008 Annual Meeting may do so by submitting the proposal in writing to the
Company’s executive offices, 9620 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland
20850, Attention: Corporate Secretary. Pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under
the Exchange Act, to be eligible for inclusion in our proxy statement,
stockholder proposals must be received no later than January 14,
2008. The submission of a stockholder proposal does not guarantee
that it will be included in the proxy statement.
23
Our
amended and restated bylaws also establish an advance notice procedure with
regard to nominations of persons for election to the board and stockholder
proposals to be brought before an annual meeting. Stockholder
proposals and nominations may be not be brought before the 2008 Annual Meeting
unless, among other things, the stockholder’s submission contains certain
information concerning the proposal or the nominee, as the case may be, and
other information specified in our amended and restated bylaws, and the
stockholder’s submission is received by us no earlier than the close of business
on December 26, 2007, and no later than February 6, 2008. Proposals
or nominations not meeting these requirements will not be entertained at the
2008 Annual Meeting. Stockholders recommending candidates for
consideration by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee must provide
the candidate’s name, biographical data and qualifications. Any such
recommendation should be accompanied by a written statement from the individual
of his or her consent to be named as a candidate and, if nominated and elected,
to serve as a director. These requirements are separate from, and in
addition to, the SEC’s requirements that a stockholder must meet in order to
have a stockholder proposal included in the proxy statement. A copy
of the full text of these bylaw provisions may be obtained from our website
at
www.Rexahn.com.
EXPENSES
OF SOLICITATION
The
cost
of the solicitation of proxies will be borne by the Company. The
Company will also reimburse brokers and other persons holding stock in their
names, or in the names of nominees, for their expenses for sending proxy
materials to principals and obtaining their proxies.
May 12,
2007
24
PROXY
REXAHN
PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
SOLICITED
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
SHAREHOLDER NAME:
|
||||
NO. SHARES AS OF MAY 11, 2007:
|
The
undersigned hereby appoints Chang H. Ahn and Tae Heum Jeong, and each of them,
with power to act without the other and with full power of substitution, as
proxies and attorneys-in-fact and hereby authorizes them to represent and vote,
as provided below, all the shares of Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Common Stock
which the undersigned is entitled to vote, and, in their discretion, to vote
upon such other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting of
Shareholders of the Company to be held on June 11, 2007, or any adjournment
thereof, with all powers which the undersigned would possess if present at
the
meeting.
To
vote
in accordance with the Board of Directors' recommendations just sign and date
this card; no boxes need to be checked.
Where
a
vote is not specified, the proxies will vote the shares represented by the
proxy
FOR the election of directors and FOR proposal 2 and will vote in accordance
with their discretion on such other matters as may properly come before the
meeting.
Please
mark your votes as indicated in this example x
1.
ELECTION OF SIX DIRECTORS -
01
Chang H. Ahn
|
02
Charles Beever
|
03
Kwang Soo Cheong
|
||
04
Tae Heum Jeong
|
05
Michelle Kang
|
06
David McIntosh
|
WITHHOLD
|
|||
FOR
|
FOR
ALL
|
||
o
|
o
|
Instruction:
To withhold authority to vote for any individual nominee, write that nominee's
name in the space provided below.
2.
RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING
FIRM
FOR
|
AGAINST
|
ABSTAIN
|
|
o
|
o
|
o
|
I/We
plan
to attend the meeting.
o
Signature
|
|
Signature if held jointly
|
Date:
|
|
,
2007
|
If
signing as attorney, executor, administrator, trustee or guardian, please give
full title as such, and, if signing for a corporation, please give your title.
When shares are in the name of more than one person, each person should sign
the
proxy card. Please sign, date and return the proxy card promptly using the
enclosed envelope.
Mark,
sign and date your proxy card and return it in the enclosed postage-paid
envelope.
To
view the Annual Report and Proxy materials online go to:
www.Rexahn.com