As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 11, 2024

Registration No. 333-

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

Ocuphire Pharma, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

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Copy to:

Phillip D. Torrence, Esq.

Emily J. Johns, Esq.

Honigman LLP

650 Trade Centre Way, Suite 200

Kalamazoo, Michigan 49002-0402

(269) 337-7700

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐

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EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Registration Statement on Form S-8 is being filed by Ocuphire Pharma, Inc. (the “Company” or “Registrant” for the purpose of registering an additional 1,198,875 shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to the Ocuphire Pharma, Inc. 2020 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Equity Incentive Plan”).

Pursuant to General Instruction E to Form S-8, this Registration Statement is being filed for the purpose of increasing the number of securities of the same class as other securities for which a Registration Statement of the Company on Form S-8 relating to the Equity Incentive Plan is effective, and the Company’s Registration Statements on Form S-8 previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on November 9, 2020 (File No. 333-249978), March 31, 2021 (File No. 333-254923), April 5, 2022 (File No. 333-264139), and April 5, 2023 (File No. 333-271150) registering shares of Common Stock issuable under the Equity Incentive Plan are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement.

PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

The following documents filed with the Commission by the Registrant are hereby incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement:

In addition, all documents the Registrant subsequently files pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the filing of this Registration Statement and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which deregisters all securities covered hereby then remaining unsold are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and are a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents. Notwithstanding anything herein, the Registrant is not incorporating by reference any information furnished under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of any Current Report on Form 8-K, unless, and to the extent, specified in any such Current Report on Form 8-K.

Any statement herein or contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained herein, or in any subsequently filed document, which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein, modifies or supersedes such prior statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute part of this Registration Statement.

INDEX TO EXHIBITS

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Farmington Hills, State of Michigan, on January 11, 2024.

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Dr. George Magrath, Bernhard Hoffmann and Amy Rabourn as his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents with full power of substitution, severally, for him in any and all capacities, to sign the Registration Statement on Form S-8 of Ocuphire Pharma, Inc., and any or all amendments (including post-effective amendments thereto), and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully for all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or his or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.

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