WALTHAM, Mass., July 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zenas BioPharma, Inc. (“Zenas” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: ZBIO), a clinical-stage global biopharmaceutical company committed to being a leader in the development and commercialization of transformative therapies for patients living with autoimmune diseases, today announced that on July 15, 2026 (the “Grant Date”), the Compensation Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors granted non-qualified stock options to purchase an aggregate of 35,750 shares of the Company’s common stock (“Stock Options”) and an aggregate of 79,050 restricted stock units of the Company’s common stock (“RSUs”) to newly hired employees of the Company as an inducement material to such employees’ entry into employment with the Company, in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4) (the “Inducement Grant”).
The Stock Options have a ten-year term and an exercise price per share of $29.41, which is equal to the closing price of Zenas’ common stock on the Grant Date. The Stock Options will vest over a four-year period, with 25% of the shares vesting on the one-year anniversary of each of the employees’ first day of employment with the Company, and thereafter the remainder of the option will vest in 36 equal monthly installments. The RSUs will vest in four (4) equal installments over a four-year period, with vesting as to twenty-five percent (25%) of the RSUs subject to the award on each of July 15, 2027, July 15, 2028, July 15, 2029 and July 15, 2030. Inducement Grants are subject to the employees’ continued service with Zenas through the applicable vesting dates. The Inducement Grants were granted pursuant to, and are subject to, the terms and conditions of the Company’s 2026 Inducement Plan and the applicable award agreement.
About Zenas BioPharma, Inc.
Zenas is a clinical-stage global biopharmaceutical company committed to becoming a leader in the development and commercialization of transformative therapies for patients living with autoimmune diseases. Our core business strategy combines our experienced leadership team with a disciplined product candidate acquisition approach to identify, acquire and develop product candidates globally that we believe can provide superior clinical benefits to patients living with autoimmune diseases. Zenas is advancing two late-stage, potential franchise molecules, obexelimab and orelabrutinib. Obexelimab, Zenas’ lead product candidate, is a bifunctional monoclonal antibody designed to bind both CD19 and FcγRIIb, which are broadly present across B cell lineage, to inhibit the activity of cells that are implicated in many autoimmune diseases without depleting them. We believe that obexelimab’s unique mechanism of action and self-administered, subcutaneous injection regimen may broadly and effectively address the pathogenic role of B cell lineage in chronic autoimmune disease. Orelabrutinib is a potentially best-in-class, highly selective CNS-penetrant, oral, small molecule BTK inhibitor. Orelabrutinib’s mechanism of action targets pathogenic B cells not only in the periphery but also within the CNS. Additionally, it directly modulates macrophages and microglial cells in the CNS, with the potential to address compartmentalized inflammation and disease progression in MS. Zenas’ earlier stage programs include ZB021, a novel, potentially best-in-class, oral, IL-17AA/AF inhibitor, ZB022, a preclinical, potentially best-in-class, oral, brain-penetrant, TYK2 inhibitor, and ZB014, a preclinical, half-life extended anti-CD19 and FcγRIIb monoclonal antibody. For more information about Zenas BioPharma, please visit
https://zenasbio.com/
and follow us on
LinkedIn
.
The Zenas BioPharma word mark, logo mark, and the “lightning bolt” design are trademarks of Zenas BioPharma, Inc. or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved.
Investor and Media Contact:
Argot Partners
Zenas@argotpartners.com
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Zenas BioPharma Grants Inducement Stock Options and RSUs to New Employees
Zenas BioPharma grants stock options and restricted stock units to new employees, enhancing its talent acquisition strategy.
Quiver AI Summary
Zenas BioPharma, Inc. announced on July 15, 2026, that its Compensation Committee granted stock options and restricted stock units to newly hired employees as part of an inducement grant, in accordance with Nasdaq rules. Specifically, the grant includes options to purchase 35,750 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $29.41, which are set to vest over four years, along with 79,050 RSUs that will vest in equal installments over the same period. Zenas, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing transformative therapies for autoimmune diseases, is advancing lead candidates obexelimab and orelabrutinib, which address pathogenic B cells and inflammation in chronic autoimmune conditions.
Potential Positives
Potential Negatives
FAQ
What stock options were granted by Zenas BioPharma?
Zenas granted non-qualified stock options to purchase 35,750 shares of common stock to newly hired employees.
What is the exercise price for the stock options?
The exercise price for the stock options is $29.41, equal to the closing price on the Grant Date.
How will the stock options vest?
The stock options will vest over four years, with 25% vesting on the first anniversary of employment and monthly thereafter.
What are the vesting terms for the restricted stock units (RSUs)?
The RSUs will vest in four equal installments over four years, with 25% vesting each year on July 15.
What is the focus of Zenas BioPharma's research and development?
Zenas BioPharma focuses on developing transformative therapies for patients with autoimmune diseases, including lead candidates obexelimab and orelabrutinib.
Disclaimer: This is an AI-generated summary of a press release distributed by GlobeNewswire. The model used to summarize this release may make mistakes. See the full release here.
$ZBIO Insider Trading Activity
$ZBIO insiders have traded $ZBIO stock on the open market 13 times in the past 6 months. Of those trades, 13 have been purchases and 0 have been sales.
Here’s a breakdown of recent trading of $ZBIO stock by insiders over the last 6 months:
To track insider transactions, check out Quiver Quantitative's insider trading dashboard. You can access data on insider stock transactions through the Quiver Quantitative API insider transaction endpoint.
$ZBIO Hedge Fund Activity
We have seen 95 institutional investors add shares of $ZBIO stock to their portfolio, and 37 decrease their positions in their most recent quarter.
Here are some of the largest recent moves:
To track hedge funds' stock portfolios, check out Quiver Quantitative's institutional holdings dashboard. You can access data on hedge funds moves and 13F filings through the Quiver Quantitative API 13F endpoint.
$ZBIO Price Targets
Multiple analysts have issued price targets for $ZBIO recently. We have seen 4 analysts offer price targets for $ZBIO in the last 6 months, with a median target of $42.5.
Here are some recent targets:
Full Release
WALTHAM, Mass., July 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zenas BioPharma, Inc. (“Zenas” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: ZBIO), a clinical-stage global biopharmaceutical company committed to being a leader in the development and commercialization of transformative therapies for patients living with autoimmune diseases, today announced that on July 15, 2026 (the “Grant Date”), the Compensation Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors granted non-qualified stock options to purchase an aggregate of 35,750 shares of the Company’s common stock (“Stock Options”) and an aggregate of 79,050 restricted stock units of the Company’s common stock (“RSUs”) to newly hired employees of the Company as an inducement material to such employees’ entry into employment with the Company, in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4) (the “Inducement Grant”).
The Stock Options have a ten-year term and an exercise price per share of $29.41, which is equal to the closing price of Zenas’ common stock on the Grant Date. The Stock Options will vest over a four-year period, with 25% of the shares vesting on the one-year anniversary of each of the employees’ first day of employment with the Company, and thereafter the remainder of the option will vest in 36 equal monthly installments. The RSUs will vest in four (4) equal installments over a four-year period, with vesting as to twenty-five percent (25%) of the RSUs subject to the award on each of July 15, 2027, July 15, 2028, July 15, 2029 and July 15, 2030. Inducement Grants are subject to the employees’ continued service with Zenas through the applicable vesting dates. The Inducement Grants were granted pursuant to, and are subject to, the terms and conditions of the Company’s 2026 Inducement Plan and the applicable award agreement.
About Zenas BioPharma, Inc.
Zenas is a clinical-stage global biopharmaceutical company committed to becoming a leader in the development and commercialization of transformative therapies for patients living with autoimmune diseases. Our core business strategy combines our experienced leadership team with a disciplined product candidate acquisition approach to identify, acquire and develop product candidates globally that we believe can provide superior clinical benefits to patients living with autoimmune diseases. Zenas is advancing two late-stage, potential franchise molecules, obexelimab and orelabrutinib. Obexelimab, Zenas’ lead product candidate, is a bifunctional monoclonal antibody designed to bind both CD19 and FcγRIIb, which are broadly present across B cell lineage, to inhibit the activity of cells that are implicated in many autoimmune diseases without depleting them. We believe that obexelimab’s unique mechanism of action and self-administered, subcutaneous injection regimen may broadly and effectively address the pathogenic role of B cell lineage in chronic autoimmune disease. Orelabrutinib is a potentially best-in-class, highly selective CNS-penetrant, oral, small molecule BTK inhibitor. Orelabrutinib’s mechanism of action targets pathogenic B cells not only in the periphery but also within the CNS. Additionally, it directly modulates macrophages and microglial cells in the CNS, with the potential to address compartmentalized inflammation and disease progression in MS. Zenas’ earlier stage programs include ZB021, a novel, potentially best-in-class, oral, IL-17AA/AF inhibitor, ZB022, a preclinical, potentially best-in-class, oral, brain-penetrant, TYK2 inhibitor, and ZB014, a preclinical, half-life extended anti-CD19 and FcγRIIb monoclonal antibody. For more information about Zenas BioPharma, please visit https://zenasbio.com/ and follow us on LinkedIn .
The Zenas BioPharma word mark, logo mark, and the “lightning bolt” design are trademarks of Zenas BioPharma, Inc. or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved.
Investor and Media Contact:
Argot Partners
Zenas@argotpartners.com
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