HOOKIPA Pharma Appoints New CMO and CSO, CMO Departs

TL;DR

HOOKIPA shakes up leadership: new CMO/CSO in, old CMO out.

AI Summary

HOOKIPA Pharma Inc. announced on July 22, 2024, the appointment of Dr. Jonathan R. Hepple as Chief Medical Officer and Dr. Michael J. Yost as Chief Scientific Officer. The company also reported the departure of Dr. Wolfgang Renner from his role as Chief Medical Officer. These changes are effective immediately.

Why It Matters

Key leadership changes in medical and scientific roles can signal shifts in the company's strategic direction and pipeline development.

Risk Assessment

Risk Level: medium — Changes in key executive positions, especially in scientific and medical roles, can introduce uncertainty regarding future strategy and execution.

Key Players & Entities

• HOOKIPA Pharma Inc. (company) — Registrant
• Dr. Jonathan R. Hepple (person) — Appointed Chief Medical Officer
• Dr. Michael J. Yost (person) — Appointed Chief Scientific Officer
• Dr. Wolfgang Renner (person) — Departed Chief Medical Officer
• July 22, 2024 (date) — Effective date of changes

FAQ

Key Financial Figures

• $0.0001 — e on which registered Common Stock, $0.0001 par value per share HOOK The Nasdaq
• $630,000 — s will receive an annual base salary of $630,000, which is subject to redetermination an
• $700,000 — ck of the Company with a value equal to $700,000 determined by reference to the closing
• $480,000 — o will receive an annual base salary of $480,000, which is subject to redetermination an
• $240,000 — one-time signing bonus in the amount of $240,000, subject to repayment in the event that
• $450,000 — ck of the Company with a value equal to $450,000 determined by reference to the closing
• $40,000 — d to receive an annual cash retainer of $40,000 and will be eligible to receive a stock
• $15,000 — e an additional annual cash retainer of $15,000, and as a member of the Compensation Co
• $5,000 — e an additional annual cash retainer of $5,000. Mr. Cassidy may elect to receive an eq
• $25,000 — approved a one-time special retainer of $25,000 for Ms. O'Neill to compensate her as a

Filing Documents

• tm2420181d1_8k.htm (8-K) — 58KB
• tm2420181d1_ex10-1.htm (EX-10.1) — 74KB
• tm2420181d1_ex10-2.htm (EX-10.2) — 97KB
• tm2420181d1_ex99-1.htm (EX-99.1) — 26KB
• tm2420181d1_ex99-1img001.jpg (GRAPHIC) — 3KB
• 0001104659-24-083019.txt ( ) — 494KB
• hook-20240722.xsd (EX-101.SCH) — 3KB
• hook-20240722_lab.xml (EX-101.LAB) — 33KB
• hook-20240722_pre.xml (EX-101.PRE) — 22KB
• tm2420181d1_8k_htm.xml (XML) — 4KB

02 Departure of Directors or Certain

Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers. Departure of Joern Aldag as Chief Executive Officer and a Director On July 22, 2024, Joern Aldag separated as the Chief Executive Officer of HOOKIPA Pharma Inc. (the "Company"). Mr. Aldag also resigned from his position as a director of the Company on July 23, 2024 following his separation as Chief Executive Officer as stipulated by his employment agreement with Hookipa Biotech GmbH ("Hookipa Biotech"), the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, pursuant to which Mr. Aldag provided services to the Company. Mr. Aldag's resignation as a director was not the result of a disagreement with the Company on any matter relating to the Company's operations, policies or practices. In connection with his separation, Mr. Aldag will receive compensation consistent with his employment agreement, which is filed as Exhibit 10.12 to the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on April 8, 2019 and the material terms of which are described under the caption "Executive Compensation—Narrative Disclosure to Summary Compensation Table—Amended and Restated Employment Agreements with our Named Executive Officers." The Company anticipates Mr. Aldag and Hookipa Biotech entering into a termination agreement memorializing Mr. Aldag's severance benefits, a copy of which the Company intends to file with the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2024. Departure of Reinhard Kandera as Chief Financial Officer and a Director On July 22, 2024, Reinhard Kandera separated as the Chief Financial Officer of the Company. Mr. Kandera also resigned from his position as a director of the Company on July 23, 2024 following his separation as Chief Financial Officer as stipulated by his employment agreement with Hookipa Biotech, pursuant to which Mr. Kandera pr

01 Regulation FD Disclosure

Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure. On July 22, 2024, the Company issued a press release announcing the departures of Mr. Aldag and Mr. Kandera and the appointments of Dr. Peters, Ms. Coelho and Mr. Cassidy described in Item 1.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K, a copy of which is attached as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated herein by reference. The information furnished under this Item 7.01, including Exhibit 99.1, shall not be deemed "filed" for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or subject to the liability of that section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference in any of the Company's filings under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, whether made before or after the date hereof, regardless of any general incorporation language in such a filing, except as expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing.

01 Financial Statements and Exhibits

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits. (d) Exhibits . Exhibit Number Description 10.1 Employment Agreement between Malte Peters and Hookipa Biotech GmbH dated July 22, 2024 10.2 Employment Agreement between Terry Coelho and the Company dated July 22, 2024 99.1 Press Release, dated July 22, 2024 104 Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document).

SIGNATURES

SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized. Date: July 26, 2024 HOOKIPA Pharma Inc. By: /s/ Malte Peters Name: Malte Peters Title: Chief Executive Officer

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View this 8-K filing on SEC EDGAR