Stoke Therapeutics Announces Inducement Grants Under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(C)(4)

BEDFORD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Stoke Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: STOK) is a biotechnology company dedicated to restoring protein expression by harnessing the body’s potential with RNA medicine and has a lead investigational medicine, zorevunersen, in development as a first-in-class potential disease-modifying treatment for Dravet syndrome. The Company today announced that, effective on August 15, 2025, it granted stock options to purchase shares of common stock to Elizabeth Mellen, the Company’s newly-appointed Chief Regulatory Officer, and one other new employee, as a material inducement to their employment in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).

The company granted Ms. Mellen stock options to purchase 270,000 shares of common stock. The stock options that were granted have an exercise price of $18.21 per share, which is equal to the closing price of Stoke’s common stock on August 15, 2025. Each option will vest over a 4-year period, with 1/4^th of the shares underlying the employee’s option vesting on the one-year anniversary of the applicable vesting commencement date and the remaining shares thereafter vesting monthly at a rate of 1/48^th of the shares underlying each employee’s option over the following 36 months, subject to the employee’s continued employment with Stoke on such vesting dates. The options have a term of 10 years and are subject to the terms and conditions of the 2023 Inducement Plan and the stock option agreement covering the grant.

In addition, the company granted stock options to purchase an aggregate of 14,000 shares of common stock to one new employee. The stock options that were granted have an exercise price of $18.21 per share, which is equal to the closing price of Stoke’s common stock on August 15, 2025. Each option will vest over a 4-year period, with 1/4^th of the shares underlying the employee’s option vesting on the one-year anniversary of the applicable vesting commencement date and the remaining shares thereafter vesting monthly at a rate of 1/48^th of the shares underlying each employee’s option over the following 36 months, subject to the employee’s continued employment with Stoke on such vesting dates. The options have a term of 10 years and are subject to the terms and conditions of the 2023 Inducement Plan and the stock option agreement covering the grant.

About Stoke Therapeutics
Stoke Therapeutics (Nasdaq: STOK), is a biotechnology company dedicated to restoring protein expression by harnessing the body’s potential with RNA medicine. Using Stoke’s proprietary TANGO (Targeted Augmentation of Nuclear Gene Output) approach, Stoke is developing antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) to selectively restore naturally-occurring protein levels. Stoke’s first medicine in development, zorevunersen, has demonstrated the potential for disease modification in patients with Dravet syndrome and is currently being evaluated in a Phase 3 study. Stoke’s initial focus are diseases of the central nervous system and the eye that are caused by a loss of ~50% of normal protein levels (haploinsufficiency). Proof of concept has been demonstrated in other organs, tissues, and systems, supporting broad potential for Stoke’s proprietary approach. Stoke is headquartered in Bedford, Massachusetts. For more information, visit https://www.stoketherapeutics.com/.