The Company maintains an Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “Purchase Plan”), which is intended to qualify as an employee stock purchase plan within the meaning of Section 423(b) of the Internal Revenue Code. Under the Purchase Plan, the Company’s Board of Directors may authorize participation by eligible employees, including officers, in periodic offerings. Under the Purchase Plan, eligible employee participants may purchase shares of common stock of the Company at a purchase price equal to 85% of the lower of the fair market value per share on the start date of the offering period or the fair market value per share on the purchase date. The Purchase Plan consists of a fixed offering period of 12 months with two purchase periods within each offering period. In June 2020, the Company’s stockholders approved an amendment and restatement of the Purchase Plan that increased the aggregate number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance under the Purchase Plan by 1.5 million shares. In June 2024, the Company’s stockholders approved an amendment and restatement of the Purchase Plan that increased the aggregate number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance under the Purchase Plan by 2.0 million shares. At September 30, 2024, the Company had 2.3 million shares available for future issuance.

The Company also maintains an equity compensation plan to provide long-term incentives for employees, contractors, and members of its Board of Directors.

Prior to the approval by the Company’s stockholders in June 2024 of the 2024 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2024 Plan”), the Company granted equity awards from the 2008 Equity Incentive Plan and its subsequent amendments (collectively, the “Amended 2008 Plan”). The Amended 2008 Plan allowed for the issuance of non-statutory and incentive stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units (“RSUs”), stock appreciation rights, other stock-related awards, and performance awards which may be settled in cash, stock, or other property. In June 2019, the Company’s stockholders approved an amendment and restatement of the Amended 2008 Plan that increased the aggregate number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance by 11.8 million shares. In June 2020, the Company’s stockholders approved an amendment and restatement of the Amended 2008 Plan that increased the aggregate number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance by 5.0 million shares. In June 2021, the Company’s stockholders approved an amendment and restatement of the Amended 2008 Plan that increased the aggregate number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance by 7.6 million shares. In June 2022, the Company’s stockholders approved an amendment and restatement of the Amended 2008 Plan that increased the aggregate number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance by 12.0 million shares. In June 2023, the Company’s stockholders approved an amendment and restatement of the Amended 2008 Plan that increased the aggregate number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance by 7.0 million shares. Following the approval by the Company's stockholders in June 2024 of the 2024 Plan, no additional awards will be granted under the Amended 2008 plan. Option awards under the Amended 2008 Plan generally have a maximum term of ten years from the date of the award. The Amended 2008 Plan generally required options to be granted at 100% of the fair market value of the Company’s common stock subject to the option on the date of grant. Options granted by the Company to employees generally vest over four years. RSUs are measured based on the fair market value of the underlying stock on the date of grant. RSUs granted by the Company to employees generally vest over three to four years. Performance-based stock awards granted under the Amended 2008 Plan were limited to 500,000 shares of common stock per recipient per calendar year.

Performance-based cash awards granted under the Amended 2008 Plan were limited to $1.0 million per recipient per calendar year. At September 30, 2024, 2.6 million shares of performance-based stock awards were outstanding.

In June 2024, the Company’s stockholders approved the 2024 Plan. The 2024 Plan is intended as the successor to and continuation of the Amended 2008 Plan. No additional awards will be granted under the Amended 2008 Plan. The shares remaining available for grant under the Amended 2008 Plan as of the effective date of the 2024 Plan, plus an additional 5.0 million shares of common stock are available for grant and issuance under the 2024 Plan. In addition, the following shares of common stock subject to any outstanding award granted under either the 2008 Plan or the Cerus Corporation Inducement Plan will become available for grant and issuance under the 2024 Plan: (i) any shares subject to such award that on or following the effective date of the 2024 Plan are not issued because such award expires or otherwise terminates without all of the shares covered by such award having been issued; (ii) any shares subject to such award that on or following the effective date of the 2024 Plan are not issued because such award is settled in cash; and (iii) any shares issued pursuant to such award that on or following the effective date of the 2024 Plan are forfeited back to or repurchased by us because of a failure to vest.

At September 30, 2024, the Company had approximately 38.8 million shares of its common stock subject to outstanding options or unvested RSUs, or remaining available for future issuance under the 2024 Plan, of which approximately 12.3 million shares and 13.7 million shares were subject to outstanding options and unvested RSUs, respectively, and approximately 12.8 million shares were available for future issuance under the 2024 Plan. The Company’s policy is to issue new shares of common stock upon the exercise of options or vesting of RSUs.

Activity under the Company’s equity incentive plans related to stock options is set forth below (in thousands except per share amounts):


	Number of Options Outstanding			Weighted Average Exercise Price per Share
Balance at December 31, 2023		14,515		$	5.20
Granted		—			—
Exercised		—			—
Forfeited/canceled		(2,193	)		5.81
Balance at September 30, 2024		12,322			5.10

Activity under the Company’s equity incentive plans related to RSUs is set forth below (in thousands except per share amounts):


	Number of RSUs Unvested			Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share
Balance at December 31, 2023		10,686		$	3.74
Granted (1)		7,557			2.15
Vested (1)		(3,889	)		4.26
Forfeited (1)		(648	)		3.09
Balance at September 30, 2024		13,706			2.74

(1) Includes shares issuable under performance-based restricted stock unit awards.

The Company uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model to determine the grant-date fair value of stock options and employee stock purchase plan rights. The Black-Scholes option pricing model is affected by the Company’s stock price, as well as assumptions regarding a number of complex and subjective variables, which include the expected term of the grants, actual and projected employee stock option exercise behaviors, including forfeitures, the Company’s expected stock price volatility, the risk-free interest rate and expected dividends. The Company recognizes the grant-date fair value of the stock award as stock-based compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period, which is the vesting period, and is adjusted for estimated forfeitures.