Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-based compensation expense for options granted, RSAs, performance stock awards (“PSAs”), SARs and stock purchase rights is reflected in the condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss as follows:



	THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31,
(in thousands)	2018		2017
Selling, general and administrative	$	6,684	$	3,786
Research and development	2,035		1,064
Total	$	8,719	$	4,850

As of March 31, 2018, the Company had $77.8 million of unrecognized compensation expense related to options granted under its equity plans. This expense is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 3.2 years as of March 31, 2018.

As of March 31, 2018, the Company had $23.1 million of unrecognized compensation expense related to unvested RSAs, including PSAs. This expense is expected to be recognized over the weighted average period of 3.3 years as of March 31, 2018.

As of March 31, 2018, the Company had $1.6 million of unrecognized compensation expense related to unvested SARs granted under its equity plans. This expense is expected to be recognized over the weighted average period of 3.9 years as of March 31, 2018.

Equity Plans

The Company maintains three equity compensation plans, the 2005 Aerie Pharmaceutical Stock Plan (the “2005 Plan”), the 2013 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “2013 Equity Plan”), which was amended and restated as the Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Amended and Restated Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “Amended and Restated Equity Plan”), as described below, and the Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Inducement Award Plan (the “Inducement Award Plan”), as described below. The 2005 Plan, the Amended and Restated Equity Plan and the Inducement Award Plan are referred to collectively as the “Plans.”

On October 30, 2013, the effective date of the 2013 Equity Plan, the 2005 Plan was frozen and no additional awards have been or will be made under the 2005 Plan. Any remaining shares available for future grant under the 2005 Plan were allocated to the 2013 Equity Plan.

On April 10, 2015, Aerie’s stockholders approved the adoption of the Amended and Restated Equity Plan and no additional awards have been or will be made under the 2013 Equity Plan. Any remaining shares available under the 2013 Equity Plan were allocated to the Amended and Restated Equity Plan. The Amended and Restated Equity Plan provides for the granting of up to 5,729,068 equity awards in respect of common stock of Aerie, including equity awards that were available for issuance under the 2013 Equity Plan. Additionally, the Amended and Restated Equity Plan provides for the granting of SARs awards, which the Company began granting to employees during the three months ended March 31, 2018.

On December 7, 2016, Aerie’s Board of Directors approved the Inducement Award Plan which provides for the granting of up to 418,000 equity awards in respect of common stock of Aerie and was subsequently amended during the year ended December 31, 2017 to increase the equity awards that may be issued by an additional 874,500 shares. Awards granted under the Inducement Award Plan are intended to qualify as employment inducement awards under NASDAQ Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).

The following table summarizes the stock option activity under the Plans:



	NUMBER OF SHARES		WEIGHTED AVERAGE EXERCISE PRICE		WEIGHTED AVERAGE REMAINING CONTRACTUAL LIFE (YEARS)	AGGREGATE INTRINSIC VALUE (000’s)
Options outstanding at December 31, 2017	6,457,343		$	22.15
Granted	793,236		55.47
Exercised	(41,857	)	19.61
Canceled	(82,775	)	46.18
Options outstanding at March 31, 2018	7,125,947		$	25.57	7.2	$	207,230
Options exercisable at March 31, 2018	4,427,796		$	14.58	6.1	$	175,649

The following table summarizes the RSAs, including PSAs, activity under the Plans:



	NUMBER OF SHARES		WEIGHTED AVERAGE FAIR VALUE PER SHARE
Nonvested RSAs at December 31, 2017	447,049		$	41.08
Granted	242,201		55.45
Vested	(83,571	)	32.13
Canceled	(516	)	56.25
Nonvested RSAs at March 31, 2018	605,163		$	48.05

The vesting of the RSAs is time and service based with terms of one to four years. During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company granted 98,817 RSAs with non-market performance conditions that vest upon the satisfaction of certain performance conditions and service conditions.

During the three months ended March 31, 2018, the Company granted 53,000 SARs awards at a weighted average exercise price of $55.15 and had a weighted average remaining contractual life of 4.9 years. All of these awards were outstanding at March 31, 2018.

Holders of these SARs are entitled under the terms of the Plans to receive cash payments calculated based on the excess of the Company’s common stock price over the target price in their award; consequently, these awards are accounted for as liability-classified awards and the Company measures compensation cost based on their estimated fair value at each reporting date, net of actual forfeitures, if any.