Stock Based Compensation

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2024

Share-Based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]

Stock Based Compensation

4. Stock Based Compensation

The Company has the 2008 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2008 Plan”) under which 50,000 shares of common stock are reserved for issuance. As of June 30, 2024, there were 13,982 shares subject to outstanding stock options and approximately 8,000 shares outstanding related to restricted stock grants issued from the 2008 Plan. This plan expired on November 20, 2018 and thus no further shares are available for future grant under this plan.

In November 2019, the Company adopted the 2019 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2019 Plan”) under which 54,000 shares of common stock are reserved for issuance. As of June 30, 2024, there were 3,500 shares subject to outstanding stock options and 250 shares outstanding related to restricted stock grants from the 2019 Plan. This Plan expires on November 14, 2029.

On September 7, 2023, the Board approved the first amendment (the “Plan Amendment”) to the 2019 Plan, effective as of the same date. The Plan Amendment amends the 2019 Plan to (i) reflect the Company’s recent name change from CytRx Corporation to LadRx Corporation, and (ii) increase the aggregate number of shares of common stock that may be issued under the 2019 Plan, as set forth in Section 4(a) of the 2019 Plan, by an additional 75,000 shares of common stock. On September 7, 2023, the Board additionally approved and set January 16, 2024, as the grant date for certain stock options to purchase shares of common stock to certain directors and officers of the Company, which such options to purchase up to a total of 55,000 shares of common stock were granted to employees and directors. Fifty percent of these options were immediately vested, and the remaining balance will vest in equal installments on a monthly basis over three years. There were no options issued in the period ended June 30, 2023.

The fair value of the stock options at the date of grant was estimated using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, based on the following assumptions:

	2024			2023
Risk-free interest rate		3.52	%		2.42	%
Expected volatility		134	%		92	%
Expected lives (years)		6			6
Expected dividend yield		0.00	%		0.00	%

The Company’s computation of expected volatility is based on the historical daily volatility of its publicly traded stock. For option grants issued during years ended December 31, 2024, the Company used a calculated volatility for each grant. The Company lacks adequate information about the exercise behavior at this time and has determined the expected term assumption under the simplified method provided for under ASC 718, which averages the contractual term of the Company’s options of ten years with the average vesting term of three years for an average of six years. In 2024, the Company used the average term of six years. The dividend yield assumption of zero is based upon the fact the Company has never paid cash dividends on common stock and presently has no intention of paying cash dividends. The risk-free interest rate used for each grant is equal to the U.S. Treasury rates in effect at the time of the grant for instruments with a similar expected life. The Company accounts for forfeitures as they occur. No amounts relating to stock-based compensation have been capitalized. No amounts relating to employee stock-based compensation have been capitalized.

During the six months ended June 30, 2024 and June 30, 2023, no options were exercised.

Presented below is our stock option activity:

	Six-Months Ended June 30, 2024
	Number of Options (Employees)		Number of Options (Non-Employees)		Total Number of Options		Weighted-Average Exercise Price
Outstanding at January 1, 2024		10,350		3,650		14,000	$	501.70
Issued		55,000		—		55,000		1.83
Exercised, forfeited or expired		—		—		—		—
Outstanding at June 30, 2024		65,350		3,650		69,000	$	103.24
Exercisable at June 30, 2024		41,666		3,650		45,316	$	155.67

The following table summarizes significant ranges of outstanding stock options under the 2008 Plan and the 2019 Plan at June 30, 2024:

Range of Exercise Prices	Number of Options		Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life (years)		Weighted-Average Exercise Price		Number of Options Exercisable		Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life (years)		Weighted-Average Exercise Price
$1.83 - $25.99		55,000		9.55	$	1.83		29,044		9.55	$	1.83
$26.00 –$100.00		3,500		5.45	$	26.00		3,500		5.45	$	26.00
$100.01 – $300.00		6,066		3.21	$	195.29		6,066		3.21	$	195.29
$300.01 –$4,146.00		4,434		1.12	$	1,296.92		4,431		1.12	$	1,296.92
		69,000		8.24	$	103.24		43,041		8.24	$	155.67

The Company recorded $55,047 of stock compensation costs in the period ended June 30, 2024 and no costs in the period ended June 30, 2023. At June 30, 2024, there was $39,278 of unrecognized compensation expense related to unvested stock options.

The aggregate intrinsic value of the outstanding options as of June 30, 2024 was approximately $41,250.

At December 31, 2023, the Company had warrants to purchase up to 42 shares of common stock outstanding at a weighted average exercise price of $1,044.00 per share, which expired in 2024, and as such, the Company had no outstanding warrants at June 30, 2024.