Note 8 - Stockholders’ Equity

Registration Statements

On October 23, 2020, the Company filed a shelf registration statement No. 333-249657 on Form S-3 (the “2020 S-3”), which was declared effective on December 4, 2020. Under the 2020 S-3, the Company may sell up to a total of $100.0 million of its securities. As of September 30, 2022, approximately $8.0 million of the 2020 S-3 remains available for sales of securities.

On April 23, 2021, the Company filed a shelf registration statement No. 333-255476 on Form S-3 (the “2021 S-3”), which was declared effective on May 24, 2021. Under the 2021 S-3, the Company may sell up to a total of $200.0 million of its securities. As of September 30, 2022, there have been no sales of securities under the 2021 S-3.

Common Stock

At the Company’s 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on June 21, 2022, its stockholders approved an amendment to its certificate of incorporation to increase the number of authorized shares of common stock available to issue by 50 million to 200 million. The amendment was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on July 6, 2022.

At-the-Market Offering

The Company entered into an At-the-Market Issuance Sales Agreement (the “Mustang ATM”) with B. Riley Securities, Inc. (formerly B. Riley FBR, Inc.), Cantor Fitzgerald & Co., National Securities Corporation (now B. Riley FBR, Inc.), and Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. (each an “Agent” and collectively, the “Agents”), relating to the sale of shares of common stock pursuant to the 2020 S-3. Under the Mustang ATM, the Company pays the Agents a commission rate of up to 3.0% of the gross proceeds from the sale of any shares of common stock. On December 31, 2020, the Mustang ATM was amended to add H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC as an Agent.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2022, the Company issued approximately 7.9 million shares of common stock at an average price of $0.84 per share for gross proceeds of $6.6 million under the Mustang ATM. In connection with these sales, the Company paid aggregate fees of approximately $0.1 million. During the nine months ended September 30, 2021, the Company issued approximately 17.3 million shares of common stock at an average price of $3.87 per share for gross proceeds of $66.9 million under the Mustang ATM. In connection with these sales, the Company paid aggregate fees of approximately $1.3 million.

​

Pursuant to the Founders Agreement, the Company issued 241,260 shares of common stock to Fortress at a weighted average price of $1.16 per share for the nine months ended September 30, 2022, and recorded 6,987 shares issuable to Fortress in connection with the shares issued under the Mustang ATM. Pursuant to the Founders Agreement, Mustang issued 517,304 shares of common stock to Fortress at a weighted average price of $3.84 per share for the nine months September 30, 2021, in connection with the shares issued under the Mustang ATM.

​

Equity Incentive Plan

The Company has in effect the 2016 Incentive Plan (the “Incentive Plan”). The Incentive Plan was adopted in 2016 by our stockholders and the compensation committee of the Company’s board of directors and is authorized to grant stock-based awards to directors, officers, employees and consultants. The plan initially authorized grants to issue up to 2,000,000 shares of authorized but unissued common stock, expires 10 years from adoption, and limits the term of each option to no more than 10 years from the date of grant. In June 2018, the Company’s stockholders approved an amendment to the Incentive Plan to increase the number of authorized shares issuable by 3,000,000 shares, for a total of 5,000,000 shares. In June 2021, the Company’s stockholders approved an amendment to the Incentive Plan to increase the number of authorized shares issuable by 3,000,000 shares, for a total of 8,000,000 shares. In June 2022, the Company’s stockholders approved an amendment to the Incentive Plan to increase the number of authorized shares issuable by 3,000,000 shares, for a total of 11,000,000 shares.

As of September 30, 2022, 4,582,057 shares are available for issuance under the Incentive Plan.

Stock Options

The following table summarizes stock option activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2022:

​

​

As of September 30, 2022, the Company had no unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to options. The Company accounts for forfeited awards as they occur as permitted.

​

Restricted Stock

The following table summarizes restricted stock award activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2022:

​

​

As of September 30, 2022, the Company had unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to restricted stock of $0.4 million, which is expected to be recognized over the remaining weighted average vesting period of approximately 2.5 years.

Restricted Stock Units

Certain employees and consultants have been awarded restricted stock units with time-based vesting. The following table summarizes restricted stock units’ activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2022:

​

​

As of September 30, 2022, the Company had unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to restricted stock units of approximately $2.5 million, which is expected to be recognized over the remaining weighted average vesting period of approximately 2.8 years.

The following table summarizes stock-based compensation expense for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021 (in thousands):

​

​

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

​

Eligible employees can purchase the Company’s Common Stock at the end of a predetermined offering period at 85% of the lower of the fair market value at the beginning or end of the offering period.  The Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”) is compensatory and results in stock-based compensation expense. The ESPP was initially authorized in 2019 to sell up to 400,000 shares of authorized but unissued common stock. In June 2021, the Company’s stockholders approved an amendment to the ESPP to increase the number of authorized shares issuable by 600,000 shares, for a total of 1,000,000 shares.

​

As of September 30, 2022, 586,010 shares have been purchased and 413,990 shares are available for future sale under the Company’s ESPP.

Warrants

A summary of warrant activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2022, is presented below:

​

​

Upon the cashless exercise of warrants, the Company will issue new shares of common stock. In connection with the Term Loan, on March 4, 2022, the Company issued a warrant to the Lender to purchase 748,036 shares of the Company’s common stock with an exercise price of $0.8021, see Note 7.