EXHIBIT 19.1
TENAX THERAPEUTICS, INC.
(the “Company”)
INSIDER TRADING POLICY
and Guidelines with Respect to
Certain Transactions in Company Securities
___________________
This Policy provides guidelines to members of the Company’s Board of Directors (“Board Member(s)”), the Company’s employees and officers (which term includes interim officers, executive officers, and interim executive officers), and consultants and advisors to the Company and its subsidiaries with respect to transactions in the Company’s securities and the disclosure of material nonpublic information regarding the Company.
Applicability of Policy
This Policy applies to all transactions in the Company’s securities, including common stock, options to purchase common stock, and any other securities the Company may issue from time to time, such as preferred stock, warrants or convertible debentures, as well as to derivative securities relating to the Company’s stock, such as exchange-traded options, whether or not issued by the Company. It applies to all officers and employees of the Company and to their assistants, all Board Members, all information technology and finance and accounting consultants to the Company and their assistants, and all consultants and advisors to the Company and its subsidiaries who receive or have access to material, nonpublic information (“Inside Information”) regarding the Company. This group of people, members of their immediate families, and members of their households are sometimes referred to in this Policy as “Insiders.” This Policy also applies to any person who receives Inside Information from any Insider.
Any person who possesses Inside Information regarding the Company is an Insider for so long as the information is material and not publicly known. Any person can be an Insider from time to time, and would at those times be subject to this Policy.
It is the policy of the Company to oppose the misuse of Inside Information in securities trading and the unauthorized disclosure of any nonpublic information acquired in the workplace.
To ensure compliance with this Policy and applicable federal and state securities laws, the Company strongly recommends that all persons having access to the Company’s internal financial statements or other Inside Information refrain from conducting transactions involving the purchase or sale of the Company’s securities other thanduring the following period (the “Trading Window”):
Trading Window: The period in any fiscal quarter commencing at the close of business on the second full Trading Day following the public disclosure of the financial results for the prior fiscal quarter or year and ending at the close of business on the 10th day of the third month of the fiscal quarter (or if such day falls on a holiday or weekend, the immediately preceding business day).
The safest period for trading in the Company’s securities, assuming the absence of Inside Information, is generally the first few Trading Days of the Trading Window. Periods outside the Trading Window are particularly sensitive periods of time for transactions in the Company’s stock from the perspective of compliance with applicable securities laws. This is due to the fact that officers, directors and certain other persons will, as any quarter progresses, be increasingly likely to possess Inside Information about the expected financial results for the quarter.
The purpose behind the recommended Trading Window is to help establish a diligent effort to avoid any improper transactions. An Insider may choose not to follow this suggestion, but he or she should be particularly careful with respect to trading outside the Trading Window, since the Insider may, at such time, have access to (or later be deemed to have had access to) Inside Information regarding, among other things, the Company’s anticipated financial performance for the quarter.
It should be noted that even during the Trading Window any person possessing Inside Information concerning the Company should not engage in any transactions in the Company’s securities until such information has been known publicly for at least one full Trading Day. Although the Company may from time to time recommend during a Trading Window that Insiders suspend trading because of developments known to the Company and not yet disclosed to the public, each person is individually responsible at all times for compliance with the prohibitions against insider trading. Trading in the Company’s securities during the Trading Window should not be considered a “safe harbor”, and Insiders should use good judgment at all times.
From time to time, the Company may recommend that Insiders suspend trading because of developments known to the Company and not yet disclosed to the public. In such event, such persons are advised not to engage in any transaction involving the purchase or sale of the Company’s securities during such period and should not disclose to others the fact of such suspension of trading.
An Insider and person listed on Exhibit A may, from time to time, have to forego a proposed transaction in the Company’s securities even if he or she planned to make the transaction before learning of the Inside Information and even though the Insider believes he or she may suffer an economic loss or forego anticipated profit by waiting.
This Policy and the guidelines described herein also apply to Inside Information relating to other companies, including the Company’s collaborative partners, customers, vendors or suppliers (“business partners”), when that information is obtained in the course of employment with, or other services performed on behalf of, the Company. Civil and criminal penalties, and termination of employment, may result from trading on Inside Information regarding the Company’s business partners. All Insiders should treat Inside Information about the Company’s business partners with the same care as is required with respect to information relating directly to the Company.
“Inside Information” for the purposes of this Policy, is material, nonpublic information.
It is not possible to define all categories of material information. However, information should be regarded as material if there is a reasonable likelihood that it would be considered important to an investor in making an investment decision regarding the purchase or sale of the Company’s securities. Either positive or negative information may be material. While it may be difficult under this standard to determine whether particular information is material, there are various categories of information that are particularly sensitive and, as a general rule, should always be considered material. Examples of such information may include:
Nonpublic information is information that has not been previously disclosed to the general public and is otherwise not available to the general public. Even after public disclosure of information about the Company, you must wait until the close of business on the first Trading Day after the information was publicly disclosed before you can treat the information as public.
For purposes of this Policy, the Company considers that the exercise of stock options for cash under the Company’s equity incentive plans (but notthe sale of any such shares) is exempt from this Policy, since the other party to the transaction is the Company itself and the price does not vary with the market but is fixed by the terms of the option agreement or the plan. The Company does not exempt from this Policy the sale of stock received under the Company’s equity incentive plans (pursuant to stock options, restricted stock awards, stock bonuses or otherwise) or any action taken by a participant pursuant to such plans (or awards thereunder) that results in the participant receiving consideration based on the market price of the Company’s stock.
In addition, Rule 10b5-1 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), may provide affirmative defenses against insider trading claims if, among certain other matters as set forth in Rule 10b5-1, the person making the purchase or sale demonstrates that:
Board Members and officers of the Company must also comply with the reporting obligations and limitations on short-swing transactions set forth in Section 16 of the Exchange Act (“Section 16”). Officers and Board Members may not purchase and sell the Company’s securities within a six-month period whether or not they had knowledge of any Inside Information at that time. Neither the receipt of an option under the Company’s equity plans, nor the exercise of that option, will be deemed a purchase under Section 16; however, the sale of any such shares is a sale under Section 16. Moreover, no officer or Board Member may ever make a short sale of the Company’s stock. The Company has provided, or will provide, separate memoranda and other appropriate materials to its officers and Board Members regarding compliance with Section 16 and its related rules.
Please direct your questions as to any of the matters discussed in this Policy to the Company’s Insider Trading Compliance Officer, currently the Company’s Chief Financial Officer.
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Reviewed and amended and restated by the Board of Directors on September 20, 2023.
EXHIBIT A
Persons Requiring Preclearance of Trades
EXHIBIT B
TENAX THERAPEUTICS, INC.
PRE-CLEARANCE AND COMPLIANCE PROCEDURES
To ensure compliance with the accelerated reporting requirements for reporting insider transactions in equity securities of Tenax Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) and to help prevent in advance any inadvertent violations of the federal securities laws, and to avoid even the appearance of trading on inside information, we are implementing the following:
Any person subject to the pre-clearance requirements who wishes to implement a new trading plan under SEC Rule 10b5-1 must first pre-clear the plan with the Insider Trading Compliance Officer. Transactions effected pursuant to a pre-cleared trading plan will not require further pre-clearance at the time of the transaction if the plan specifies the dates, prices and amounts of the contemplated trades, or establishes a formula for determining the dates, prices and amounts, and otherwise complies in all respects with SEC Rule 10b5-1.
We will require that you and your broker sign the enclosed Broker Instruction/Representation which imposes two requirements on the broker handling your transaction in Company stock:
Please sign and have your broker sign the enclosed Broker Instruction/Representation Form and return it to us promptly so that we can work out with your broker in a coordinated procedure.
Any person who has a question about these procedures or its application to any proposed transaction may obtain additional guidance from the Insider Trading Compliance Officer currently the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, or from our outside legal counsel.
Certifications
All Board Members, officers, employees, consultants and advisors subject to the procedures set forth in this memorandum must certify their understanding of, and intent to comply with, the procedures set forth in this memorandum. Please return the enclosed certification immediately.
Broker Instruction/Representation
[Name and Address of Broker]
Re: Tenax Therapeutics, Inc.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
As my designated broker for effecting transactions in the common stock of Tenax Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”), I hereby instruct you to follow the following procedures in connection with executing any trade or other transaction in Company securities on my behalf:
Company contacts: Primary Contact:
Phone: (____)
Fax: (____)
Email:
Backup Contact:
Phone: (____)
Fax: (____)
Email:
[Signature Page Follows]
Name of Insider
(Signature of Insider)
The undersigned broker confirms receipt of this instruction letter and agrees to comply with the terms hereof:
Name of Broker
(Signature of Authorized Signatory for Broker)
Insider Certification
The undersigned, an officer, employee, Board Member, consultant or advisor to Tenax Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”), hereby certifies to the Company that:
Name of Insider:
Signature of Insider: