Published on December 15, 2006
EXHIBIT
10.1
INCENTIVE
STOCK OPTION
Granted
by
Novelos
Therapeutics, Inc.
(the
“Company”)
Under
the
2006 Stock Incentive Plan
This
Option is and shall be subject in every respect to the provisions of the
Company’s 2006 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended from time to time, which is
incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof. The holder of this
Option (the “Holder”) hereby accepts this Option subject to all the terms and
provisions of the Plan and agrees that (a) in the event of any conflict between
the terms hereof and those of the Plan, the latter shall prevail, and (b) all
decisions under and interpretations of the Plan by the Board or the Committee
shall be final, binding and conclusive upon the Holder and his or her heirs
and
legal representatives.
|
1.
|
Name
of Holder:
|
|
2.
|
Date
of Grant:
|
|
3.
|
Maximum
number of shares for which this Option is
exercisable:
|
|
4.
|
Exercise
(purchase) price per share:
|
|
5.
|
Payment
method:
|
a
personal, certified or bank check or postal money order payable to the order
of
the Company for an amount equal to the exercise price of the shares being
purchased; or
with
the
consent of the Company, any of the other methods set forth in the
Plan.
|
6.
|
Expiration
Date of Option:
|
|
7.
|
Vesting
Schedule:
This Option shall become exercisable for 1/3 of the maximum number
of
shares granted on the first anniversary of the Date of Grant, and
shall
become exercisable for an additional 1/3 on the last day of each
year
thereafter; so that the Option shall be fully vested on the third
anniversary of the Date of Grant. All vesting shall cease upon the
date of
termination of employment.
|
Notwithstanding
the foregoing, the vesting of this Option shall accelerate with respect to
all
of the then unvested shares upon a Termination Event.
As
used
herein, a “Termination Event” shall mean either of the following events, but
only if such event occurs within one year of a “Change of Control” (as defined
in the Plan):
(i) termination
by the Company of the Holder’s employment with the Company for any reason other
than for “Cause,” as defined in the Plan; or
(ii) the
Holder’s resignation as an employee of the Company, other than for reasons of
Disability (as defined in the Plan), following (x) a significant reduction
in
the nature or scope of the Holder’s duties, responsibilities, authority or
powers, from the duties, responsibilities, authority or powers exercised by
the
Holder immediately prior to the Change of Control, or (y) a reduction in the
Holder’s annual base salary or benefits as in effect on the date of the Change
of Control, except for across-the-board salary or benefits reductions affecting
all similarly situated personnel of the Company, or (z) a transfer of the Holder
from the office of the Company where he is based immediately before the Change
of Control to an office more than twenty-five (25) miles away from such office
(unless the distance the employee has to travel to work is actually shortened
as
a result of such transfer).
For
purposes of this Section 7, “Company” shall include any surviving entity, in the
case of a merger or acquisition in which the Company is not the surviving
entity.
|
8.
|
Termination
of Employment. This
Option shall terminate on the earliest to occur of:
|
| (i) |
the
date of expiration thereof;
|
|
(ii)
|
immediately
upon termination of the Holder’s employment with the Company by the
Company for Cause (as defined in the
Plan);
|
|
(iii)
|
thirty
(30) days
after the date of voluntary termination of employment by the Holder
(other
than upon death ,or for Disability or Normal Retirement, each as
defined
in the Plan);
|
|
(iv)
|
ninety
(90) days after
the date of involuntary termination of the Holder’s employment by the
Company without Cause (as defined in the Plan), or termination of
the
Holder’s employment with the Company by reason of Disability or Normal
Retirement (each as defined in the Plan);
or
|
|
(v)
|
180
days after the date of termination of the Holder’s employment with the
Company by reason of death.
|
|
9.
|
Lock-Up
Agreement.
The Holder agrees for a period of up to 180 days from the effective
date
of any registration of securities of the Company under the Securities
Act
of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), upon request of the Company or
underwriters managing any underwritten offering of the Company’s
securities, not to sell, make any short sale of, loan, grant any
option
for the purchase of, or otherwise dispose of
any
|
-2-
shares
issued pursuant to the exercise of this Option, without the prior written
consent of the Company and such underwriters.
|
10.
|
Incentive
Stock Option; Disqualifying Disposition.
Although this Option is intended to qualify as an incentive stock
option
under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Code”), the Company makes no
representation as to the tax treatment upon exercise of this Option
or
sale or other disposition of the shares covered by this Option, and
the
Holder is advised to consult a personal tax advisor. Upon a Disqualifying
Disposition of shares received upon exercise of this Option, the
Holder
will forfeit the favorable income tax treatment otherwise available
with
respect to the exercise of this Option. A “Disqualifying Disposition”
shall have the meaning specified in Section 421(b) of the Code; as
of the
date of grant of this Option a Disqualifying Disposition is any
disposition (including any sale) of such shares before the later
of
(a) the second anniversary of the date of grant of this Option and
(b) the
first anniversary of the date on which the Holder acquired such shares
by
exercising this Option, provided
that such holding period requirements terminate upon the death of
the
Holder. The Holder shall notify the Company in writing immediately
upon
making a Disqualifying Disposition of any shares of Common Stock
received
pursuant to the exercise of this Option, and shall provide the Company
with any information that the Company shall request concerning any
such
Disqualifying Disposition.
|
|
11.
|
Notice.
Any
notice to be given to the Company hereunder shall be deemed sufficient
if
addressed to the Company and delivered to the office of the Company,
One
Gateway Center, Suite 504, Newton, Massachusetts, 02458, attention
of the
president, or such other address as the Company may hereafter
designate.
|
Any
notice to be given to the Holder hereunder shall be deemed sufficient if
addressed to and delivered in person to the Holder at his or her address
furnished to the Company or when deposited in the mail, postage prepaid,
addressed to the Holder at such address.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Option, or caused this Option
to
be executed, as of the Date of Grant.
NOVELOS
THERAPEUTICS, INC.
By:
___________________________
The
undersigned Holder hereby acknowledges receipt of a copy of the Plan and this
Option , and agrees to the terms of this Option and the Plan.
______________________________
Holder
-3-