ASSEMBLY BIOSCIENCES, INC. 8-K

What Happened
Assembly Biosciences, Inc. (ASMB) announced on March 24, 2026 that its Compensation Committee approved a new 2026 Corporate Bonus Plan, effective January 1, 2026, to pay cash bonuses tied to company-wide and individual performance for the 2026 performance year. The Committee also approved an increase to CEO and President Jason A. Okazaki’s bonus target from 60% to 65% of his base salary, effective for fiscal year 2026.

Key Details

• Plan effective Jan 1, 2026; approved by the Compensation Committee on March 24, 2026.
• Bonus targets: CEO up to 75% of base salary (Okazaki’s target increased to 65% for 2026); Executive-level participants 30–55%; Non-executive participants up to 28%.
• Payout mix is based on Corporate Objectives vs. Individual Objectives by role: CEO 100% corporate; C-level (other than CEO)/SVP/VP 75% corporate / 25% individual; Exec Director/Senior Director/Director 50/50; Associate Director and below 25% corporate / 75% individual.
• Payouts may range from 0 to 1.5× the participant’s target, are expected to be paid in the first quarter after the performance period (no later than March 15), and require the participant to remain employed through the payment date.

Why It Matters
The new plan formalizes annual cash incentives tied to measurable corporate and individual goals, which can help align employee and executive pay with company performance. The CEO’s increased bonus target signals a modest change in executive compensation structure for 2026 and may affect overall compensation expense and management incentives; actual payouts will depend on achievement of the Plan’s stated objectives and Committee determinations.