4. Stock-based Compensation

The Company recognized stock-based compensation on all employee and non-employee awards as follows:

 

		Three Months Ended March 31, 2016				Three Months Ended March 31, 2015
Research and development		$	33,633			$	20,917
Selling, general and administrative			172,128				91,223
Total Stock based compensation		$	205,761			$	112,140

 

The Company granted 400,000 stock options, with a weighted-average grant date fair value of $0.82 per share, during the three months ended March 31, 2016. The Company granted 900,000 stock options, with a weighted-average grant date fair value of $1.30 per share, during the three months ended March 31, 2015.

During the three months ended March 31, 2016, no stock options previously granted have vested and no stock options were forfeited and no stock options were exercised.

In March 2015, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Compensation Committee”) recommended and approved, and the Board of Directors approved, a program of annual equity based awards for directors from the Company’s 2012 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2012 Plan”) which are intended to align interests of executive officers and directors with stockholders over a long-term basis and thereby replace the expired LTIP Programs. . In connection with and in furtherance of the new equity based award program, the Board approved stock option awards in the amount of 80,000, to each of the Company’s non-employee directors, Frederick Telling, Charles Pope, Alan Dunton, Christine Koski and Robert Koski under the Company’s 2012 Plan at an exercise price of $1.32 per share, the closing price on the March 16, 2015, the date of grant. Dr. Telling, Mr. Pope, Dr. Dunton, Ms. Koski and Mr. Koski were each also awarded 40,000 restricted shares of Company common stock under the Company’s 2012 Plan, of which 10,000 restricted shares which vested at the end of each calendar quarter in 2015, provided the recipient remained a director through the vesting date.

The new equity based programs also include a minimum dollar value stock ownership holding requirement threshold before shares can be sold.

On February 15, 2016, in connection with and in furtherance of the new equity based award program, the Board approved stock option awards in the amount of 80,000, to each of the Company’s non-employee directors, Frederick Telling, Charles Pope, Alan Dunton, Christine Koski and Robert Koski under the Company’s 2012 Plan at an exercise price of $0.84 per share, the closing price on the February 16, 2016, the date of grant. Dr. Telling, Mr. Pope, Dr. Dunton, Ms. Koski and Mr. Koski were each also awarded 40,000 restricted shares of Company common stock under the Company’s 2012 Plan, of which 10,000 restricted shares vest at the end of each calendar quarter in 2016, provided the recipient remains a director through the vesting date.

On March 16, 2015, in connection with and in furtherance of the new equity based award program, the Board of Directors of the Company approved stock option awards as previously recommended and approved by the Compensation Committee for the Company’s named executive officers currently employed with the Company. Mr. Sullivan, the Company’s Chief Financial; Officer, and Dr. Handfield, the Company’s Senior Vice President of Discovery Research, were granted options to purchase 200,000 and 150,000 shares of Company common stock, respectively, under the Company’s 2012 Plan at an exercise price of $1.32 per share, the closing price on the March 16, 2015, the date of grant. The options are subject to time-based vesting in equal annual installments over a three-year period on the first, second and third anniversaries of the date of the grant, provided that the recipient remains employed with the Company through the vesting dates.

Each executive officer and non-employee director receiving the above equity based awards will be subject to a minimum dollar value stock ownership holding requirement with respect to the awards received as well as all prior equity awards under the 2012 Plan which requirements are intended to align the ability to sell shares with the performance of the Company’s stock price. The above named executive officer recipients will each have a minimum dollar value stock ownership holding requirement threshold equal to two times (2x) their then base salaries below which dollar threshold they would be precluded from selling any shares of Company stock obtained from the Company under its 2012 Plan. Also, the above non-employee directors will each be subject to a minimum dollar value stock ownership holding requirement threshold equal to six times the annual Board retainer ($270,000) below which dollar threshold they would be precluded from selling shares of Company stock acquired from the Company under its 2012 Plan.