Tony Yu
About Tony Yu
Tony “Yong” Yu, Ph.D., is Senior Vice President, Clinical Development at Genelux (GNLX). He has served as SVP since July 2023 and previously held roles spanning clinical trial operations (2010–2023), preclinical research and business development (2008–2010), and imaging/tumor diagnosis-therapy leadership (2002–2008) . Dr. Yu holds a B.A. in Biology from the University of Utah and a Ph.D. in Anatomy and Biochemistry from Loma Linda University . As of the 2025 proxy, his age is 54 and he is a long-tenured leader at Genelux since at least 2002 . Company-wide, Genelux prohibits hedging and pledging of company stock and has adopted a Dodd-Frank-compliant clawback policy, which shapes executive alignment and risk controls .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genelux | Senior Vice President, Clinical Development | Jul 2023 – Present | Senior leadership of clinical development |
| Genelux | Vice President, Clinical Trial Operations | Jan 2010 – Jul 2023 | Led clinical trial operations |
| Genelux | Associate Vice President, Preclinical Research & Business Development | 2008 – 2010 | Preclinical R&D and BD responsibilities |
| Genelux | Director, Imaging Group; Director, Tumor Diagnosis/Therapy | 2002 – 2008 | Imaging and tumor diagnosis/therapy leadership |
External Roles
No external directorships or outside roles for Dr. Yu were disclosed in the reviewed 2024–2025 proxy and 10-K materials .
Fixed Compensation
Not disclosed for Dr. Yu. The company’s 2024 and 2025 proxy statements identify named executive officers (NEOs) as the CEO, CFO, and CTO for 2024; Dr. Yu was not an NEO and therefore his base salary and cash bonus details are not presented .
Performance Compensation
Not disclosed for Dr. Yu. The 2024 and 2025 filings do not detail Dr. Yu’s annual incentive plan metrics, weighting, targets, or payouts because he was not an NEO . Company-wide recoupment (clawback) policy applies to incentive-based compensation in accordance with Dodd-Frank and SOX where applicable .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Metric | As of Mar 26, 2024 | As of Jun 30, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Shares held directly (#) | 5,735 | 19,556 |
| RSUs vesting within 60 days (#) | — | 7,250 |
| Options exercisable within 60 days (#) | 207,652 | 248,548 |
| Warrants exercisable within 60 days (#) | — | 2,500 |
| Approx. beneficial shares (sum of components) (#) | 213,387 (5,735 + 207,652) | 277,854 (19,556 + 7,250 + 248,548 + 2,500) |
| Shares outstanding (denominator for company ownership calculations) | — | 37,760,843 (as of 6/30/25) |
| Hedging/Pledging policy | Prohibited for officers/employees (hedging, short sales, options; no margining/pledging) | Prohibited for officers/employees (hedging, short sales, options; no margining/pledging) |
- Notes:
- Company policy prohibits pledging or hedging, reducing alignment risk from collateralized or derivative positions .
- Section 16 compliance: Dr. Yu had two reports covering an aggregate of five transactions filed late during 2024, a process/control red flag to monitor .
Trading Plans and Potential Selling Pressure
| Name | Action | Adoption Date | Rule 10b5-1 Plan | Expiration | Maximum Shares to be Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yong (Tony) Yu, SVP Clinical Development | Adoption | 09/16/2025 | Yes | 12/16/2026 | Up to 67,356 |
- Indicates potential programmed selling through 2026; monitor execution against volumes and liquidity around catalysts .
Option Repricing (Retention and Incentive Implications)
| Date | Affected Options (Yu) | New Exercise Price | Prior Exercise Price Range | Vesting/Expiration Changes | Board Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09/01/2025 | 272,652 option shares | $3.33 | $6.00 – $22.40 | No other terms changed; original vesting schedules and expiration dates remain | Retain/incentivize employees, preserve cash, avoid dilution from significant new grants; ~2,715,583 total options company-wide repriced |
Employment Terms
- Individual Employment Agreement: Not disclosed for Dr. Yu in the reviewed filings .
- Equity Plan Change-in-Control Treatment (Company Policy): Under the 2009 Plan, upon certain corporate transactions or change in control, awards may be assumed/continued/substituted; if not continued/assumed/replaced, awards can become fully exercisable or payable immediately prior to the event (accelerated vesting), at the plan administrator’s discretion .
- Clawback/Recoupment: Company has implemented a Dodd-Frank-compliant clawback policy; SOX 304 applies to CEO/CFO for misconduct-related restatements (company-level policy framework) .
- Insider Trading Controls: Pre-clearance and blackout processes are in effect for covered insiders; 10b5-1 plans must be pre-approved and compliant .
Investment Implications
- Alignment: Large, long-dated option position and increasing direct share ownership (from 5,735 to 19,556 shares between Mar 2024 and Jun 2025) support alignment; prohibitions on hedging and pledging further strengthen skin-in-the-game dynamics .
- Retention vs. Shareholder Optics: The Sept 2025 option repricing to $3.33 for 272,652 of Dr. Yu’s options (no change to vesting/terms) is a meaningful retention lever; however, option repricing is often viewed as a governance red flag. The Board emphasized retention while preserving cash and avoiding dilution from significant incremental equity grants .
- Selling Overhang: The adoption of a 10b5-1 plan to sell up to 67,356 shares through Dec 2026 introduces potential steady selling pressure; size relative to his beneficial holdings should be monitored in context of liquidity and catalysts .
- Process/Compliance Watch: The company disclosed late Section 16 filings for multiple insiders, including Dr. Yu (two reports, five transactions in 2024). While not uncommon in small-cap biotech, it’s a governance/process flag that investors often discount for, especially alongside option repricing .
- Change-in-Control Economics: Plan-level provisions enable accelerated vesting if awards are not assumed in a transaction, which can meaningfully increase realized compensation in sale scenarios and affects retention and negotiation dynamics .
Key Monitorables: (i) execution of the 10b5-1 plan vs. news flow; (ii) any future changes to equity awards, especially repricings or exchanges; (iii) increases in directly owned shares vs. option exercises; (iv) improvements in Section 16 filing timeliness; (v) updates to plan-level CIC treatment.
Citations
- Executive biography, age, roles and tenure:
- Ownership details (2024–2025):
- 10b5-1 trading plan:
- Option repricing:
- Hedging/pledging prohibitions:
- Clawback policy:
- Section 16(a) delinquencies:
- Change-in-control equity plan mechanics: