Kristen Yen
SOLENO THERAPEUTICSAbout Kristen Yen
Kristen Yen is Senior Vice President of Global Clinical Operations and Patient Advocacy at Soleno Therapeutics, age 56 as of April 1, 2025, with over 25 years of clinical research experience; she joined Soleno in 2006 after roles at Titan Pharmaceuticals and PRA International and holds a B.S. in Mathematics (UC Davis) and an M.S. in Cell, Molecular and Neurosciences (University of Hawaii, Manoa) . Company performance during her tenure includes FDA approval of VYKAT XR on March 26, 2025, transition to commercial stage, and strong stockholder return trends in 2023–2024 (company TSR value for a $100 initial investment: $608.08 in 2023 and $679.10 in 2024; net losses persisted) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Titan Pharmaceuticals | Managed U.S./global clinical studies; positions of increasing responsibility | Not disclosed | Execution of clinical operations across multiple therapeutic areas (oncology and others) |
| PRA International | Clinical employee (career start) | Not disclosed | Early clinical operations experience foundation |
External Roles
No external directorships or board roles disclosed for Yen in available filings. Skip.
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Base salary ($) | Target bonus (%) | Actual cash bonus ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 (for FY2022) | 325,000 | Not disclosed | 93,360 (FY2022 bonus) | Compensation approved Jan 25, 2023 |
Performance Compensation
| Award type | Grant date | Shares/Units | Vesting schedule | Performance linkage | Payout/Value note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock options | Jan 1, 2023 | 20,000 | 1/48 monthly starting one month after Jan 1, 2023 (time-based) | None disclosed (time-based option) | Standard 10-year term implied by plan; exercise price per grant not detailed in 8-K |
| Annual cash incentive | FY2022 | — | Annual payout shown above | Company determined bonuses; individual metrics not disclosed | Paid $93,360 (FY2022) |
Company-wide 2024 annual incentive design tied to corporate objectives (regulatory and commercial readiness) paid at 105% of target for NEOs; while not specific to Yen, it indicates pay-for-performance emphasis in the program .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Date (as of) | Direct shares | Options exercisable within 60 days | Total beneficial ownership | Hedging/Pledging | Ownership guidelines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1, 2021 | 24,867 | 174,621 | 199,488 | Company policy prohibits hedging and pledging by employees/directors | Not disclosed for executives |
Soleno maintains a compensation recovery (clawback) policy complying with SEC/Nasdaq rules .
Employment Terms
- Current role and tenure: Senior Vice President, Global Clinical Operations and Patient Advocacy; at Soleno since 2006 .
- Contract/severance/change-of-control: No specific employment agreement terms for Yen are disclosed in available filings; severance and CIC provisions are detailed for other NEOs (CEO, CFO, SVP Regulatory, CCO), but not for Yen .
Investment Implications
- Alignment: Meaningful historical equity exposure (199,488 beneficially owned in 2021, with substantial vested options) and prohibition on hedging/pledging support alignment with shareholders .
- Retention risk: Long tenure (since 2006) and time-based option vesting enhance retention; absence of disclosed individual severance/CIC economics limits visibility into protection or mobility incentives versus other NEOs .
- Execution signal: As leader of global clinical operations, Yen’s role is central to study conduct and commercialization readiness; company achievements (NDA acceptance in 2024 and FDA approval in 2025) underscore operational execution, a positive indicator for sustaining launch momentum of VYKAT XR .
- Monitoring: Track future Form 4 filings for any material insider selling pressure, new equity grants, or changes to executive contracts; observe annual proxy disclosures for any expansion of NEO status or updated ownership levels (policy environment—clawback, anti-hedging—mitigates governance risks) .