Michael Huang
SOLENO THERAPEUTICSAbout Michael Huang
Michael Huang, M.D., is Senior Vice President, Clinical Development at Soleno Therapeutics; he joined as an executive in November 2023 after consulting since April 2023, and was 51 years old as of April 1, 2025 . He holds a B.A. in molecular and cell biology from UC Berkeley, an M.D. from Chicago Medical School (Rosalind Franklin University), and completed internship/residency training at UC Irvine/Long Beach Memorial; he has a track record of bringing new therapies to market with leadership roles across multiple biopharma companies . Company-wide 2024 corporate goals (R&D and operational milestones) were assessed at 105% of target, framing the incentive environment for senior executives during his tenure .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| DTx Pharma | Chief Medical Officer | May 2022 – Jan 2023 | Led clinical development; short-tenure CMO during preclinical/clinical advancement |
| AmMax Bio, Inc. | Chief Medical Officer | May 2020 – May 2022 | Directed clinical programs across pipeline assets |
| Spruce Biosciences | Chief Medical Officer | Jun 2017 – Feb 2020 | Built early-stage endocrine portfolio clinical execution |
| Regulus Therapeutics | Leadership role | Not specified | Nucleic acid therapeutics clinical leadership |
| Auspex Pharmaceuticals | Leadership role | Until acquisition by Teva | Contributed to clinical programs at a company later acquired by Teva |
| Santarus, Inc. | Leadership role | Until acquisition by Salix | Contributed to clinical programs at a company later acquired by Salix |
External Roles
No public company directorships or external board roles were disclosed for Michael Huang in the available proxy materials .
Fixed Compensation
Michael Huang is not included among the named executive officers disclosed for 2024 (NEOs: CEO, CFO, CCO, SVP Regulatory), so base salary, target bonus, and cash compensation details for him are not provided in the 2025 proxy .
Performance Compensation
Company context: in 2024, the annual cash incentive program for NEOs was 100% based on corporate goals (R&D and operational milestones), and the Board determined achievement at 105% of target; payouts for NEOs were calculated accordingly (e.g., CEO payout $403,200 at 105%) . The Compensation Committee emphasized event-based equity in 2024 (one-time PSUs tied to NDA acceptance/approval milestones), reflecting an at-risk, milestone-driven structure across senior leadership; vesting schedules for these July 2024 PSUs were set in tranches (25% Aug 1, 2024; 25% upon FDA NDA acceptance; 50% upon FDA approval), underscoring potential clustering of vesting around regulatory events . Note: these specifics are disclosed for NEOs; no individualized PSU/RSU/option detail for Michael Huang is provided in the proxy .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
- Section 16 and Trading Controls: Michael Huang is subject to Section 16 reporting and quarterly blackout/pre-clearance requirements per the Company’s insider trading policy and 10-K schedules; all officers and directors must pre-clear trades and adhere to blackout windows . The policy emphasizes Form 4 timeliness and Section 16 compliance for insiders, including Michael Huang .
- Hedging/Pledging: Employees and directors are prohibited from hedging, engaging in short sales or derivative trading in Company securities, and pledging Company stock as collateral; securities cannot be held in margin accounts . The Company also highlights “No hedging” and “No pledging” as compensation governance practices .
- Beneficial Ownership: The 2025 security ownership table enumerates NEOs and directors and their holdings; Michael Huang is not listed, and his specific share count and ownership percentage are not disclosed in the proxy .
Employment Terms
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Employment start date | Joined as SVP, Clinical Development in November 2023; consulted since April 2023 |
| Current role | Senior Vice President, Clinical Development (executive officer listing as of April 1, 2025) |
| Employment status | Company-wide policy indicates employment is at-will (terminable with or without cause) |
| Trading policy | Officers subject to blackout periods, pre-clearance, and Section 16 filings (Form 4) |
| Change-in-control framework | Company practice states no single-trigger change-in-control benefits; clawback policy in place (program governance overview) |
Compensation Committee Analysis
- Peer Group: The Compensation Committee used a biotech peer set to benchmark 2024 compensation, including 89bio, Alector, Amylyx, Arcus, Cogent, CymaBay, Geron, KalVista, Mirum, Pliant, Protagonist, REGENXBIO, Rhythm, Travere, Vera, Viking, Vir, and Viridian .
- Governance Practices: Highlights include pay-for-performance alignment, independent committee/consultant, rigorous goals, clawback policy, and prohibitions on hedging/pledging and single-trigger CIC benefits; no guaranteed bonuses .
Performance & Track Record
- Background summary: The Company cites Dr. Huang’s technical experience and track record of bringing new therapies to market, spanning CMO roles and leadership positions at firms with notable transactions (e.g., Auspex→Teva; Santarus→Salix) .
- Operating context: For 2024, the Board recognized effective execution and significant progress on clinical advancement and commercial readiness, with corporate goals deemed achieved at 105% of target .
Investment Implications
- Alignment and Trading Signal Controls: Pledging and hedging are prohibited, and Michael Huang is subject to blackout and pre-clearance with Section 16 reporting—this reduces misalignment and curbs opportunistic trading; monitor future Form 4s for transactions around milestone dates given the Company’s use of event-based vesting for NEOs .
- Retention Risk: No individualized compensation or severance terms for Michael Huang are disclosed; with at-will status and an event-driven compensation philosophy, retention levers likely center on equity incentives aligned to regulatory milestones—visibility into his actual grants is limited absent Form 4/access to award agreements .
- Pay-for-Performance Environment: Corporate milestone achievement (105% for 2024) and milestone-triggered PSUs for NEOs signal strong linkage of rewards to clinical/regulatory outcomes, increasing focus on execution risk and timing; this structure can concentrate vesting/selling windows around FDA events .
- Benchmarking Pressure: A robust peer group of high-growth biopharma comparables suggests competitive pay dynamics; while this anchors governance, it can drive compensation inflation risks across senior leadership cohorts even outside NEOs .