Company: ZVRA
Filing Date: 2025-04-21
Form Type: DEFC14A
Source: 0001193125-25-086293
Chunk: 54

Company: ZEVRA THERAPEUTICS, INC.
Filing Date: 2025-04-21
Form: DEFC14A
Chunk 54
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 position to market against our peer group, and considering the roles and responsibilities of our NEOs. Adjustments made directly align our NEO salaries with our compensation philosophy. 53

Annual Bonus:Our annual bonus program continues to align our NEOs with our overall corporate strategy. Based on the Compensation Committee’s assessment of our overall performance, our corporate objectives were achieved at 129.5% of target (See “Cash-Based Incentive Compensation” for details). Annual Equity Awards:In 2024, our NEOs received long-term incentive awards in the form of stock options and restricted stock units. DETAILS OF OUR COMPENSATION PROGRAM Compensation Philosophy Our executive compensation program has been designed to motivate, reward, attract and retain high caliber management deemed essential to ensure our success. The program seeks to align executive compensation with our short- and long-term objectives, business strategy and financial performance. We intend that the total compensation of our NEOs reflects a “pay for performance” compensation philosophy. As detailed in the next section, we generally target total compensation relative to the 50th percentile of our peer group, but the Compensation Committee retains discretion to adjust compensation according to individual factors or performance. Our executive compensation program consists of three primary components: base salary, annual performance-based cash incentive awards and periodic equity-based incentives, which, in 2024, consisted of grants of stock options and restricted stock units. Compensation Setting Process Role of the Board, Compensation Committee and Executive Officers The Compensation Committee, with insights provided by the committee’s compensation consultant, evaluates and recommends the compensation for our President and Chief Executive Officer to the Board and makes compensation decisions regarding all of our other NEOs. Our President and Chief Executive Officer reviews the performance of our other executive officers and then makes recommendations to the Compensation Committee to assist it in determining their compensation levels. While the Compensation Committee utilizes this information and values management’s observations with regard to compensation, the ultimate decisions regarding executive compensation are made by the Compensation Committee, except that the compensation of our President and Chief Executive Officer is approved by the Board. Role of Compensation Consultant Our Compensation Committee has the authority under its charter to engage the services of a consulting firm or other outside advisor to assist it in designing our compensation programs and in making executive compensation decisions. Our Compensation Committee engages compensation consultants to assess and make 54

recommendations with respect to the amount and types of compensation to provide our executives and directors. Mercer advised our Compensation Committee through July 2024, and Alpine has advised our Compensation Committee since July 2024. When making executive compensation decisions in