FENC Fennec Pharmaceuticals Inc

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

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SCHEDULE 14A

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Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of

the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No.     )

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Filed by the Registrant  ☒

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Filed by a Party other than the Registrant  ☐

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Check the appropriate box:

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FENNEC PHARMACEUTICALS INC.

(Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

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(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

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Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

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FENNEC PHARMACEUTICALS INC.

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

TO BE HELD ON JUNE 25, 2024

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the annual meeting (the “Meeting”) of the holders of common shares (“Common Shares”) in the capital of Fennec Pharmaceuticals Inc., 68 TW Alexander Drive, PO Box 13628, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709 (“Fennec” or the “Corporation”) will be held on June 25, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. EDT at Nasdaq Marketsite in the Apollo Room, 4 Times Square, Nasdaq, New York, NY 10036, USA and online by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/FENC2024, where you will be able to listen to the meeting live, submit questions, and vote, for the following purposes:

Shareholders attending the Meeting online may register and log into the live audio webcast platform beginning at 9:45 a.m. EDT on the Meeting date. We would appreciate your early registration so that the Meeting may start promptly at 10:00 a.m. EDT on the Meeting date.

The board of directors of Fennec has fixed 5:00 p.m. EDT on April 29, 2024 (the “Record Date”), as the record date for determining the holders of record of Common Shares who are entitled to receive notice of the Meeting and to attend and vote at the Meeting and any adjournment or postponement thereof.

Fennec is holding a “hybrid” meeting that includes both an in-person and virtual online component. Only registered shareholders or proxyholders for registered shareholders will be permitted to attend the Meeting. In particular, Shareholders may attend the Meeting in person, online by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/FENC2024, or may be represented at the Meeting by proxy.

Proxies to be used at the Meeting must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. (EDT) on June 24, 2024 and, if the Meeting is postponed or adjourned, no later than 48 hours (excluding weekends and statutory holidays) preceding the reconvened Meeting.

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Shareholder Meeting to be held on June 25, 2024:

This Notice, Management Proxy Circular and the Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K are available to you on the Internet at www.proxyvote.com. We encourage you to access and review all of the important information contained in these materials before voting.

DATED at Research Triangle Park, North Carolina this 29^th day of April, 2024.

By Order of the Board of Directors of Fennec Pharmaceuticals
Inc.

/s/ Khalid Islam

Dr. Khalid Islam

Chairman of the Board

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FENNEC PHARMACEUTICALS INC.

MANAGEMENT PROXY CIRCULAR

Unless otherwise stated, information contained in this management proxy circular (the “Circular”) is given as of April 29, 2024. Except as otherwise indicated, all amounts are expressed in United States dollars.

The Meeting

This Circular is furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by management of Fennec Pharmaceuticals Inc., 68 TW Alexander Drive, PO Box 13628, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709 (“Fennec” or the “Corporation”) for use at the annual meeting (the “Meeting”) of the shareholders of Fennec to be held on June 25, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. EDT at Nasdaq Marketsite in the Apollo Room, 4 Times Square, 27th Floor, Nasdaq, New York, NY 10036, USA and online by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/FENC2024, and at any adjournment thereof, for the purposes set forth in the accompanying notice of annual meeting (the “Notice of Meeting”).

The Meeting will be held in a “hybrid format”  with both in-person and virtual online component, which will be conducted via live audio webcast. Shareholders will have an equal opportunity to participate in the Meeting online, regardless of geographic location. Registered shareholders and duly appointed proxyholders will be able to participate in the Meeting, ask questions and vote, all in real time, provided they are connected to the Internet and comply with all of the requirements set out in this Circular. Non-registered shareholders who have not duly appointed themselves as proxyholder will be able to participate in the Meeting and also ask questions, but will not be able to vote at the Meeting.

Solicitation of Proxies

The persons named in the form of proxy accompanying this Circular are officers and/or directors of Fennec. A holder (a “Shareholder”) of Fennec common shares (the “Common Shares”) has the right to appoint a person, other than the persons named in the form of proxy accompanying this Circular, as nominee to attend and act for and on behalf of such Shareholder at the Meeting, and may exercise such right by inserting the name of such person in the blank space provided on the form of proxy, or by executing a proxy in a form similar to the form of proxy accompanying this Circular. Your proxy may be revoked by written notice given to our Secretary at our headquarters at any time before being voted. You may also revoke your proxy by submitting a proxy with a later date or by voting during your virtual attendance at the Meeting.

The solicitation of proxies for the Meeting will be primarily by mail, but proxies may also be solicited personally or by telephone by employees or agents of Fennec. Employees of Fennec will not receive any extra compensation for such activities. Fennec will pay brokers or other persons holding Common Shares in their own names, or in the names of nominees, for their reasonable expenses for sending proxies and proxy material to beneficial owners of Common Shares and requesting authority to execute proxies in respect of such Common Shares. The solicitation of proxies by this Circular is being made by or on behalf of the management of Fennec and its board of directors (the “Board”) and the total cost of this solicitation will be borne by Fennec.

If your name appears on a share certificate, you are considered a “registered shareholder”. See the “Registered Shareholder Voting” subsection below for details on how to vote. If your Common Shares are not registered in your name and are held in the name of a nominee, you are considered a “non-registered shareholder” (for example, your Common Shares are listed in an account statement provided to you by your securities broker). If this is the case, see the “Non-Registered Shareholder Voting” subsection below.

Registered Shareholder Voting

If your name appears on a share certificate, you are considered as a “registered shareholder”. You may appoint someone else to vote for you as your proxy holder at the Meeting by using the form of proxy sent to you by Broadridge. The persons named in the form of proxy are directors or officers of the Corporation. As a shareholder, you have the right to appoint as proxy holder a person other than those whose names are printed as proxy holders in the form of proxy, by inserting the name of your chosen proxy holder in the blank space provided for that purpose in the form of proxy. In either case, the

completed form of proxy must be delivered to Broadridge by following one (1) of the methods below, prior to the deadline for submitting proxies described below.

A person acting as proxy holder need not be a shareholder of the Corporation. Make sure that the person you appoint is aware that he or she is appointed and participates in the Meeting, otherwise your vote will not be taken into account.

You can choose from among three different ways to vote your Common Shares by proxy:

By Telephone:  Call the toll-free number indicated on the form of proxy and follow the instructions. If you choose to vote by telephone, you cannot appoint any person other than the directors or officers named on your form of proxy as your proxy holder.

On the Internet:Go to www.proxyvote.com and follow the instructions on the screen. If you choose to vote via the Internet, you can appoint a person other than the directors or officers named in the form of proxy as your proxy holder. This person does not have to be a shareholder. Make sure that the person you appoint is aware that he or she has been appointed and participates in the Meeting, otherwise your vote will not be taken into account.

By Mail: If you have elected to receive paper materials, complete your form of proxy and return it in the envelope provided. If you return your proxy by mail, you can appoint a person other than the directors or officers named in the form of proxy as your proxy holder. This person does not have to be a shareholder. If the Shareholder is a corporation, the proxy must be executed by an officer or properly appointed attorney. Fill in the name of the person you are appointing in the blank space provided on the form of proxy. Complete your voting instructions on the form of proxy, and date and sign the form. Make sure that the person you appoint is aware that he or she has been appointed and participates in the Meeting, otherwise your vote will not be taken into account.

The deadline for receiving duly completed forms of proxy or a vote by telephone or over the Internet is 11:59 p.m. (EDT) on June 24, 2024 or, if the Meeting is adjourned or postponed, not later than 48 hours (excluding weekends and statutory holidays) before the time of the reconvened Meeting. The proxy deadline may be waived or extended by the Chairman of the Meeting, in his sole discretion without notice.

How Proxies Will be Voted

The Common Shares represented by a proxy at the Meeting will be voted for or withheld from voting in each of the election of directors, appointment of auditors and authorizing the Board to fix the auditors remuneration, and will be voted for, against, or abstained from voting in the advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers (together, the “Ordinary Matters”), in each case in accordance with the instructions of the Shareholder. Any Common Shares represented by a proxy that are marked to abstain from voting on a proposal will be counted as present in determining whether a quorum is present. They will also be counted in determining the total number of Common Shares entitled to vote on a proposal. Abstentions will not be counted as votes for or against any proposal, and accordingly are not counted for purposes of determining the number of votes cast on any proposal. If no choice is specified in the proxy or the instructions are not certain, the persons named in the form of proxy accompanying this Circular will vote FOR all of the matters proposed by management at the Meeting and described in the Notice of Meeting and in the discretion of the person appointed on all other matters (if any) upon which the Shareholder appointing the proxy is entitled to cast a vote.

The form of proxy accompanying this Circular, when properly completed and executed, confers discretionary authority upon the persons named therein with respect to any amendment or variation to the matters identified in the Notice of Meeting and with respect to other matters which may properly come before the Meeting. Management of Fennec and the Board knows of no matters to come before the Meeting other than those referred to in the Notice of Meeting. However, if any other matters (other than the election of directors not currently named in this Circular) that are not now known to management of Fennec or the Board should properly come before the Meeting, the Common Shares represented by proxies given in favour of the persons named in the form of proxy accompanying this Circular will be voted on such matters in accordance with the discretion of such person.

Non-Registered Shareholder Voting

This section applies to beneficial holders of Common Shares who are not registered holders. The information set forth in this section is of significant importance to many holders of Common Shares, as a substantial number of Shareholders do not hold Common Shares in their own name.

Only registered holders of Common Shares, or the persons that they appoint as proxies, are permitted to attend and vote at the Meeting. In many cases, Common Shares are beneficially owned by a shareholder and are registered in the name of an intermediary such as a bank, broker or other nominee. If your Common Shares are not registered in your name and are held in the name of a nominee, you are considered a “non-registered shareholder”. For example, if your Common Shares are listed in an account statement provided to you by your securities broker, those Common Shares will, in all likelihood, not be registered in your name. Such Common Shares will more likely be registered in the name of a depository or of such broker or an agent of such broker. Without specific instructions, brokers and their agents or nominees are prohibited from voting shares for their clients.

Non-registered shareholders are either “objecting beneficial owners” or “OBOs”, who object that intermediaries disclose information about their identity and ownership in the Corporation or “non-objecting beneficial owners” or “NOBOs”, who do not object to such disclosure. The Corporation does not send proxy-related materials directly to OBOs or NOBOs and intends to pay for an intermediary to deliver to OBOs and NOBOs the proxy-related materials. If you are a non-registered shareholder, there is one only way that you can vote your Common Shares:

Provide Voting Instructions to your Broker. Applicable securities laws require your nominee to seek voting instructions from you in advance of the Meeting. Accordingly, you will receive or have already received from your nominee a request for voting instructions for the number of Common Shares you hold. Every nominee has its own mailing procedures and provides its own signature and return instructions, which should be carefully followed by non-registered shareholders to ensure that their Common Shares are voted at the Meeting.

Attending the Virtual Meeting

All Shareholders are encouraged to attend the Meeting online, which will be conducted via live audio webcast. The Meeting online enables registered shareholders to participate in the Meeting and ask questions, all in real time. Registered shareholders can vote at the appropriate times by completing a ballot online during the Meeting. If you are a registered shareholder and wish to vote at the Meeting, you do not need to complete or return the form of proxy. However, even if you plan to participate in the Meeting, you may vote your Common Shares in advance, so that your vote will be counted if you later decide not to participate in the Meeting. Shareholders and proxyholders can access the Meeting by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/FENC2024.

To participate in the Meeting, you will need the 16-digit control number included on your proxy or voting instruction form or on the instructions that accompany your proxy materials. The control number located on the form of proxy or voting instruction form or in the email notification you received is your control number. If you participate in the Meeting online, it is important that you are connected to the Internet at all times during the Meeting in order to vote when balloting commences. It is your responsibility to ensure connectivity for the duration of the Meeting. You should allow ample time to check into the Meeting online and complete the related procedure.

Record Date and Entitlement to Vote

The Record Date for the purpose of determining Shareholders entitled to receive this Circular and to vote at the Meeting has been fixed as 5:00 p.m. EDT on April 29, 2024 (the “Record Date”). Each Shareholder at the close of business (5:00 p.m. EDT) on the Record Date is entitled to attend the Meeting in person or by proxy and to cast one vote for each Common Share held by such Shareholder on the Record Date.

Quorum

According to the Corporation’s articles, the quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of shareholders is two persons who are, or who represent by proxy, shareholders entitled to be voted at the meeting.

Voting Securities and Principal Holders of Voting Securities

As at April 29, 2024, there were 27,317,241 Common Shares issued and outstanding. Each Common Share carries the right to one vote at the Meeting.

Beneficial ownership of the Common Shares in the following table is determined in accordance with the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Under these rules, a person is deemed to beneficially own a Common Share if that person has or shares voting power or investment power with respect to that share, or has the right to acquire beneficial ownership of that share within 60 days, including through the exercise of any option, warrant or other right or the conversion or any other security. Shares issuable under stock options and warrants are deemed outstanding for computing the percentage of the person holding options or warrants but are not outstanding for computing the percentage of any other person.

As at April 29, 2024, the directors and Named Exuective Officers (defined below under “Executive Compensation–Summary Compensation Table”) of Fennec and, to the knowledge of the directors and Named Executive Officers of Fennec, after reasonable enquiry, their respective associates, as a group, beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, or exercised control or direction over 551,405 Common Shares (approximately 2.02% of all outstanding Common Shares on such date) and options and warrants to purchase 2,748,412 Common Shares (approximately 9.14% of the aggregate of all outstanding Common Shares on such date) within 60 days of the date hereof.

The following table sets forth the number of Common Shares beneficially owned as of April 29, 2024 by: (1) each director and Named Executive Officer; (2) all directors and Named Executive Officers as a group; and (3) each person known by the Corporation to own 5 percent or more of the outstanding Common Shares. The percentage of beneficial ownership for the following table is based upon 27,317,241 Common Shares outstanding as of April 29, 2024. Except as indicated below, the security holders listed possess sole voting and investment power with respect to the shares beneficially owned by that person. The address for each listed shareholder who is a director or a Named Executive Officer is c/o Fennec Pharmaceuticals Inc., PO Box 13628, 68 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709.

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Approval Requirements and Eligible Voting Shares

The election of our directors is subject to our Majority Voting Policy. See “Election of Directors” below.  Each of the other Ordinary Matters must be approved by a simple majority of the votes cast by Shareholders, present in person or by proxy at the Meeting. For these purposes, any spoiled votes, illegible votes, defective votes, abstentions, and broker non-votes will not be considered votes cast.

Other Business

Other than the Ordinary Matters discussed elsewhere in this Circular, management of Fennec does not intend to present and does not have any reason to believe that others will present, at the Meeting, any item of business other than those set forth in this Circular. If, however, any other business is properly presented at the Meeting and may properly be considered and acted upon, proxies will be voted by those named in the applicable form of proxy in their sole discretion, including with respect to any amendments or variations to the matters identified herein.

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ORDINARY MATTERS

Presentation of Financial Statements

The audited consolidated financial statements of the Corporation for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, together with the report of the auditors thereon, will be placed before the Meeting. Shareholders who wish to be added to the mailing list for the annual financial statements and Management’s Discussion and Analysis should complete the appropriate sections of the proxy or contact the undersigned at PO Box 13628, 68 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709 Attention: Secretary.

Election of Directors

The number of directors of Fennec to be elected at the Meeting is five (5). The following are the names of the persons for whom it is intended that votes will be cast for their election as directors of the Corporation pursuant to the proxy which is hereby solicited, unless the Shareholder directs therein otherwise:

Dr. Khalid Islam

Mr. Chris A. Rallis

Dr. Marco Brughera

Dr. Jodi Cook

Mr. Rostislav Raykov

The term of office for each such person will be until Fennec’s next annual meeting of Shareholders or until such person’s successor is elected or duly appointed. In the event that prior to the Meeting any vacancies occur in the slate of nominees submitted above, it is intended that discretionary authority shall be exercised to vote the proxy hereby solicited (unless otherwise directed as aforesaid) for the election of any other person or persons as directors. Fennec management is not now aware that any of such nominees would be unwilling to serve as a director if elected.

The Board unanimously recommends that Shareholders vote FOR the election of the above-named director nominees. The persons named in the enclosed form of proxy will vote FOR the election of each of the director nominees to hold office until the close of the next annual meeting of Shareholders, unless a Shareholder has specified in the proxy that his or her Common Shares are to be withheld from voting in respect thereof.

Fennec has adopted a majority voting policy in director elections that will apply at any meeting of Shareholders where an uncontested election of directors is held. Pursuant to this policy, if the number of proxy votes withheld from  a particular director nominee is greater than the votes for such director, the director nominee will be required to submit his or her resignation as a director to the Chair of the Board promptly following the applicable Shareholders’ meeting. Following receipt of resignation, the Governance and Nominating Committee will consider whether or not to accept the offer of resignation and make a recommendation to the Board. Within 90 days following the applicable Shareholders’ meeting, the Board shall publicly disclose in a news release their decision whether to accept the applicable director’s resignation or not, including the reasons for rejecting the resignation, if applicable. The Board shall accept the resignation absent exceptional circumstances. A director who tenders his or her resignation pursuant to this policy will not be permitted to participate in any meeting of the Board or the Governance and Nominating Committee at which the resignation is considered. A copy of the majority voting policy may be found on the Fennec website at www.fennecpharma.com.

The following table sets forth the name of each of our executive officers and directors, such person’s principal occupation or employment, all other positions with Fennec and any significant affiliate thereof now held by such person, if any, the year in which such person became a director of Fennec and such person’s age.

The Corporation has an Audit Committee, a Compensation Committee, and a Governance and Nominating Committee. The current members of such committees are noted below.

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Rostislav Raykov

Mr. Raykov, age 48, has served as a director of Fennec since July 2009 and as Chief Executive Officer since July 2009. From January 2006 to December 2007, Mr. Raykov was a portfolio manager for Alchem Investment Partners and John Levin & Co. Prior to founding Alchem, Mr. Raykov was a portfolio manager and securities analyst for John A. Levin & Co. Event Driven Fund (2002-2005). Prior to joining John A. Levin & Co., Mr. Raykov was a securities analyst for the Merger Fund at Tiedemann Investment Group (1999-2002) and an investment banking analyst at Bear Stearns (1998-1999). Mr. Raykov earned a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As a result of these and other professional experiences, Mr. Raykov has financial expertise and experience with the Corporation as it has developed within the drug development industry and, as such, is able to provide the Corporation with unique insight and guidance.

Robert Andrade

Mr. Andrade, age 49, has served as Chief Financial Officer since November 2015. Mr. Andrade was previously Chief Financial Officer and Director of Fennec from September 2009 until August 2013. In addition to his role with Fennec, Mr. Andrade was a private investor in 2015, and a senior analyst at Magnetar Capital from 2013 - 2014. Mr. Andrade graduated from University of Southern California, where he earned a Masters of Arts degree and Bachelor of Arts degree in economics.

Adrian J. Haigh

Mr. Haigh, age 65, has served as Chief Operating Officer of Fennec since August 2023. Mr. Haigh served as a director of Fennec from April 2014 through July of 2023. Mr. Haigh retired from PTC Therapeutics on December 31, 2022, where his last role at PTC was Senior Vice President and Head of International. He joined PTC in 2014 as Head of EMEA and built its international organization. Previously, Mr. Haigh served as Chief Operating Officer at Gentium GmbH since March 2011. Prior to joining Gentium, Mr. Haigh served as Regional VP Commercial Operations at Biogen Idec where he managed several affiliates and also the global distributor business and prior to that he was the General Manager of Amgen Nordic and Portugal. He served as the Executive Vice President of Global Marketing and Corporate Planning at EUSA Pharma and joined EUSA from Amgen where he led the international oncology franchise. Mr. Haigh previously has held senior commercial and marketing positions at SmithKline Beecham, Schering Plough, Organon and Novo Nordisk. He has been a director of Fennec since April 2014. He received a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Economic History from Huddersfield Polytechnic, West Yorkshire, England, a Diploma in Marketing from the Institute of Marketing and a Diploma in Company Direction from the Institute of Directors.

Chris A. Rallis

Mr. Rallis, age 70, has served as a director of Fennec since August 2011. Mr. Rallis has been an executive-in-residence at Pappas Capital, a life science venture capital firm since January 2008. Previously, Mr. Rallis was the President and Chief Executive Officer of ImmunoBiosciences, Inc. (“IBI”), a vaccine technology company formerly located in Raleigh, North Carolina from April 2006 through June 2007. Prior to joining IBI, Mr. Rallis served as an executive in residence (part-time) for Pappas Capital, and as a consultant for Duke University and Panacos Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Mr. Rallis is the former President and Chief Operating Officer (“COO”) and director of Triangle Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which was acquired by Gilead Sciences in January 2003 for approximately $465 million. Prior to assuming the role of President and COO in March 2000, he was Executive Vice President, Business Development and General Counsel. While at Triangle, Mr. Rallis participated in 11 equity financings generating gross proceeds of approximately $500 million. He was also primarily responsible for all business development activities which included a worldwide alliance with Abbott Laboratories and the in-licensing of ten compounds. Before joining Triangle in 1995, Mr. Rallis served in various business development and legal management roles with Burroughs Wellcome Co. over a 13 year period, including Vice President of Strategic Planning and Business Development. Mr. Rallis also serves on the board of Lung Cancer Initiative of NC, located in Raleigh, North Carolina. Mr. Rallis received his A.B. degree in economics from Harvard College and a J.D. from Duke University. As a result of these and other professional experiences, Mr. Rallis possesses particular healthcare industry knowledge and experience which strengthens the Board’s collective qualifications, skills, and experience.

Dr. Marco Brughera

Dr. Brughera, age 68, has been a director of Fennec since August 2016. Currently, he is the founder at Brucon srls and Strategic Advisor at Essetifin. From 2011 until 2021, Dr. Brughera had been CEO of Lediant Biosciences and has held several positions for the Sigma-Tau Group, including CEO and Global Head of Sigma Tau Rare Disease, President of Sigma-Tau Research and President of Sigma-Tau Pharmaceuticals. He drove the commercial revival of a lead oncology product line resulting in its successful sale for a total of around $900M. He also successfully out-licensed the Defibrotide US rights to Jazz Pharmaceuticals and the product Recovi to Chiesi Pharmaceuticals.. From 2004 to 2010, Dr. Brughera served as the Vice President of Preclinical Development at Nerviano Medical Sciences (NMS), a pharmaceutical oncology-focused integrated discovery and development company. He also served as the Managing Director at Accelera, an independent contract research organization with the NMS Group. From 1999 to 2004, Dr. Brughera held several senior level positions in the areas of research and development with Pharmacia and Pfizer. Prior to 1999, he held various positions at Pharmacia & Upjohn and Farmitalia Carlo Erba SpA, an Italian pharmaceutical company. He currently serves on

the Board of Leadiant Biosciences Inc and Limited; advisor and biotech champion at Indaco Ventures Partners SGR. Previously was a Board member of Gentium, Exelead, Soligenix, Lee’s Pharmaceuticals and Naicons. 

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Dr. Brughera earned his degree in veterinary medicine from the University of Milan and is a European Registered Toxicologist. Dr. Brughera has wide-spread experience and knowledge of pharmaceutical drug development in international companies. His scientific and business knowledge in particular in the oncology and orphan drug space deepens the board’s collective qualifications, skills and experience. 

Dr. Khalid Islam

Dr. Islam, age 68, has been a director of Fennec since April 2014 and is our current Chairman of the Board. Dr. Islam was the Chairman and CEO of Gentium S.p.A. (a Nasdaq-listed company; 2009-2014) where he led the transition from a loss-making to a cash-flow positive and profitable company. Under his leadership, the company value increased from US$25 million leading to a successful all cash US$1 billion merger with Jazz Pharmaceuticals, plc. Subsequent to the sale of Gentium, Dr. Islam has been involved from both an advisory and board level in several public and private healthcare related companies. From 1999-2008, Dr. Islam was President and CEO of Arpida AG where he transitioned the early-stage start-up to a SWX-listed company and raised US$300 million in the IPO and follow-ons. From 1987-1999, he held various positions in HMR & MMD (now Sanofi-Aventis). From 1977-1987, Dr. Islam worked in academia at Imperial College (Univ. of London) and in Milan University, where he was a contract professor. Dr. Islam is a graduate of Chelsea College and received his Ph.D. from Imperial College, University of London. He holds several patents and has published over 80 articles in leading journals. He is an advisor to the venture group Kurma Biofund (Paris). He is a founder/co-founder of Gain Therapeutics Inc. (GANX), Sirius Healthcare Partners GmbH (Zurich), PrevAbr LLC (D.C.), BioAim LLC (L.A.) & Life Sciences Management GmbH (Zug). Dr. Islam is Board Chair at Minoryx Therapeutics (Spain) and Gain Therapeutics Inc. (GANX), a public company. In the past, he has served on the Board of Directors of Immunomedics (USA), Processa Pahramacueticals (PCSA), Pcovery Aps (Denmark), Adenium Aps (Denmark), C10 Pharma AS (Norway), Karolinska Development (KDEV, Sweden) and MolMed S.p.A. (MLMI, Italy). Dr. Islam’s extensive international pharmaceutical expertise in transitioning companies from development to production strengthens the Board’s collective qualifications, skills and experience.

Dr. Jodi Cook

Dr. Cook, age 56, has been a director of Fennec since September 2019. Dr. Cook is currently CEO of Skylark Bio Inc, an early-stage Company working on gene therapy for genetic disorders. Dr. Cook previously served as SVP and Head of Gene Therapy Strategy at PTC Therapeutics from August 2018 until February 2020. Previously she was one of the founding members and Chief Operating Officer of Agilis Biotherapeutics, a clinical-stage company focused on gene therapies for rare diseases of the central nervous system, from December 2013 until its acquisition by PTC Therapeutics in August 2018. While at Agilis she led the sale of the company to PTC in a deal that represented significant value to all parties. Dr. Cook’s career spans a wide range of experiences including VP of Clinical Research at InSound Medical and Director of Audiology at Songbird Hearing, both successful biotech start-up companies within the hearing industry. She has been Assistant Professor of Audiology and Director of the Hearing Aid Program at Mayo Clinic. Dr. Cook earned a BA from Loyola University in Maryland, M.Aud. from University of South Carolina, and PhD from Arizona State University in Hearing Science. She completed a clinical fellowship at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD. Her extensive scientific, clinical and executive business experience strengthens the Board’s collective qualifications, skills and expertise.

Appointment of Auditors

Haskell & White LLP have served as the Corporation’s auditors since May 12, 2017. Shareholders will be asked to vote for the appointment of Haskell & White LLP as auditors of the Corporation for the year ending December 31, 2024, or until a successor is duly elected or appointed, at a remuneration to be fixed by the Board of Directors. Approval of the ordinary resolution requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast in respect thereof by holders of Common Shares represented at the Meeting. The person designated in the enclosed form of proxy intends to vote FOR the appointment of Haskell & White LLP as auditors of the Corporation, unless instructed otherwise.

The Board unanimously recommends that Shareholders vote FOR the appointment of Haskell & White LLP as auditors of the Corporation at the Meeting. The persons named in the enclosed form of proxy will vote FOR the

appointment of Haskell & White LLP as auditors of the Corporation until the end of the next annual meeting of the Shareholders or until a successor is duly elected or appointed and the authorization of the directors to fix their remuneration, unless a Shareholder has specified in the proxy that his or her Common Shares are to be withheld from voting in respect thereof.

Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation

In accordance with the requirements of Section 14A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the related rules of the SEC, our Shareholders have the opportunity to cast a vote to approve, on an advisory or non-binding basis, the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed in this Circular.

For information on the Corporation’s executive compensation programs and how they reflect the Compensation Committee’s philosophy and are linked to the Corporation’s performance, see “Compensation Discussion and Analysis”.

We are asking for Shareholder approval of the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed in this Circular in accordance with SEC rules, which disclosures include the disclosures under “Compensation Discussion and Analysis”, the compensation tables and the narrative discussion following the compensation tables. This vote is not intended to address any specific item of compensation, but rather the overall compensation of our named executive officers and the policies and practices described in this Circular.

This vote is advisory and therefore not binding on the Corporation, the Board or the Compensation Committee.

The following is the text of the advisory vote on executive Compensation resolution to be considered at the Meeting (the “Advisory Executive Compensation Resolution”):

RESOLVED, that the compensation paid to the Corporation’s named executive officers, as disclosed in this Circular pursuant to Item 402 of Regulation S-K, including the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis”, the compensation tables and narrative discussion be, and hereby is, APPROVED.

The Board unanimously recommends that Shareholders vote FOR the Advisory Executive Compensation Resolution. The persons named in the enclosed form of proxy will vote FOR the Advisory Executive Compensation Resolution, unless a Shareholder has specified in the proxy that his or her Common Shares are to be withheld from voting in respect thereof.

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

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Compensation Discussion and Analysis

This discussion relates to the Named Executive Officers listed in the Summary Compensation Table below.

Mandate of the Compensation Committee

It is the task of the Compensation Committee to periodically review Fennec’s compensation structure with respect to its Named Executive Officers, including its Chief Executive Officer, to ensure that Fennec continues to attract and retain qualified and experienced individuals to its management team and to motivate these individuals to perform to the best of their ability and in Fennec’s best interests. The Compensation Committee determines the compensation of the Named Executive Officers, evaluates and approves the compensation plans, policies and programs of the Corporation and recommends to the Board from time to time other incentive compensation plans that it determines should be considered.

In reviewing executive compensation, the Compensation Committee relies on the advice of the Chief Executive Officer regarding other executive officers and allows him to participate in the Committee’s deliberations on those executive officers. The Chief Executive Officer, however, is not allowed to participate in the Committee’s deliberations on his compensation. The Compensation Committee may not delegate any of its responsibilities to another entity or to an individual without the approval of the Board.

General Compensation Philosophy

The key components of executive officer compensation are salaries, cash incentive awards and equity inventive awards. Fennec’s policy with respect to the compensation of Named Executive Officers is to establish annual goals with respect to corporate development and the individual areas of responsibility of each Named Executive Officers and then to review total compensation with respect to the achievement of these goals.

Salary and Non-Equity Incentive Awards

It is Fennec’s policy that the base salaries paid to its Named Executive Officers reflect, in addition to the criteria set out above, the individual’s responsibility, experience and achievements. Further, base salary, which forms the basis for attracting talent and remaining competitive with the market, is also determined in consideration of market rates for similar positions. In this regard, Named Executive Officers’ cash compensation represents the 50% percentile mark among Fennec’s comparators (20 companies).  Each year the Compensation Committee sets a series of objectives for each executive and for the executive team as a whole to determine the opportunity for cash incentive awards. These objectives are prioritized and assigned potential values in light of overall company objectives, including with respect to scientific, clinical, regulatory, intellectual property, business and corporate development, and financial objectives. The Compensation Committee reviews both base salaries and cash incentive awards on at least an annual basis to ensure that the relevant criteria are satisfied. See “2023 Short Term Incentives” below.

Fennec also provides change in control cash benefits to Named Executive Officers.  The primary rationale of our change in control cash benefit program is to provide sufficient employment and income protection so that our top executives will consider, and even seek out, corporate transactions that are in the best interest of shareholders, regardless of whether those transactions jeopardize their own employment.  We believe the existing change in control benefits to the CEO and CFO, together with their equity awards, encourage such value-driving strategic activity.  See “Payments on Change of Control” below.

Equity Incentives - Stock Options and RSUs

The annual compensation considerations also include the awarding of stock options, restricted stock units (“RSUs”) and other equity awards. The granting of options and RSUs to the Named Executive Officers under the Stock Option Plan serves three primary purposes: (1) to recognize significant performance during the past year; (2) to provide long-term

incentives for future efforts, since the value of the options is directly dependent on the market valuation of the Corporation; and (3) to retain individuals, as the options and RSUs typically vest over time and, in some cases, upon the achievement of certain events, such as regulatory approval.  When determining whether and how many new option or RSU awards will be made, the Compensation Committee takes into account the amount and terms of any outstanding options and RSUs. The Compensation Committee generally considers the granting of options and RSUs twice annually to all eligible employees, including executive officers. The Committee, in its discretion, may grant options, RSUs or other equity awards at other times during a fiscal year to a Named Executive Officer for performance or other reasons.  See “2023 Equity Awards” below.

Fennec does not require its Named Executive Officers to own a specific number of Common Shares. None of Fennec’s current executive team or board members are company founders and, until relatively recently, Fennec’s cash compensation packages for executives and board members has been comparatively low and insufficient to generate wealth in keeping with meaningful share ownership requirements.  Historically, Fennec has also not had equity programs conducive to assisting executives and board members in achieving any prescribed ownership levels.  

Analysis of Named Executive Officer Compensation

The Compensation Committee is charged with annually reviewing and approving corporate goals and objectives relevant to each of the Named Executive Officer’s compensation, evaluating each officer’s performance in light of those goals and objectives, and fixing and determining each Named Executive Officer’s level of salary and award of cash incentive payments and options based on this evaluation. In determining the long-term incentive component of each Named Executive Officer’s compensation, the Compensation Committee considers the Corporation’s performance and relative shareholder return, the value of similar incentive awards to other similarly situated executive officers at companies in the peer group, the awards given to the Named Executive Officer in past years, and such other factors as the Compensation Committee considers relevant. The Compensation Committee’s review and evaluation includes measurement of the following areas:

Compensation Consultant

In July 2023, the Compensation Committee retained Radford, an Aon company (“Radford”), to provide assistance in reviewing the compensation for the newly created position of Chief Operating Officer for Adrian Haigh. In part on the basis of Radford’s recommendations, Mr. Haigh’s base salary was established at €400,000 (Approximately $441,000 as translated on December 31, 2023). Radford was not retained to provide guidance on annual compensation for other Named Executive Officers and directors.

The following table outlines fees paid to consultants in determining compensation paid to the Corporation’s directors and executive officers:

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In December of 2022, the Compensation Committee retained Radford to provide assistance in reviewing the compensation of Named Executive Officers and the directors. As a result, Mr. Raykov’s base salary in 2023 was increased to $585,276 or a 10% annual increase from 2021, Mr. Andrade’s base salary in 2023 was increased to $423,982 or a 10% annual

increase from 2022. Radford further recommended that the Board of Director’s cash compensation going forward be increased upon FDA approval.  Additionally, in September 2022, Mr. Raykov and Mr. Andrade received a 12% increase in salary after FDA approval.

Benchmarking

Radford’s engagement included conducting a review of Fennec’s peer group of companies to ensure the ongoing suitability and applicability of such group, as certain of Fennec’s compensation matters are compared against the peer group. Based on the review by Radford and in consultation with the Compensation Committee and the Board, a peer group consisting of the following 20 companies was chosen on the basis of the following characteristics in relation to Fennec: (i) operating in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries; and (ii) market capitalization, employee size and stage of development: AadiBioscience, Aldeyra Therapeutics, Anavex Life Sciences, AVEO Pharmaceuticals, BioXcel Therapeutics, Catalyst Biosciences, Chimerix, CTI Biopharma, Geron, GlycoMimetics, MEI Pharma, Mersana Therapeutics, Palatin Technologies, Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Phantom Pharmaceuticlas, SCYNEXIS, Sesen Bio, SIGA Technologies and TRACON Pharmaceuticals. This peer group was used to help evaluate compensation design precedents and trends, and for guiding the calibration of competitive pay levels.

Compensation Risk

The Board considers and assesses, as necessary, the implications of risks associated with Fennec’s compensation policies and practices and devotes such time and resources as it believes are appropriate given Fennec’s size and stage of development.  The Corporation’s practice during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 of compensating its officers through a mix of base salary, short term  and long term incentives was designed to mitigate risk by: (i) ensuring that the Corporation retains such officers; and (ii) aligning the interests of its officers with the short-term and long- term objectives of the Corporation and its shareholders (including tying a significant portion of short term and long term incentive compensation to revenue targets and preparation for product launch of PEDMARQSI^® in Europe in 2024); (iii) providing an appropriate balance of risk and reward consistent with the risk profile of the Corporation; and (iv) providing compensation that does not encourage excessive risk-taking behavior by the executive team.  During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 the Board did not identify any risks arising from the Corporation’s compensation policies and practices that the board believed were reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Corporation.

2023 Short Term Incentives

For 2023, short term incentives consisted of eligibility for an annual cash bonus. The specific objectives measured in determining such short term incentive pay for Named Executive Officers related to the following:

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Every Named Executive Officer had a maximum short term incentive award cap in 2023, based on a percentage of such executive’s base salary.  These caps were 50% for Mr. Raykov, and 40% for each of Mr. Andrade and Mr. Haigh.  

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All payouts of earned 2023 annual bonuses to Named Executive Officers were accrued at December 31, 2023, and paid in March of 2024.  

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2023 Equity Awards

In 2023, the Named Executive Officers were awarded equity incentives in the form of options and restricted share units (“RSU”). In March of 2023, Mr. Raykov was granted 175,000 options with a strike price of $8.78 and 87,500 RSU’s. In March of 2023, Mr. Andrade was granted 75,000 options with a strike price of $8.78 and 37,500 RSU’s. In August of

2023, Mr. Haigh stepped down from the board to become the Corporation’s Chief Operating Officer and was granted 200,000 options with a strike price of $8.03. In 2022, the Named Executive Officers were not awarded any equity incentive. This is because there were retention awards granted in December 2021, which had immediate vesting if  FDA approval of PEDMARK^® came before December 31, 2022 and such named officer was still employed by the Corporation. As a result of FDA approval in September of 2022, Mr. Raykov had 300,000 options with a strike price of $4.08 vest and Mr. Andrade had 75,000 options with a strike price of $4.08 vest and 37,500 RSU’s were released from restriction. Ms. Goel left the Corporation in January of 2022 and thus forfeited any grants or award that were unvested upon her departure.

Compensation Committee Report

The Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis contained in this Circular with management and, based on that review and discussion, the Compensation Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this Circular.

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Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

Dr. Marco Brughera, Chris Rallis, and Dr. Jodi Cook are the current members of the Compensation Committee. None of these individuals were at any time during 2023 or at any other time an officer or employee of ours. No interlocking relationship exists between any member of our Compensation Committee and any member of any other company’s board of directors or compensation committee.

The Board has determined that each member of the Compensation Committee is “independent” under applicable securities laws.

Pay Versus Performance

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As required by Section 953(a) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, and Item 402(v) of Regulation S-K, we are providing the following information about the relationship between executive compensation actually paid and certain financial performance of the Corporation.

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The following information is presented to disclose the relationship between executive “compensation actually paid” or CAP, as calculated under applicable SEC rules, and the Corporation’s financial performance. As required by SEC rules, the table presented below discloses CAP for (i) the Corporation’s principal executive officer (“PEO”), Mr. Raykov, and (ii) the Corporation’s NEOs other than Mr. Raykov (collectively, “Non-PEO NEOs”), on an average basis. The Corporation’s PEO and the Non-PEO NEOs receive time-based RSU awards and their total compensation is not tied to any specific company performance measures.

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The equity award adjustments for each applicable year include the addition (or subtraction, as applicable) of the following:

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Relationship Between Compensation Actually Paid, TSR, and Net Income (Loss)

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The amounts of CAP shown in the above Pay versus Performance Table have been calculated as required by Item 402(v) of SEC Regulation S-K. Such calculated amounts do not represent the actual amount of compensation earned by or paid to such individuals in the fiscal years shown. Item 402(v) also requires that the Corporation’s total shareholder return (“TSR”) and net income(loss) for each of the fiscal years shown be included in the Pay versus Performance Table as performance measures. While the Compensation Committee considers TSR and net income (loss) in determining executive compensation, the Committee also utilizes various other performance measures in seeking to align executive

compensation with the non-PEO NEOs’ performance as well as certain subjective measures, all as described in more detail under “Compensation Discussion and Analysis (CD&A).”

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The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Corporation does not have a policy or practice of evaluating cumulative total shareholder return as part of its determination of compensation decisions for Named Executive Officers. As noted in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” section of this proxy statement, the Compensation Committee reviews various compensation metrics to ensure the competitiveness of its executive compensation. The Compensation Committee determines on an annual basis the relevant objectives and goals that drive each of the Named Executive Officer’s compensation. While the Corporation’s financial condition and share price are measurements that the Corporation utilizes in evaluating the relevant objectives, the Compensation Committee also considers the advancement of the Corporation’s product candidates, both preclinical and clinical, as well as the achievement of corporative objectives, including financings, partnerships and other business development.

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Summary Compensation Table

The following table sets out certain information respecting the compensation paid to our Chief Executive Officer, our Chief Financial Officer and our former Chief Commercial Officer (collectively, “Named Executive Officers”) for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022.

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Rostislav Raykov

Mr. Raykov has been employed by us since July 2009. Pursuant to an employment agreement dated May 3, 2010 between Mr. Raykov and Fennec, Mr. Raykov is employed as our Chief Executive Officer and: (a) received an initial annual salary in the amount of $140,000, subject to annual adjustment by our Board of Directors, (b) upon approval by shareholders of our amended stock option plan was granted options to purchase up to 5.0% of our common shares estimated by us to be outstanding upon completion of our 2010 rights offering, and (c) may receive annual bonuses at the sole discretion of the Board. If Mr. Raykov’s employment terminates due to a change of control of Fennec, Mr. Raykov’s remaining unvested equity shall immediately vest and be fully exercisable. If Mr. Raykov is dismissed from employment by us for any reason other than “for cause,” we are obligated to pay Mr. Raykov severance compensation equal to twelve months of salary. The initial term of the agreement was for one year and the agreement automatically extends for additional one-year periods unless terminated by either party in accordance with the agreement. Effective December 31, 2023, Mr. Raykov’s salary is $585,276 per year.

Robert Andrade

Mr. Andrade has been employed by us since November 2015. Pursuant to an employment agreement dated November 13, 2015, Mr. Andrade is employed as our Chief Financial Officer and: (a) received an initial annual salary in the amount of $165,000, and (b) may receive annual bonuses at the sole discretion of the Board. If Mr. Andrade’s employment terminates due to a change of control of Fennec, Mr. Andrade’s remaining unvested equity shall immediately vest and be fully exercisable. If Mr. Andrade is dismissed from employment by us for any reason other than “for cause,” we are obligated to pay Mr. Andrade severance compensation equal to six months of salary. Effective December 31, 2023, Mr. Andrade’s salary is $423,982 per year.

Adrian Haigh

Mr. Haigh has been employed by us since August of 2023. Mr. Haigh was a director of the Corporation from April 2014 through July of 2023. Mr. Haigh is employed by us as our Chief Operating Officer and: (a) received an initial annual salary in the amount of €400,000 (Approximately $441,000 translated on December 31, 2023), and (b) may receive annual bonuses at the sole discretion of the Board. If Mr. Haigh’s employment terminates due to a change of control of Fennec, Mr. Haigh’s remaining unvested options shall immediately vest and be fully exercisable. If Mr. Haigh is dismissed from employment by us for any reason other than “for cause,” we are obligated to pay Mr. Haigh severance compensation equal to three month’s salary. Effective December 31, 2023, Mr. Haigh’s salary is €400,000 per year.

Shubh Goel

Ms. Goel commenced employment with us in September 2019. Pursuant to an employment agreement dated September 9, 2019, Ms. Goel was employed as our Chief Commercial Officer and: (a) received an initial annual salary in the amount of $360,000, subject to annual adjustment by our Board of Directors, and (b) was eligible to receive an annual bonus of up to 40% of her base salary per twelve month period, at the discretion of the CEO and the Board of Directors. If Ms. Goel’s employment was terminated by us for any reason other than “for cause”, we would have been obligated to pay Ms. Goel (i) severance in the amount of six months of employees base salary, (ii) prorated share of any target bonus earned by Ms. Goel and, (iii) accelerated vesting of stock options. The initial term of the agreement was for one year and the agreement automatically extended for additional one-year periods unless terminated by either party in accordance with the agreement. Ms. Goel tendered her resignation on January 31, 2022.

In addition to their employment agreements, Mr. Raykov, Mr. Andrade, Mr. Haigh and Ms. Goel are a party to a confidentiality and intellectual property agreement with the Corporation.

In the employment agreements for each of Mr. Raykov, Mr. Andrade, Mr. Haigh and Ms. Goel, “for cause” is generally defined as (1) material breach of the terms of the employment or intellectual property agreements; (2) failure to perform the duties inherent in their position in good faith and in a reasonable and appropriate manner; or (3) acts of fraud or embezzlement or other intentional misconduct which adversely affects our business.

Payments on Termination

The following table provides details regarding the estimated incremental payments from us to each of the Named Executive Officers assuming termination without cause on December 31, 2023. Ms. Goel’s resignation was voluntary and there is no severance owed.

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Payments on Change of Control

The following table provides details regarding the estimated incremental payments from the Corporation to each of the current Executive Officers upon change of control.

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In addition to the payments above, an incentive plan has been established pursuant to which, upon completion of a change in control transaction prior to December 31, 2024, 1% of the transaction value up to $350 million and 1.25% of the transaction value in excess of $350 million up to $400 million  and 1.5% of transaction value in excess of $400 million, with 50% of such incentive pool being payable to the CEO, 30% to the CFO and the balance to other key personnel as determined by the CEO in consultation with the Compensation Committee.

Equity Grants, Exercises and Holdings

The following table sets forth information concerning the number and value of unexercised options held by each Named Executive Officer as of December 31, 2023. All executive awards, with the exception of those expiring 03/31/2033, 06/02/2031 and 08/07/2033, are exercisable immediately. Grants expiring 12/20/2031 fully vested upon FDA approval of PEDMARK^®.  Our current stock option plan provides for equity awards and grants denominated in US and CAD dollars.

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Executive Incentive Plan Awards – Value Vested or Earned During the Year

The following table details the value of executive options on the vesting date that vested during 2023.

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Compensation of Directors

Director Compensation Table

The following table summarizes the compensation earned by our non-executive directors for the year ended December 31, 2023.

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The annual compensation considerations for non-executive directors also include the awarding of stock options. We believe that granting of options to the non-executive directors serves three primary purposes: (1) to recognize the significant time and effort commitments of being a member of our Board; (2) to provide long-term incentives for future efforts since the value of the options is directly dependent on our market valuation; and (3) to retain quality individuals. When determining whether and how many new option grants will be made, the Compensation Committee takes into account the amount and terms of any outstanding options. We do not require our non-executive directors to own a specific amount of our common shares.

Each of current directors Khalid Islam, Marco Brughera, Jodi Cook and Chris A. Rallis has entered into an Independent Director Agreement with the Corporation, which provides for cash compensation as set forth by the Compensation Committee commensurate with that member’s responsibilities. The Compensation Committee may also remunerate members in the form of a grant of options to purchase shares of our common shares. The options immediately vest when granted and are otherwise subject to the terms and conditions of our stock option plan, as amended. The Independent Director Agreements also provide for the reimbursement of such director’s reasonable travel and related expenses incurred in the course of attending board meetings.

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Equity Grants, Exercises and Holdings

The following table sets forth information concerning the number and value of unexercised options held by each Director as of December 31, 2023. All director awards vest and are exercisable immediately.

Director Outstanding Equity Awards at December 31, 2023

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Director Incentive Plan Awards – Value Vested During the Year

The following table details the value of director options on the vesting date that vested during 2023.

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Each non-management member receives an annual base retainer of $40,000. The Chairman of the Board shall receive an additional annual fee of $50,000 and includes all activities of the Chairman. The Chair of the Audit Committee receives an additional annual fee of $20,000. Chair of any other Committee shall receive an additional annual fee of $15,000. These annual base retainer and annual cash fees are to be paid quarterly and are in lieu of any per-meeting fees. Board members shall also be reimbursed for any out of pocket expenses for attending Board or Committee meetings or any other meeting at the Corporation’s request.

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OTHER INFORMATION

2020 Equity Incentive Plan

On June 22, 2020, Fennec’s shareholders approved our 2020 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Stock Option Plan”), which replaced our prior Stock Option Plan which was last approved by our shareholders on June 19, 2019 (the “Prior Plan”). Options granted under the Prior Plan continue to be governed by the terms of the Prior Plan.

The total number of Common Shares that may be the subject of awards and issued under the Stock Option Plan, together with the Prior Plan (collectively, the “Plans”), is twenty-five percent (25%) of the total number of all issued and outstanding Common Shares from time to time.

The Board believes that equity based incentive awards can play an important role in the success of the Corporation by encouraging and enabling the employees, officers, non-employee directors and consultants of the Corporation and its subsidiaries upon whose judgment, initiative and efforts the Corporation largely depends for the successful conduct of its business to acquire a proprietary interest in the Corporation. The Board believes that providing such persons with a direct stake in the Corporation assures a closer identification of the interests of such individuals with those of the Corporation and its shareholders, thereby stimulating their efforts on the Corporation’s behalf and strengthening their desire to remain with the Corporation. The Stock Option Plan is designed to enhance the flexibility to grant different types of equity awards (i.e. not just stock options) to our officers, employees, non-employee directors and consultants and to ensure that we can continue to grant equity awards to eligible recipients at levels determined to be appropriate by the Board or the Compensation Committee, including greater flexibility in granting goal-based incentive compensation.

As of April 29, 2024, options for an aggregate of 4,541734 Common Shares have been granted and remain issued and outstanding under the Stock Option Plan or the Prior Plan, as applicable (representing approximately 16.6% of the currently issued and outstanding Common Shares). As of April 29, 2024, restricted share units for an aggregate of 158,265 Common Shares have been awarded under the Stock Option Plan (representing approximately 0.6% of the current issued and outstanding Common Shares). The Stock Option Plan has 1,238,805 unallocated equity awards (representing approximately 7.8% of the currently issued and outstanding Common Shares).

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Option grants outstanding under the Prior Plan continue to be subject to the terms of those plans and if those awards subsequently are exercised, expire, are forfeited or canceled, or are settled in cash, the Common Shares subject to those awards will be available for new awards under the Stock Option Plan, as the case may be.

The major features of the Stock Option Plan are summarized as follows:

Plan Shares. The maximum number of Common Shares that may be issued in connection with any awards granted under the under the Stock Option Plan, together with the Prior Plan, is twenty-five percent (25%) of the total number of all issued and outstanding common shares from time to time. Shares of common stock that are forfeited, cancelled, held back upon the exercise or settlement of an award to cover the exercise price or tax withholding, reacquired by us prior to vesting, satisfied without the issuance of common stock or otherwise terminated (other than by exercise) under the Prior Plan or the Stock Option Plan are added back to the shares of common stock available for issuance under the Stock Option Plan.

Administration. The Stock Option Plan will be administered by the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee has full power to select, from among the individuals eligible for awards, the individuals to whom awards will be granted, to make any combination of awards to participants, and to determine the specific terms and conditions of each award, subject to the provisions of the Stock Option Plan.

Eligibility. All full-time and part-time officers, employees, non-employee directors and consultants are eligible to participate in the Stock Option Plan, subject to the discretion of the Compensation Committee.

Stock Options. The Stock Option Plan permits the granting of (i) options to purchase common stock intended to qualify as incentive stock options under Section 422 of the Code and (ii) options that do not so qualify. Options granted under the Stock Option Plan will be non-qualified options if they fail to qualify as incentive options or exceed the annual limit on incentive stock options. Incentive stock options may only be granted to employees of the Corporation and its subsidiaries. Non-qualified options may be granted to any persons eligible to receive incentive options and to non-employee directors and consultants. The option exercise price of each option will be determined by the Compensation Committee but may not be less than 100% of the fair market value of the common stock on the date of grant. Fair market value for this purpose will be the last reported sale price of the shares of common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market on the date immediately preceding the grant date. The exercise price of an option may not be reduced after the date of the option grant, other than to appropriately reflect changes in our capital structure.

The term of each option will be fixed by the Compensation Committee and may not exceed ten years from the date of grant. The Compensation Committee will determine at what time or times each option may be exercised. Options may be made exercisable in installments and the exercisability of options may be accelerated by the Compensation Committee. In general, unless otherwise permitted by the Compensation Committee, no option granted under the Stock Option Plan is transferable by the optionee other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution or pursuant to a domestic relations order, and options may be exercised during the optionee’s lifetime only by the optionee, or by the optionee’s legal representative or guardian in the case of the optionee’s incapacity.

Upon exercise of options, the option exercise price must be paid in full either in cash, by certified or bank check or other instrument acceptable to the Compensation Committee or by delivery (or attestation to the ownership) of shares of common stock that are beneficially owned by the optionee and that are not subject to risk of forfeiture. Subject to applicable law, the exercise price may also be delivered to the Corporation by a broker pursuant to irrevocable instructions to the broker from the optionee. In addition, the Compensation Committee may permit non-qualified options to be exercised using a net exercise feature that reduces the number of shares issued to the optionee by the number of shares with a fair market value equal to the exercise price.

To qualify as incentive options, options must meet additional federal tax requirements, including a $100,000 limit on the value of shares subject to incentive options that first become exercisable by a participant in any one calendar year.

Stock Appreciation Rights. The Compensation Committee may award stock appreciation rights subject to such conditions and restrictions as the Compensation Committee may determine. Stock appreciation rights entitle the recipient to shares of common stock equal to the value of the appreciation in the stock price over the exercise price. The exercise price is the fair market value of the common stock on the date of grant. The term of a stock appreciation right may not exceed ten years.

Restricted Stock. The Compensation Committee may award shares of common stock to participants subject to such conditions and restrictions as the Compensation Committee may determine. These conditions and restrictions may include the achievement of certain performance goals or continued employment with us through a specified restricted period. During the vesting period, restricted stock awards may be credited with dividend equivalent rights, but dividend equivalents payable with respect to restricted stock awards with vesting tied to the attainment of performance criteria or service shall not be paid unless and until such conditions are satisfied.

Restricted Stock Units. The Compensation Committee may award restricted stock units to participants. Restricted stock units are ultimately payable in the form of shares of common stock (or cash, if so provided in the specific award) subject to such conditions and restrictions as the Compensation Committee may determine. These conditions and restrictions may include the achievement of certain performance goals or continued employment with the Corporation through a specified vesting period. In the Compensation Committee’s sole discretion, it may permit a participant to make an advance election to receive a portion of his or her future cash compensation otherwise due in the form of a restricted stock unit award, subject to the participant’s compliance with the procedures established by the Compensation Committee and requirements of Section 409A of the Code. During the deferral period, the deferred stock awards may be credited with dividend equivalent rights.

Unrestricted Stock Awards. The Compensation Committee may also grant shares of common stock that are free from any restrictions under the Stock Option Plan. Unrestricted stock may be granted to any participant in recognition of past services or other valid consideration and may be issued in lieu of cash compensation due to such participant.

Dividend Equivalent Rights. The Compensation Committee may grant dividend equivalent rights to participants, which entitle the recipient to receive credits for dividends that would be paid if the recipient had held specified shares of common stock. Dividend equivalent rights granted as a component of another award (other than a stock option or stock appreciation right) may be paid only if the related award becomes vested. Dividend equivalent rights may be settled in cash, shares of common stock or a combination thereof, in a single installment or installments, as specified in the award.

Cash-Based Awards. The Compensation Committee may grant cash bonuses under the Stock Option Plan to participants. The cash bonuses may be subject to the achievement of certain performance goals.

Change of Control Provisions. The Stock Option Plan provides that upon the effectiveness of a “sale event,” as defined in the Stock Option Plan, all outstanding awards may be assumed, substituted or otherwise continued by the successor entity. To the extent that the successor entity does not assume, substitute or otherwise continue such awards, upon the effective time of the sales event the Stock Option Plan and all outstanding awards that remain unexercised or settled will terminate. When a sales event occurs and outstanding awards are not assumed, substituted or continued, except as may be otherwise specifically provided in an award certificate, all options and

stock appreciation rights with time-based vesting conditions or restrictions that are not vested or exercisable immediately prior to the effective time of the sale event may become fully vested and exercisable as of the effective time of the sale event at the discretion of the Compensation Committee, all other awards with time-based vesting, conditions or restrictions may become fully vested and non-forfeitable as of the effective time of the sale event at the discretion of the Compensation Committee, and all awards with conditions and restrictions relating to the attainment of performance goals may become vested and non-forfeitable in connection with a sale event in the Compensation Committee’s discretion or to the extent specified in an award certificate. In addition, the Corporation may make or provide for payment, in cash or in kind, to participants holding options and stock appreciation rights equal to the difference between the per share cash consideration paid in the sales event and the exercise price of the options or stock appreciation rights. The Compensation Committee shall also have the option to make or provide for a payment, in cash or in kind, to grantees holding other awards in an amount equal to the per share cash consideration paid in the sales event multiplied by the number of vested shares under such awards.

Adjustments for Stock Dividends, Stock Splits, Etc. The Stock Option Plan requires the Compensation Committee to make appropriate adjustments to certain limits in the Stock Option Plan and to any outstanding awards to reflect stock dividends, stock splits, extraordinary cash dividends and similar events.

Tax Withholding. Participants in the Stock Option Plan are responsible for the payment of any federal, state or local taxes that the Corporation is required by law to withhold upon the exercise of options or stock appreciation rights or vesting of other awards. Subject to approval by the Compensation Committee, participants may elect to have their tax withholding obligations satisfied by authorizing the Corporation to withhold shares of common stock to be issued pursuant to exercise or vesting. The Compensation Committee may also require awards to be subject to mandatory share withholding up to the required withholding amount.

Amendments and Termination. The Board of Directors may at any time amend or discontinue the Stock Option Plan and the Compensation Committee may at any time amend or cancel any outstanding award for the purpose of satisfying changes in the law or for any other lawful purpose. However, no such action may adversely affect any rights under any outstanding award without the holder’s consent. To the extent required under Nasdaq or TSX rules any amendments that materially change the terms of the Stock Option Plan will be subject to approval by our Shareholders. Amendments shall also be subject to approval by our Shareholders if and to the extent determined by the Compensation Committee to be required by the Code to preserve the qualified status of incentive options. Subject to any additional requirements of the rules of Nasdaq or the TSX, the following amendments to the 2020 or awards issued thereunder shall not be made without the prior approval of Nasdaq or the TSX, and approval of the Shareholders: (i) other than customary adjustments resulting from certain corporate changes, amendments to the Stock Option Plan that would increase the percentage of Common Shares issuable under the Stock Option Plan, (ii) any amendment that would increase the number of Common Shares issuable to insiders under the Stock Option Plan, (iii) any amendment that would change the eligible participants in the plan to permit the introduction of non-employee directors on a discretionary basis; and (iv) amendments to amending provision of the Stock Option Plan. Examples of the amendments that may be made by the Board without shareholder approval include, without limitation, amendments related to (a) the vesting provisions of the Stock Option Plan or any award granted under the Stock Option Plan, (b) the early termination provisions of the Stock Option Plan or any option granted under the Stock Option Plan, (c) the addition of any form of financial assistance by the Corporation for the acquisition by all or certain categories of participants, and the subsequent amendment of any such provision which is more favorable to such participants, (d) the addition or modification of a cashless exercise feature, payable in cash or Common shares, which provides for a full deduction of the number of underlying Common Shares from the Stock Option Plan reserve, (e) changing the maximum percentage of Common Shares which are reserved for issuance under the Stock Option Plan to a maximum number of Common Shares not exceeding the number of Common Shares which then represents the maximum percentage previously approved by the Corporation’s security holders; (f) the suspension or termination under applicable laws (including, without limitation, the rules, regulations and policies of the TSX); and/or (g) general housekeeping matters.

For U.S. federal income tax purposes, an optionee who is granted an incentive stock option under the Stock Option Plan will generally not recognize taxable income either at the time the option is granted or upon its exercise, although the exercise will increase the optionee’s alternative minimum taxable income by an amount equal to the difference, if any, between the fair market value of the shares at the time of exercise and the option’s exercise price, and therefore may subject the optionee to the alternative minimum tax. Upon the sale or exchange of the shares more than two years after

grant of the option and more than one year after exercising the option, any gain or loss will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss. If these holding periods are not satisfied, the optionee will recognize ordinary income at the time of sale or exchange equal to the difference between the exercise price and the lower of (i) the fair market value of the shares at the date of the option’s exercise or (ii) the sale price of the shares. Fennec will be entitled to a deduction in the same amount as the ordinary income recognized by the optionee. Any gain or loss recognized on such a premature disposition of the shares in excess of the amount treated as ordinary income will be characterized as long-term or short-term capital gain or loss, depending on the optionee’s holding period with respect to such shares. Options that do not qualify as incentive stock options under the Stock Option Plan are referred to as nonstatutory options. Generally, an optionee will not recognize any taxable income at the time he or she is granted a nonstatutory option. Upon its exercise, however, the optionee will generally recognize taxable ordinary income measured as the excess of the then fair market value of the shares acquired over the exercise price of the option. Any taxable income recognized in connection with an option exercise by an optionee who is also one of our employees will be subject to tax withholding by us. Fennec will be entitled to a tax deduction in the same amount as the ordinary income recognized by the optionee with respect to shares acquired upon exercise of a nonstatutory option. Upon resale of such shares by the optionee, any difference between the sales price received and the fair market value for the shares on the date of exercise of the option will be treated as long-term or short-term capital gain or loss, depending on the optionee’s holding period with respect to such shares.

The Board does not grant options or other equity awards according to a prescribed formula or target. Rather awards to eligible participants and the proposed grant size, take into consideration such factors as their position, scope of responsibility and historic and recent performance, previous grants, the value of the awards in relation to other elements of the individual’s total compensation and shareholdings, and market information. Therefore, future options that may be granted to employees, officers, directors and consultants under the Stock Option Plan are not determinable at this time.

The Compensation Committee has discretion on all grant and award vesting schedules. Generally, all awards and grants to employees have a standard three year vesting schedule such that one third of the grant or award shall vest on the first anniversary of the grant or award. The remaining shares shall vest evenly on the last day of each subsequent month over the next 24 months, such that all of the award has vested after 36 months after the award or grant date. Grants to directors vest immediately. Grants and awards to contractors follow vesting schedule for employees but Compensation Committee can use discretion to accelerate vesting.  

Grants and award may not be assigned to another individual or entity. If an employee or contractor is terminated with cause, they will forfeit all options and awards (vested or not). For employees and contractors terminated without cause, further vesting on awards and grants shall cease, but the right to exercise any vested grants for up to three years after the termination date shall remain intact. Vesting of awards and grants shall cease upon death of employee or contractor, but the grant or award shall be exercisable by the Optionee’s legal representative for up to 12 months from the date of death. If Optionee’s service relationship terminates due to disability, the grant may be exercised for up to 12 months from the date of disability. Under no circumstance may the grant or award be exercised past the expiration of the grant or award.

Prior Plan

The Stock Option Plan as last ratified by Shareholders on June 18, 2019 was adopted to develop the interest and incentive of eligible employees, directors and other service providers of the Corporation in the Corporation’s growth and development by giving eligible Participants (as defined below) an opportunity to purchase Common Shares on a favorable basis, thereby advancing the interests of the Corporation, enhancing the value of the Common Shares for the benefit of all Shareholders and increasing the ability of the Corporation to attract and retain skilled and motivated individuals in the service of the Corporation.

Although no further awards will be granted under the Prior Plan, the maximum number of Common Shares that were issuable under the Prior Plan was a rolling maximum equal to 25% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares from time to time. Within the above aggregate limit of 25% of the issued and the issued and outstanding Common Shares from time to time, the Prior Plan contains no limits on the number or percentage of such options that may be granted to insiders of the Corporation or to any one person. The Board currently has the right, in its sole discretion, to alter, amend or discontinue the Prior Plan from time to time and at any time. However, no such amendment or discontinuation may alter or impair the rights or increase the obligations under the Prior Plan of Participants without the consent of the Participants. Further, any amendment to the Prior Plan is subject to prior regulatory approval. The Prior Plan’s amending procedures explicitly provide that shareholder approval is not required to implement any amendments, save and except for

amendments related to (i) the maximum number of Common Shares or any other shares of the Corporation which are reserved for issuance under the Prior Plan (and under any other share compensation arrangement of the Corporation); (ii) a reduction in the exercise price for options held by insiders; and (iii) an extension to the term of options held by insiders. Examples of the amendments that may be made by the Board without shareholder approval include, without limitation, amendments related to (a) the vesting provisions of the Prior Plan or any option granted under the Prior Plan, (b) the early termination provisions of the Prior Plan or any option granted under the Prior Plan, (c) the addition of any form of financial assistance by the Corporation for the acquisition by all or certain categories of Participants, and the subsequent amendment of any such provision which is more favorable to such Participants, (d) the addition or modification of a cashless exercise feature, payable in cash or Common shares, which provides for a full deduction of the number of underlying Common Shares from the Prior Plan reserve, (e) changing the maximum percentage of Common Shares which are reserved for issuance under the Prior Plan to a maximum number of Common Shares not exceeding the number of Common Shares which then represents the maximum percentage previously approved by the Corporation’s security holders; (f) the suspension or termination under applicable laws (including, without limitation, the rules, regulations and policies of the TSX); and/or (g) general housekeeping matters.

Participation in the Prior Plan was limited to directors, employees and service providers who were designated by the Compensation Committee (each, a “Participant”). Board nominees or other associates or affiliates of the Corporation’s largest shareholder, Southpoint Capital Advisors, were not eligible to participate in the Prior Plan. Subject to the terms of the Prior Plan, the Compensation Committee determined the Participants designated to participate in the Prior Plan, the number of Common Shares such Participant was entitled to purchase and the price at which the Common Shares may be purchased and the applicable vesting period. The option price at which the Common Shares may be purchased under the Prior Plan was the fair market value of the Common Shares of the Corporation at the time of grant, which under the Prior Plan is the closing price of the Common Shares on the TSX or Nasdaq on the trading day immediately preceding the date of grant (if the Common Shares are then listed on the TSX or Nasdaq).

The maximum term of any option granted under the Prior Plan was ten (10) years. Options that have been granted under the Prior Plan must be exercised within a period of ten (10) years from the date of grant, failing which the Participant’s right to purchase such Common Shares lapses. The Prior Plan provides that should the expiry date of any vested stock option of a Prior Plan participant fall on, or within nine (9) trading days immediately following, a Black-Out Period, the expiry date of such a vested stock option will automatically be the date that is ten (10) trading days from the date the relevant Black-Out Period ends. Unless otherwise determined by the Compensation Committee and specifically set forth in the stock option agreement executed by the Participant, options vest and may be exercised by the Participant as to one-third on each of the first, second and third anniversaries of the date of grant. The Compensation Committee may, however, in its sole discretion by written notice to any Participant, accelerate the vesting of all or any of the options of a Participant. The Participant’s rights under the options granted under the Prior Plan are not assignable or transferable by the Participant. The Corporation does not currently have any arrangements in place for financial assistance to facilitate the purchase of securities by Participants under the Prior Plan.

A Participant’s right to exercise options ceases following any of the following events (each of which, a “Participant Termination Date”): (i) if an employee, such Participant’s employment with the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries is terminated for any reason; (ii) if a director, such Participant ceases to be a director on the Board for any reason; or (iii) if a service provider, such Participant ceases to provide services to the Corporation. In such case, the Participant, or the Participant’s legal representative, as the case may be, may only exercise such options that are then vested any time prior to the earlier of: the original expiry date of such option, or within 30 days of the Participant Termination Date, or if specifically approved by the Board, such later date which may not be more than three (3) years following the Participant Termination Date.

For U.S. federal income tax purposes, an optionee who has been granted an incentive stock option under the Prior Plan will generally not recognize taxable income either at the time the option is granted or upon its exercise, although the exercise will increase the optionee’s alternative minimum taxable income by an amount equal to the difference, if any, between the fair market value of the shares at the time of exercise and the option’s exercise price, and therefore may subject the optionee to the alternative minimum tax. Upon the sale or exchange of the shares more than two years after grant of the option and more than one year after exercising the option, any gain or loss will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss. If these holding periods are not satisfied, the optionee will recognize ordinary income at the time of sale or exchange equal to the difference between the exercise price and the lower of (i) the fair market value of the shares at the date of the option’s exercise or (ii) the sale price of the shares. Fennec will be entitled to a deduction in the same amount