UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

 

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No.  )

 

Check the appropriate box:

Endocyte, Inc.

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

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

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

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March 23, 2016

Dear Fellow Stockholder:

It is my pleasure to invite you to the 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Endocyte, Inc. on Thursday, May 5, 2016 at 12:00 p.m. (EDT), at the offices of Faegre Baker Daniels LLP, 600 East 96^th Street, Suite 600, Indianapolis, Indiana 46240. At the meeting, stockholders will vote on the business items listed in the notice of the meeting, which follows on the next page.

Again this year, we are furnishing proxy materials to our stockholders over the Internet. We believe that this e-proxy process expedites stockholders’ receipt of proxy materials, helps keep our costs low and reduces the environmental impact of our annual meeting. On or about March 23, 2016, we mailed our stockholders a Notice of Internet Availability containing instructions on how to access our Proxy Statement and our 2015 Annual Report to Stockholders and vote online. The Notice also contains instructions on how you can receive a paper copy of the proxy statement and annual report.

Whether or not you plan to attend the meeting, your vote is important and we encourage you to vote promptly.

You may vote your shares via a toll-free telephone number or over the Internet. If you received a paper copy of the proxy card by mail, you may sign, date and mail the proxy card in the envelope provided. Instructions regarding all three methods of voting are contained in the proxy statement and on the proxy card.

I look forward to seeing you at the annual meeting.

Sincerely,

P. Ron Ellis
President
and Chief Executive Officer

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Endocyte, Inc.
3000 Kent Avenue, Suite A1-100
West Lafayette, Indiana 47906

 

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

 

                                    By order of the Board of Directors,

                                    
 
                                    Daniel L. Boeglin
                                    Secretary

March 23, 2016

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		Page
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE ANNUAL MEETING AND VOTING			1
BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF COMMON STOCK BY CERTAIN STOCKHOLDERS AND MANAGEMENT			5
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE MATTERS			7
SECTION 16(a) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE			10
TRANSACTIONS WITH RELATED PERSONS			10
MEETINGS AND COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD			11
PROPOSAL 1 — ELECTION OF DIRECTORS			13
PROPOSAL 2 — RATIFICATION OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM			17
REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE			18
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION			20
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT			20
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS			21
ASSESSMENT OF COMPENSATION-RELATED RISKS			28
SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE			29
GRANTS OF PLAN-BASED AWARDS IN 2015			31
OUTSTANDING EQUITY AWARDS AT 2015 FISCAL YEAR-END			33
OPTION EXERCISES AND STOCK VESTED IN 2015			35
OTHER 2015 COMPENSATION INFORMATION			35
ESTIMATED POST-EMPLOYMENT PAYMENTS UNDER ALTERNATIVE TERMINATION SCENARIOS			36
2015 DIRECTOR COMPENSATION			41
ANNUAL REPORT			43
STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS AT 2017 ANNUAL MEETING			44
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION			44
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE			44

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Endocyte, Inc.
3000 Kent Avenue, Suite A1-100
West Lafayette, Indiana 47906
 
PROXY STATEMENT

This proxy statement and accompanying proxy are being provided to stockholders in connection with the solicitation by the Board of Directors of Endocyte, Inc. (“Endocyte,” “we,” “us,” “our” or the “company”) of proxies to be voted at the 2016 annual meeting of stockholders to be held at 12:00 p.m. (EDT) on May 5, 2016 at the offices of Faegre Baker Daniels LLP, 600 East 96^th Street, Suite 600, Indianapolis, Indiana 46240.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE ANNUAL MEETING AND VOTING

Why did stockholders receive a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials?

All of our stockholders will receive a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, or Notice, which was or will be sent to stockholders on or about March 23, 2016, containing information on the availability of our proxy materials on the Internet. Stockholders will not receive a printed copy of our proxy materials unless previously requested or requested in the manner described in the Notice. The Notice explains how to access and review this proxy statement and our 2015 Annual Report to Stockholders, and how you may vote by proxy.

What is a proxy?

A proxy is your legal designation of another person to vote on your behalf. By submitting a proxy, you are giving the persons named in the proxy, P. Ron Ellis and Michael A. Sherman, the authority to vote your shares in the manner you indicate.

Who is qualified to vote?

You are qualified to vote on all matters presented to the stockholders at the meeting if you own shares of our common stock, par value $.001 per share, at the close of business on March 10, 2016.

How many shares may vote at the meeting?

On March 10, 2016, there were 42,153,349 shares of common stock outstanding, all of which are entitled to one vote per share on all matters presented to stockholders at the meeting.

How many shares must be present to hold the meeting?

The presence at the meeting in person or by proxy of holders of common stock representing a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast at the meeting, or 21,076,675 shares, will constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

What is the difference between a “stockholder of record” and a “street name” holder?

These terms describe how your shares are held. If your shares are registered directly in your name with Computershare Trust Company, N.A., our transfer agent, you are a “stockholder of record.” If your shares are held in the name of a brokerage, bank, trust or other nominee as a custodian, you are a “street name” holder.

How do I vote my shares?

If you are a “stockholder of record,” you have several choices. You can vote your shares by proxy:

Please refer to the specific instructions set forth on the Notice or printed proxy materials. For security reasons, our electronic voting system has been designed to authenticate your identity as a stockholder.

If you hold your shares in “street name,” your broker/bank/trustee/nominee will provide you with materials and instructions for voting your shares.

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Can I vote in person at the meeting?

If you are a “stockholder of record,” you may vote your shares in person at the meeting. If you hold your shares in “street name,” you must obtain a written legal proxy from your broker, bank, trustee or nominee, giving you the right to vote the shares at the meeting.

What do I need to do to attend the meeting in person?

Proof of stock ownership and some form of government-issued photo identification (such as a valid driver’s license or passport) will be required for admission to the meeting. Only stockholders who owned Endocyte, Inc. common stock as of the close of business on March 10, 2016 are entitled to attend the meeting.

What are the Board’s recommendations on how I should vote my shares?

The Board recommends that you vote your shares as follows:

How would my shares be voted if I do not specify how they should be voted?

If you sign and return a proxy card without indicating how you want your shares to be voted, the persons named as proxies will vote your shares as follows:

What are broker non-votes?

A broker non-vote occurs when a broker, bank, trustee or nominee holding shares for a beneficial owner does not vote on a particular proposal because the nominee does not have discretionary authority to vote for that particular proposal and has not received instructions from the beneficial owner as to how to vote its shares. Proposal 1 falls into this category. If you do not provide your broker with voting instructions, your shares will not be voted on the proposal to elect directors.

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What vote is required to approve each proposal?

The following votes are required from the holders of common stock to approve each of the proposals:

Proposal Number		Subject		Vote Required		Impact of Abstentions and Broker Non-Votes, if any
1		Election of directors		Directors will be elected by a plurality of the votes cast. The nominees receiving the most FOR votes will be elected.		Abstentions and broker non-votes will not count as votes cast on the proposal and will not affect the outcome of the vote.
2		Ratification of appointment of independent registered public accounting firm		The holders of a majority of the shares present in person or by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote must vote FOR to approve the proposal.		Abstentions will have the same effect as votes cast AGAINST the proposal. Broker non-votes will not affect the outcome of the proposal.

Why did I receive more than one Notice or proxy card?

You will receive multiple Notices or proxy cards if you hold your shares in different ways (e.g., joint tenancy, trusts, custodial accounts) or in multiple accounts. If your shares are held by a broker (i.e. in “street name”), you will receive your proxy card(s) or other voting information from your broker, and you will return your proxy card(s) to your broker. You should vote on and sign each proxy card you receive.

What is “householding”?

Stockholders who share the same address may receive only one copy of the proxy materials unless we receive contrary instructions from any stockholder at that address. This is referred to as “householding.” If you prefer to receive multiple copies of the proxy materials at the same address, additional copies will be provided to you promptly upon written or oral request, and if you are receiving multiple copies of the materials, you may request that you receive only one copy. Please address such requests to our Corporate Secretary, Endocyte, Inc., 8910 Purdue Road, Suite 250, Indianapolis, Indiana 46268. Stockholders who hold shares in street name may contact their broker, bank or similar organization to request information about householding.

Can I change my vote after I have submitted a proxy?

You may revoke your proxy by doing one of the following:

What happens if additional matters are presented at the annual meeting?

We know of no matters other than the items of business described in this proxy statement that are to be considered at the meeting. If other matters requiring a vote do arise, the persons named as proxies will have the discretion to vote on those matters for you.

Who will count the votes?

Our controller has been appointed by our board of directors as the inspector of election for the annual meeting. She will count the votes and later certify such action. The inspector will be present at the meeting.

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Will the meeting be accessible to disabled persons?

The location of the meeting is accessible to disabled persons. Please call Joye Fisher at least five days in advance at 765-463-7175 if you require any special accommodations.

How can I review the list of stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting?

A list of stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting will be available at the meeting and for ten days prior to the meeting, between the hours of 8:45 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., at our offices at 8910 Purdue Road, Suite 250, Indianapolis, Indiana 46268. If you would like to view the stockholder list, please contact our Corporate Secretary to schedule an appointment.

Who pays the cost of this proxy solicitation?

We will pay the cost of preparing, assembling and mailing the proxy materials. We will also request banks, brokers and other holders of record to send the proxy materials to, and obtain proxies from, beneficial owners and will reimburse them for their reasonable expenses in doing so.

Is this proxy statement the only way that proxies are being solicited?

Certain employees or other representatives of the company may also solicit proxies by telephone, facsimile, e-mail or personal contact. They will not be specifically compensated for doing so.

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BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF COMMON STOCK BY CERTAIN
STOCKHOLDERS AND MANAGEMENT

The following table sets forth information concerning the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of March 10, 2016, of (1) each person (including any group) known to us to beneficially own more than five percent (5%) of any class of our voting securities as of March 10, 2016, (2) our directors and nominees for election as directors, (3) our named executive officers and (4) all of our directors and executive officers as of March 10, 2016 as a group. Unless otherwise indicated in the footnotes, shares are owned directly and the indicated person has sole voting and investment power. Also, unless otherwise noted below, the address of each person listed on the table is c/o Endocyte, Inc., 3000 Kent Avenue, Suite A1-100, West Lafayette, Indiana 47906.

		Shares
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner		Number of Shares				%
FMR LLC(1) 245 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210			3,575,595				8.48
Entities related to Sanderling Ventures(2) Sanderling Ventures 400 S. El Camino Real, Suite 1200, San Mateo, CA 94402			3,545,617				8.41
Pension Fund of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Inc.(3) 1099 N. Meridian Street, Suite 720, Indianapolis, IN 46204			3,382,678				8.02
P. Ron Ellis(4)			1,224,022				2.84
Michael A. Sherman(5)			461,742				1.09
Scot L. Harper, Ph.D.(6)			74,202					*
Christopher P. Leamon, Ph.D.(7)			394,703					*
Katherine Parker(8)			36,592					*
John C. Aplin, Ph.D.(9)			100,519					*
Keith E. Brauer(10)			98,171					*
Colin Goddard(11)			57,750					*
Ann F. Hanham, Ph.D.(12)			79,456					*
Marc D. Kozin(13)			63,750					*
Philip S. Low, Ph.D.(14)			785,012				1.85
Peter D. Meldrum(15)			73,750					*
Fred A. Middleton(16)			3,811,322				9.02
Lesley Russell, M.B., Ch.B.(17)			71,750					*
All current directors and executive officers as a group (17 people as of 3/10/16)(18)			7,485,992				16.62

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE MATTERS

Policies on Corporate Governance

Our Board of Directors recognizes that good corporate governance is important to ensure that the company is managed for the long-term benefit of stockholders. The Board has adopted Corporate Governance Principles, written charters for each of its standing committees and a Code of Ethics and Business Conduct and will amend them as appropriate to reflect new policies or practices. The current version of each of these documents is available on our website, www.endocyte.com, in the Investors & News section, and will be provided in print without charge upon written request to our Corporate Secretary at 8910 Purdue Road, Suite 250, Indianapolis, Indiana 46268.

We will also either disclose on Form 8-K or post on our Internet website any substantive amendment to, or waiver from, a provision of the Code of Ethics and Business Conduct that applies to any of our directors or executive officers.

Board Composition

Our Board of Directors is currently composed of ten members, divided into three staggered classes of directors. At each annual meeting of stockholders, a class of directors will be elected for a three-year term to succeed the same class whose terms are then expiring. The terms of the directors will expire upon the election and qualification of successor directors at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held during the years 2017 for the Class I directors, 2018 for the Class II directors and 2016 for the Class III directors.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that the number of our directors, which is currently ten members, shall be fixed from time to time by a resolution of the majority of our Board of Directors.

Board Leadership Structure

John C. Aplin, one of our independent directors, currently serves as the non-executive Chairman of the Board. P. Ron Ellis is our President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Ellis focuses on the day-to-day developments of the company and establishes the company’s growth strategy and strategic plan. Mr. Aplin chairs the Board and, in that capacity, can impact the issues that are brought before the Board. The Board of Directors believes that these complementary roles provide an appropriate leadership structure for the company at this time.

The Board of Directors expects to re-evaluate its leadership structure on an ongoing basis and may change it as circumstances warrant. The Board believes that the current leadership structure of separate individuals holding the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer roles allows the Board to function efficiently and effectively. If the Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer roles are held by one person in the future, the Board will designate one of its independent directors as “Lead Independent Director” with the responsibilities described in our Corporate Governance Principles.

Board’s Role in Oversight of Risk Management

While risk management is primarily the responsibility of our management, the Board of Directors, acting primarily through the Audit Committee, provides overall risk oversight with a focus on the most significant risks facing us. We use a risk management process to identify and assess the major risks we face and develop strategies for controlling, mitigating and monitoring risk. As part of this process, we gather information throughout the company to identify and prioritize major risks. The identified risks and mitigation strategies are validated with management and presented to the Audit Committee on an ongoing basis.

Examples of major risks we have identified are our ability to achieve regulatory milestones, enter into license or other business development transactions, access capital and execute clinical trials in a timely manner.

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Information concerning risks relating to our compensation policies and practices is provided on page 28 of this proxy statement. Additional review or reporting on risks is conducted as needed or as requested by the Board or Audit Committee.

Director Independence

Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Market. Under the listing rules of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”), independent directors must comprise a majority of a listed company’s board of directors and, subject to specified exceptions, independent directors must be the members of a listed company’s audit, compensation and nominating and corporate governance committees. Audit committee and compensation committee members must also satisfy additional independence criteria. Under the Nasdaq listing rules, a director will only qualify as an “independent director” if, in the opinion of that company’s board of directors, that person does not have a relationship that would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director.

In order to be considered to be independent for purposes of audit committee membership, a director may not, other than in his or her capacity as a member of the audit committee, the board of directors, or any other board committee: (1) accept, directly or indirectly, any consulting, advisory or other compensatory fee from the listed company or any of its subsidiaries; or (2) be an affiliated person of the listed company or any of its subsidiaries.

In order to be considered to be independent for purposes of compensation committee membership, a listed company’s board of directors must consider all factors specifically relevant to determining whether a director has a relationship to the listed company which is material to that director’s ability to be independent from management in connection with the duties of a compensation committee member, including, but not limited to: (1) the source of compensation of such director, including any consulting, advisory or other compensatory fee paid by the listed company to such director; and (2) whether such director is affiliated with the listed company, a subsidiary of the listed company or an affiliate of a subsidiary of the listed company.

After reviewing the composition of the Board of Directors, the composition of its committees and the independence of each director, our Board of Directors has determined that none of Messrs. Brauer, Kozin, Meldrum and Middleton and Drs. Aplin, Goddard, Hanham and Russell, representing eight of our ten directors, has a relationship that would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director and that each of these directors is “independent” as that term is defined under the Nasdaq listing rules. Our Board of Directors also determined that Messrs. Brauer and Middleton and Dr. Aplin, who comprise our Audit Committee, Messrs. Kozin and Meldrum and Dr. Goddard, who comprise our Compensation Committee, and Drs. Hanham and Russell and Mr. Kozin, who comprise our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, satisfy the independence standards for those committees established by applicable Securities and Exchange Commission rules and the Nasdaq listing rules.

Mr. Ellis and Dr. Low are executive officers and employees of the company. Consequently, Mr. Ellis and Dr. Low are not considered independent directors.

Nominations for Directors

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee screens candidates and recommends candidates for nomination to the Board. In seeking and evaluating director candidates, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considers individuals in accordance with the criteria described below under “— Director Qualifications.” Director candidates may be recommended by Board members, a third-party search firm or stockholders. From time to time since 2012, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has utilized Levin & Company, Inc., a third-party search firm, to assist it in identifying and evaluating potential candidates for director.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider director nominees recommended by stockholders. A stockholder who wishes to recommend a director candidate should send such recommendation to our Corporate Secretary at 8910 Purdue Road, Suite 250, Indianapolis, Indiana 46268, who will forward it to the committee. Any such recommendation should include a description of the candidate’s qualifications for Board service, the candidate’s written consent to be considered for nomination and to serve if nominated and elected, and addresses and telephone numbers for contacting the stockholder and the candidate for more

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information. A stockholder who wishes to nominate an individual as a director candidate at the annual meeting of stockholders, rather than recommend the individual to the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee as a nominee, must comply with the advance notice requirements for stockholder nominations set forth in our Amended and Restated By-Laws.

Director Qualifications

The Board of Directors believes that its members should exhibit high standards of independent judgment and integrity, have a strong record of achievement, have an understanding of our business and the competitive environment in which we operate, and bring the benefits of their experiences and backgrounds to the Board and committee functions. Directors should be committed to enhancing stockholder value on a long-term basis and have sufficient time to carry out their duties.

In considering director nominees, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee reviews the current composition of the Board, including issues of character, judgment, diversity, age, independence, corporate experience, length of service, understanding of the Company’s business, other commitments and any specialized areas of expertise needed by the Board or any of its committees. Although the Board does not have a policy requiring the consideration of diversity as a principal factor in identifying director candidates, the committee is expected to evaluate a candidate’s background, age, education, professional accomplishments and experiences and the effect that the candidate’s election would have on the composition of the Board as a whole.

Board and Director Evaluations

On an annual basis, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee leads a comprehensive evaluation process of the Board and individual directors. Each director completes a performance self-evaluation questionnaire, which contains questions regarding the performance of the full Board, each standing committee and each individual Board member. The chairman of the committee reviews and prepares a summary of the completed questionnaires. Each director is also interviewed by a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The committee reviews and discusses the results of the questionnaires and the interviews. The committee reports those results to the full Board, and the full Board further reviews and discusses the results of the evaluations.

Communications with the Independent Directors of the Board

The Board has implemented a process by which our stockholders and other interested parties may communicate with the Board or one or more members of our Board in a written communication addressed to Corporate Secretary, Endocyte, Inc., 8910 Purdue Road, Suite 250, Indianapolis, Indiana 46268. The Board has instructed our Corporate Secretary to promptly forward all such communications to the specified addressees thereof. However, certain items which are unrelated to the duties and responsibilities of the Board will be excluded, such as: product complaints, product inquiries, new product suggestions, resumes, surveys and advertisements. In addition, material that is unduly hostile, threatening, illegal or similarly unsuitable will be excluded, with the provision that any communication that is filtered out must be made available to any non-management director upon request.

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SECTION 16(a) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE

Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our directors, executive officers and persons who own more than 10% of our common stock to file reports of ownership and changes in ownership with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Based on our records, we believe that during 2015 all applicable Section 16(a) filing requirements were met, except that each of Mr. Ellis, Dr. Low and Dr. Leamon was delinquent in filing one Form 4 in 2015, which in each case reported the exercise of stock options by such individual, and Ms. Parker omitted shares held in her ESPP account from her Form 3 filing in 2015.

TRANSACTIONS WITH RELATED PERSONS

Policy

We have adopted a formal policy that our executive officers, directors, holders of more than five percent of any class of our voting securities, and any member of the immediate family of and any entity affiliated with any of the foregoing persons, are not permitted to enter into a related party transaction with us without the prior consent of our audit committee, or other independent members of our Board of Directors in the case it is inappropriate for our audit committee to review such transaction due to a conflict of interest. In approving or rejecting any such proposal, our audit committee is to consider the relevant facts and circumstances available and deemed relevant by the audit committee, including, but not limited to, whether the transaction is on terms no less favorable than terms generally available to an unaffiliated third party under the same or similar circumstances and the extent of the related party’s interest in the transaction.

Related Party Transactions

Since January 1, 2015, we have been a party to the following arrangements, in which the amount involved exceeded or will exceed $120,000, and in which any director, executive officer or holder of more than five percent of any class of our voting stock, or any member of the immediate family of or entities affiliated with any of them, had or will have a material interest.

Transactions with Our Founders and Entities Affiliated with Our Founders

Philip S. Low, Ph.D., our Chief Science Officer and one of our founders and directors, conducts research at Purdue University. We entered into an exclusive license agreement dated October 21, 1998, as amended, an exclusive license agreement effective March 1, 2010 and a master license agreement effective July 1, 2013 with Purdue Research Foundation to license certain intellectual property and methods that were invented in Dr. Low’s laboratory. We fund research at Purdue University and paid $1,000,000 in 2015. Additionally, we are a party to a lease with Purdue Research Foundation, pursuant to which we paid $588,000 in 2015.

In September 2011, we entered into an agreement with On Target Laboratories, L.L.C., or On Target, to develop and commercialize products relating to the compound comprising our Folate and DUPA ligands and certain other licensed patents. The chief executive officer of On Target is the brother of Dr. Low, one of our directors and Chief Science Officer. Dr. Low also owns more than 10% of the equity of On Target. We believe the terms of the On Target agreement are no less favorable to us than terms that would be available in an arm’s-length transaction. On Target is solely responsible for conducting research and development, seeking regulatory approval and commercialization of products. If On Target fails to meet minimum spend requirements on research and development, we have the right to terminate the agreement. We will be entitled to receive minimum royalty payments annually based on net sales, but there is no guarantee that a commercial product will be developed and approved for commercial sales. We will also be entitled to reimbursement of expenses relating to patent expenses and payments to the inventors and Purdue University as certain milestones are met. During 2015, we received $20,000 in license payments and $21,044 in reimbursed research and development expenses, and we expect to receive approximately $20,000 during 2016 for license payments.

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MEETINGS AND COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD

Meetings and Attendance

Our business, property and affairs are managed under the direction of our Board of Directors. Members of our Board of Directors are kept informed of our business by our President and Chief Executive Officer, other officers and the Chairman of the Board, by reviewing materials provided to them, and by participating in meetings of the Board and its committees. Directors are also expected to use reasonable efforts to attend the annual meeting of stockholders. During 2015, the Board of Directors met five times. The Board conducts many of its oversight responsibilities through three standing committees, including an Audit Committee, a Compensation Committee, and a Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. During 2015, all directors participated in 75% or more of the aggregate number of meetings of the Board and the committees on which they served. All directors at that time attended the 2015 annual meeting of stockholders in person.

Executive Sessions of Independent Directors

The independent directors meet in executive session without management present and the Chairman of the Board presides over these executive sessions. He also helps to set agendas for Board meetings and serves as a liaison between the independent directors and the senior management team.

Committee Membership

The table below indicates the composition of each standing committee, the audit committee members determined by the Board to be “audit committee financial experts” and the number of meetings held by each committee in 2015:

Committee

Committee Chair

Additional Committee Members

Audit Committee Financial Experts

Number of 2015 Committee Meetings

Audit

Keith E. Brauer

John C. Aplin, Ph.D.(1) Fred A. Middleton

Keith E. Brauer John C. Aplin, Ph.D. Fred A. Middleton

Six

Compensation

Peter D. Meldrum

Colin Goddard Marc D. Kozin

N/A

Four

Nominating and Corporate Governance

Ann F. Hanham, Ph.D.

Marc D. Kozin Lesley Russell, M.B., Ch.B.

N/A

Seven

The Audit Committee

The members of our Audit Committee are Messrs. Brauer and Middleton and Dr. Aplin, each of whom is a non-employee member of our Board of Directors. Mr. Brauer is the chairman of the committee. Each of the members of the committee has been determined by the Board to be an audit committee financial expert, as that term is defined under the Securities and Exchange Commission rules implementing Section 407 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and possesses financial sophistication, as defined under the Nasdaq listing rules. Our Audit Committee is responsible for, among other things:

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The Compensation Committee

The members of our Compensation Committee are Messrs. Kozin and Meldrum and Dr. Goddard. Mr. Meldrum is the chairman of the committee. The Compensation Committee is responsible for, among other things:

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

No member of the Compensation Committee during 2015 was an officer, employee or former officer of Endocyte or had any relationship requiring disclosure in this proxy statement pursuant to Securities and Exchange Commission regulations. None of our executive officers served as a member of a compensation committee or a director of another entity under the circumstances requiring disclosure in this proxy statement pursuant to Securities and Exchange Commission regulations.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

The members of our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are Mr. Kozin and Drs. Hanham and Russell. Dr. Hanham is the chairman of the committee. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for, among other things:

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PROPOSAL 1 — ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

The Board of Directors currently consists of ten members divided into three classes whose three-year terms of office expire at successive annual meetings. Directors elected at the annual meeting will serve for a term of office expiring at the 2019 annual meeting. Based on the recommendation of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, the Board has nominated the persons listed below as “Nominees for Director.” All of the nominees are current directors.

We expect each nominee for election as a director will be able to serve if elected. If any nominee is not able to serve, proxies will be voted in favor of the remainder of those nominated and may be voted for substitute nominees.

There are no family relationships among any of our directors or executive officers. The names, principal occupations and certain other information about the nominees and the directors whose term of office is not expiring at the annual meeting, as well as key experiences, qualifications, attributes and skills of those persons that led the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee to conclude that such person is currently qualified to serve as a director are set forth on the following pages.

Nominees for Director (Class III Directors)

P. Ron Ellis

Age 54

Mr. Ellis is one of our founders and has served as our President and Chief Executive Officer since January 1996 and as a member of our Board of Directors since December 1995. Prior to joining the company, Mr. Ellis served in various positions at Hill-Rom Company, but most recently as Vice President of Strategy and Corporate Development of the specialty care division. Mr. Ellis holds a B.S. in computer science, an M.B.A. from Brigham Young University and a certification in regulatory affairs from Purdue University.

We believe that Mr. Ellis possesses specific attributes that qualify him to serve as a member of our Board of Directors, including the perspective and experience he brings as our President and Chief Executive Officer and as one of our co-founders, which brings historic knowledge, operational expertise and continuity to our Board of Directors.

Marc D. Kozin

Age 54
Compensation Committee
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

Mr. Kozin has served as a member of our Board of Directors since July 2012. Mr. Kozin has been a Senior Advisor to L.E.K. Consulting, a global strategy consulting firm, since July 2011. Prior to that, Mr. Kozin served as president of L.E.K.’s North American practice for 15 years. Mr. Kozin has over 30 years of experience in corporate and business unit strategy consulting, merger and acquisition advisory services, and value management both domestically and internationally. Mr. Kozin serves as a member of the board of directors, and as the chairman of the audit committee, of Flex Pharma, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, and he also serves as a member of the board of directors of UFP Technologies, Inc., a designer and manufacturer of engineered packaging solutions and engineered component products, OvaScience, Inc., a global life science company, and two privately-held companies. He also serves on the strategic advisory board for Healthcare Royalty Partners, a global healthcare investment firm. During the past five years, Mr. Kozin also served as a member of the board of directors of DYAX Corp., a biopharmaceutical company. Mr. Kozin holds a B.A., with distinction, in economics from Duke University and an M.B.A., with distinction, from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

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We believe that Mr. Kozin possesses specific attributes that qualify him to serve as a member of our Board of Directors, including his experience in corporate and business unit strategy consulting, merger and acquisition advisory services, and value management both domestically and internationally, as well as his deep industry expertise advising biopharmaceutical, life sciences and medical technology companies.

Fred A. Middleton

Age 66
Audit Committee

Mr. Middleton has served as a member of our Board of Directors since July 2001. Since 1987, Mr. Middleton has been a General Partner and Managing Director of Sanderling Ventures, a biomedical venture capital firm. During the last 30 years, Mr. Middleton has served in a number of roles as a member of management, board member or an investor in over 25 biomedical companies. Mr. Middleton currently serves as a director of Stereotaxis, Inc. (STXS), a medical device company. During the past five years, he was also a member of the board of directors of CardioNet, Inc. (BEAT), a cardiac rhythm management services company, and Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (PCRX), a therapeutic drug company. Mr. Middleton also serves on the board of directors of several privately-held biomedical and biotechnology companies. He holds a B.S. in chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an M.B.A. with distinction from the Harvard Business School.

We believe that Mr. Middleton possesses specific attributes that qualify him to serve as a member of the Board of Directors, including his experience in the venture capital industry and his general operational and management experience working with early-stage biomedical companies.

The Board of Directors Unanimously Recommends that
Stockholders Vote FOR the Nominees Named Above.

Information regarding the company’s directors continuing in office is provided below.

Class I Directors (Terms expire in 2017)

John C. Aplin, Ph.D.

Age 70
Chairman of the Board
Audit Committee

Dr. Aplin has served as a member of our Board of Directors since May 2003 and as Chairman since May 2011. Since November 1990, Dr. Aplin has served as General Partner and Managing Director of CID Capital, a private equity firm. Dr. Aplin has served on the board of directors of 25 companies and was the Chairperson of the M.B.A. program at Indiana University. Dr. Aplin holds a B.S. in business administration from Drake University, and an M.A. and a Ph.D. in business administration from the University of Iowa. Dr. Aplin is also a Certified Management Consultant.

We believe that Dr. Aplin possesses specific attributes that qualify him to serve as a member of our Board of Directors, including his experience in the venture capital and private equity industries, his years of business and leadership experience and his financial sophistication and expertise.

Colin Goddard, Ph.D.

Age 56
Compensation Committee

Dr. Goddard has served as a member of our Board of Directors since November 2013. Dr. Goddard has served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BlinkBio, Inc. (formerly Coferon, Inc.), a private biotechnology platform company, since April 2011. From October 1998, until its acquisition by Astellas Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in July 2010, Dr. Goddard served as Chief Executive Officer of OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc., or OSI, and as a member of its Board of Directors. He joined OSI as a scientist in 1989 and held positions that included Director of Drug Discovery, Chief Operating Officer and President. He also chaired the OSI board from 2000 – 2002. Prior to his employment at OSI, Dr. Goddard was a research fellow at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, MD. Dr. Goddard also chairs the board of Merganser Biotech and

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serves on the boards of PanOptica, Inc. and Mission Therapeutics Ltd., all private biotech companies. From December 2010 until the sale of the company in July 2012, Dr. Goddard served as a director of the board of Human Genome Sciences (HGS), a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company. He also served on the boards of the trade associations PhRMA and BIO. He received his Ph.D. in cancer pharmacology from the University of Aston in Birmingham, U.K. and a B.Sc. (Hons) in biochemistry from the University of York, U.K.

We believe that Dr. Goddard possesses specific attributes that qualify him to serve as a member of our Board of Directors, including his years of experience in the biotechnology, diagnostic and related industries, and his scientific background and industry knowledge.

Philip S. Low, Ph.D.

Age 68

Dr. Low is one of our founders and has served as our Chief Science Officer since April 1998 and as a member of our Board of Directors since December 1995. Dr. Low has served on the faculty at Purdue University since August 1976, where he is currently the Director of the Purdue Center for Drug Discovery and the Ralph C. Corley Distinguished Professor of Chemistry. Dr. Low holds a B.S. in chemistry from Brigham Young University and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of California, San Diego.

We believe that Dr. Low possesses specific attributes that qualify him to serve as a member of our Board of Directors, including the perspective and experience he brings as our Chief Science Officer and as one of our co-founders, which brings historic knowledge, scientific expertise and continuity to our Board of Directors.

Lesley Russell, M.B., Ch.B.

Age 55
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

Dr. Russell has served as a member of our Board of Directors since January 2013. Dr. Russell has served as the Chief Operating Officer of TetraLogic Pharmaceuticals Corporation, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, since August 2013. Prior to that position, Dr. Russell served as senior vice president and head of research and development for global branded products at Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, a global pharmaceutical company, from October 2011 until June 2012. Prior to that position, she was executive vice president and chief medical officer at Cephalon, Inc., a global biopharmaceutical company. Dr. Russell joined Cephalon in 2000 and held various positions of increasing responsibility, including head of clinical research and medical affairs, prior to becoming Cephalon’s chief medical officer in September 2006. Before joining Cephalon, Dr. Russell held positions of increasing responsibility at Amgen U.K., Lilly Industries Ltd., U.K., and U.S. Bioscience, now acquired by MedImmune Oncology. Dr. Russell currently serves as a member of the board of directors of AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AMAG), a biopharmaceutical company. She holds a M.B., Ch.B. degree from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland and is a Member of the Royal College of Physicians UK.

We believe that Dr. Russell possesses specific attributes that qualify her to serve as a member of our Board of Directors, including her experience in advancing products through late-stage clinical development and in navigating the new drug approval process at the FDA.

Class II Directors (Terms expire in 2018)

Keith E. Brauer

Age 67
Audit Committee (Chairman)

Mr. Brauer has served as a member of our Board of Directors since August 2006. From August 1999 through December 2011, Mr. Brauer served in various roles at the Community Hospitals of Indianapolis, or CHI, including roles with CHI’s affiliate, Indiana Heart Hospital, or IHH. Mr. Brauer served as a member of CHI’s finance committee from August 1999 to December 2011, and as a member of IHH’s board of directors from April 2006 to December 2011, as Chairman of IHH’s board of directors. Mr. Brauer was also a member of CHI’s board of directors from October 2000 to December 2009 and as Chairman of CHI’s board of directors from August 2003 to August 2005. He also served on the board of directors from June 2006 to

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March 2013 and as chairman of the audit committee from September 2006 to March 2013 of NanoInk, Inc., a nanometer-scale manufacturing and applications development company. He has also served on the board of directors since August 2008 and chairman of the audit committee since October 2008 of NICO Corporation, a neurosurgery company. From 1988 to 1994, Mr. Brauer served in various executive roles at Eli Lilly and Company, a healthcare company, most recently as Executive Director and Chief Accounting Officer. From July 1994 to April 2006, Mr. Brauer served as Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer of Guidant, which was acquired by Boston Scientific Corporation, a medical device company, in April 2006. Mr. Brauer retired with full benefits after the acquisition of Guidant and has not sought full time employment since that time. Mr. Brauer occasionally consults for investors in the medical device industry. Mr. Brauer holds a B.S. in management from Indiana University and an M.B.A. from the University of Michigan and has been a member of the Financial Executives Institute since 1984.

We believe that Mr. Brauer possesses specific attributes that qualify him to serve as a member of our Board of Directors, including his financial, general operational and management experience.

Ann F. Hanham, Ph.D.

Age 63
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (Chairman)

Dr. Hanham has served as a member of our Board of Directors since November 2004. Dr. Hanham has been the Managing Partner at BAR Capital Management, an investment adviser firm, since December 2013. Beginning in February 2000, Dr. Hanham was with Burrill & Company, a venture capital and merchant banking firm, serving as a managing director from 2002 to November 2013. Dr. Hanham currently serves on the board of directors of SCYNEXIS, Inc., a pharmaceutical company. She previously served on the board of directors of BioMimetic Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, from May 2001 to September 2006; Biotie Therapies, a drug discovery and development company, from March 2009 to April 2011; Targacept, a biopharmaceutical company, from September 2005 to August 2006; and Acusphere, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company, from December 2013 until January 2015. Dr. Hanham holds a B.Sc. from the University of Toronto, a M.Sc. from Simon Fraser University and a Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia.

We believe that Dr. Hanham possesses specific attributes that qualify her to serve as a member of our Board of Directors, including experience in the venture capital industry and her years of financial, business and leadership experience in the biomedical industry.

Peter D. Meldrum

Age 68
Compensation Committee (Chairman)

Mr. Meldrum has served as a member of our Board of Directors since May 2012. Mr. Meldrum was President and Chief Executive Officer of Myriad Genetics, Inc., a molecular diagnostic company, from November 1991 until his retirement in June 2015. Mr. Meldrum also was a director of Myriad from May 1991 to June 2015. Prior to joining Myriad, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of Founders Fund, Inc., a venture capital group specializing in the biotechnology industry. He holds a Doctorate of Engineering (honorary) from the University of Utah, a Doctorate of Science (honorary) from Westminster College, an M.B.A. from the University of Utah and a B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Utah.

We believe that Mr. Meldrum possesses specific attributes that qualify him to serve as a member of our Board of Directors, including his years of experience in the biotechnology, diagnostic and related industries, his expertise in investor relations and his scientific background and industry knowledge.

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PROPOSAL 2 — RATIFICATION OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

The Audit Committee has selected Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for 2016, and we are asking stockholders to approve a proposal to ratify that appointment.

In deciding whether to retain Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm, the Audit Committee considers whether that firm is best positioned and qualified to provide the most effective and efficient service, based on a number of factors, including, but not limited to:

The Audit Committee approves all audits and permissible non-audit services to be provided to the company by Ernst & Young LLP prior to commencement of services and has delegated to the Chairman of the Audit Committee the authority to approve specific services up to specified individual and aggregate fee amounts. These approval decisions are presented to the full Audit Committee at the next scheduled meeting after such approvals are made.

The company has incurred fees as shown below for services from Ernst & Young LLP. Ernst & Young LLP has advised us that it has billed or will bill the company the below indicated amounts for the following categories of services for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively:

		2015				2014
Audit Fees(1)		$	475,000			$	639,800
Audit-Related Fees			—				—
Tax Fees(2)		$	85,350			$	181,000
All Other Fees			—				—

We expect that representatives of Ernst & Young LLP will be present at the meeting and will be available to respond to appropriate questions. They will also have an opportunity to make a statement if they desire to do so.

If the holders of a majority of voting shares voting on this matter do not ratify the selection, the Audit Committee will reconsider its choice taking into consideration the views of the stockholders and may, but will not be required to, appoint a different independent registered public accounting firm.

The Board of Directors Unanimously Recommends that Stockholders Vote FOR Ratification of the
Appointment of Ernst &Young LLP as our Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for 2016.

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REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE

The Audit Committee is responsible for monitoring the integrity of the company’s financial statements, the qualifications, performance and independence of the company’s independent registered public accounting firm and the company’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. We have the sole authority to appoint or replace the company’s independent registered public accounting firm. The committee operates under a written charter adopted by the Board. The committee currently has three members. The Board has determined that each committee member is independent under the standards of director independence established under our Corporate Governance Principles, the Nasdaq listing standards and applicable securities laws, and that each member is an audit committee financial expert, as defined under the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Management is responsible for the financial reporting process, including the system of internal control over financial reporting, and for the preparation of financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The company’s independent registered public accounting firm is responsible for auditing the financial statements and expressing an opinion on the financial statements and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting. Our responsibility is to oversee and review the financial reporting process and to review and discuss reports related to internal control over financial reporting. We are not, however, professionally engaged in the practice of accounting or auditing and do not provide any expert or other special assurance as to such financial statements concerning compliance with laws, regulations or accounting principles generally accepted in the United States or as to the independence of the independent registered public accounting firm. We rely, without independent verification, on the information provided to us and on the representations made by management and the independent registered public accounting firm.

We held six meetings during 2015. The meetings were designed, among other things, to facilitate and encourage communication among the committee, management and the independent registered public accounting firm, Ernst & Young LLP.

We discussed with Ernst & Young LLP the overall scope and plans for their respective audits. We met with Ernst & Young LLP, with and without management present, to discuss the results of their examinations.

We discussed with management the company’s major financial risk exposures and the steps management has taken to monitor and control such exposures, particularly related to the company’s compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

We reviewed and discussed the audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2015 with management and Ernst & Young LLP. We reviewed Ernst & Young LLP’s report on the company’s financial statements which indicated that the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the company’s financial position and results of operations and cash flows in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. We also reviewed and discussed with management and Ernst & Young LLP the management’s report and Ernst & Young LLP’s report on the effectiveness of the company’s internal control over financial reporting. We also discussed with management and Ernst & Young LLP the process used to support certifications by the company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer that are required by the Securities and Exchange Commission to accompany the company’s periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

We also discussed with Ernst & Young LLP matters required to be discussed by their professional standards, including, among other things, matters related to the conduct of the audit of the company’s financial statements and the matters required to be discussed by applicable standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.

We also received the written disclosures and the letter from Ernst & Young LLP required by applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding the independent accountant’s communications with us concerning independence, and we discussed with Ernst & Young LLP the independence of that firm.

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When considering Ernst & Young LLP’s independence, we considered if services they provided to the company beyond those rendered in connection with their audit of the company’s financial statements and reviews of the company’s quarterly unaudited financial statements were compatible with maintaining their independence. We concluded that the provision of such services by Ernst & Young LLP’s has not jeopardized Ernst & Young LLP’s independence.

Based on our review and these meetings, discussions and reports, and subject to the limitations on our role and responsibilities referred to above and in the Audit Committee Charter, we recommended to the Board that the company’s audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2015 be included in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 for filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Committee has also selected Ernst & Young LLP as the company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2016 and will present an advisory proposal to the stockholders at the meeting to ratify the selection.

                                    The Audit Committee:

                                    Keith E. Brauer, Chairman
                                    John C. Aplin, Ph.D.
                                    Fred A. Middleton

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
  
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT

The Compensation Committee consists of the three directors named below, each of whom meets the independence standards of the company’s Corporate Governance Principles, the Nasdaq listing standards and applicable securities laws.

The committee has the authority to engage its own advisers to assist it in carrying out its responsibilities. The Compensation Committee used Radford, an Aon Hewitt Consulting Company, or Radford, as its consultant during 2015. The consultant reports to the Compensation Committee directly and interacts with management, as necessary. The committee has determined that the work performed by Radford in 2015 did not raise any conflicts of interest.

The committee held four meetings during 2015. The meetings were designed, among other things, to facilitate and encourage free and frank discussion between committee members and the consultant as well as extensive communication among committee members, executive management and other company personnel involved in executive compensation matters.

The committee reviewed and discussed with management the Compensation Discussion and Analysis that immediately follows this report. Based on its review and these discussions with management, the committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in the company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, and proxy statement for the 2016 annual meeting of stockholders.

                                    The Compensation Committee:

                                    Peter D. Meldrum, Chairman
                                    Colin Goddard, Ph.D.
                                    Marc D. Kozin

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COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

Executive Summary

The following discussion and analysis is intended to supplement the more detailed information concerning executive compensation that appears in the rest of this section and in the compensation tables and accompanying narrative which follow this section. Our goal is to provide an understanding of our compensation practices and the decisions that affected the compensation payable for 2015 to our executive officers, including the President and Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer and the other executive officers named in the Summary Compensation Table, whom we refer to in this discussion as the named executive officers, or NEOs.

The Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors, referred to in this section as the committee, plays a key role in designing and administering our executive compensation program. All principal elements of compensation paid to our executive officers are subject to approval by the committee. The Compensation Committee Report immediately precedes this discussion.

During 2015 we achieved significant accomplishments, including the following:

The Compensation Committee also considered that we fell short of defined objectives in the following areas:

Advisory Votes on Compensation

We submitted two non-binding proposals to our stockholders at the 2011 annual meeting. These proposals consisted of an advisory vote to approve the compensation of the NEOs as disclosed in the proxy statement, or a say-on-pay vote, and an advisory vote on the frequency of future say-on-pay votes, or a frequency vote. In accordance with the results of the 2011 frequency vote, we are conducting say-on-pay votes every three years. As a result, we held our second advisory say-on-pay vote at the 2014 annual meeting and the next frequency vote will be held no later than the 2017 annual meeting.

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Approximately 93% of the votes cast were cast in favor of the advisory say-on-pay vote at the 2014 annual meeting. As a result of the high level of support in 2014, the committee did not make significant changes to our executive compensation programs and policies for 2014, 2015 or 2016. However, the committee has made certain incremental changes related to NEO compensation, which are described in this Compensation Discussion and Analysis. The committee intends to continue to monitor stockholder concerns, including the results of the say-on-pay votes, in making future decisions affecting the compensation of the NEOs.

Compensation Philosophy

Our executive compensation program seeks to attract and retain our senior executives and motivate them to pursue our corporate objectives while encouraging the creation of long-term value for our stockholders. Through our annual goal-setting process, organizational objectives are established for our company and employees, including the NEOs. We evaluate and reward our NEOs through compensation intended to motivate them to identify and capitalize on the opportunities that result in our growth and success.

The main elements of our NEO compensation program are:

The committee believes that each of these compensation components is necessary to help us attract and retain the executive talent on which we depend. We target cash and equity compensation at a competitive level relative to our peers to fuel both near term execution and long term innovation intended to generate returns for our stockholders over the long term.

Compensation Decision Process

Role of Committee

All compensation decisions affecting our executive officers, including the NEOs, are solely determined by the committee.

Role of Management

Our Chief Executive Officer, or CEO, our Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, or COO/CFO, and our Vice President of Human Resources typically attend meetings of the committee, except for executive sessions. However, in some instances, the committee may request the attendance of the Vice President of Human Resources in a separate executive session to provide perspective regarding officer performance. At the request of the committee, our CEO provides his assessment of the performance of our NEOs, other than himself. Our CEO also takes an active part in the discussions of the committee at which the compensation of NEOs other than himself is discussed. The committee may agree with our CEO’s recommendations or may reach a different conclusion as to the compensation of such NEOs. Our COO/CFO oversees major operational, financial, and human resources aspects of the company, including officer compensation practices. He substantially contributes to the committee’s consideration of the overall design and function of our compensation system. The Vice President of Human Resources oversees the human resources function at our company and contributes to the committee’s consideration of the design and function of our compensation practices overall, including those applicable to executive officers. All decisions regarding our CEO’s, COO/CFO’s and Vice President of Human Resources’ compensation are made by the committee in executive closed sessions outside of such officer’s presence.

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Role of Compensation Consultant

The committee has the authority to engage its own advisers to assist it in carrying out its responsibilities. The committee has engaged Radford, an Aon Hewitt Consulting Company, or Radford, as its consultant. The consultant reports directly to the committee and interacts with management, as necessary. For 2015, Radford provided us with market data derived from surveys and the peer comparator group discussed below. Radford also provides advisory services supporting the committee in developing and executing elements of compensation plans for all employees. The committee has determined that the work performed by Radford in 2015 did not raise any conflicts of interest.

Market Competitive Data

The committee believes that compensation decisions are complex and should be made after a review of the compensation levels paid to executives in the same or similar positions at other comparator companies. Although the committee does not rely solely on benchmarking to determine any element of compensation or overall compensation, the committee does believe that compensation data are important to the competitive positioning of the Company’s compensation levels.

The companies used for the comparisons vary from time to time. For 2015 compensation determinations, the committee reviewed, with the assistance of Radford, the competitive pay levels and compensation practices of a group of peer companies, as disclosed pursuant to such companies’ publicly filed compensation data. The peer group for 2015 compensation assessments, and changes from the peer group utilized for 2014 compensation assessments, were determined using the following criteria:

The peer group utilized in connection with 2015 compensation determinations consisted of:

BIND Therapeutics		Orexigen Therapeutics
Celldex Therapeutics		Peregrine Pharmaceuticals
ChemoCentryx		Rigel Pharmaceuticals
Cytokinetics		Sunesis Pharmaceuticals
Dynavax Technologies		Synta Pharmaceuticals
Geron		Threshold Pharmaceuticals
Immunomedics		Trevana
Insmed		XOMA
Mirati Therapeutics		ZIOPHARM Oncology
New Link Genetics

In addition to the public proxy data for the peer group companies, Radford gathered competitive market data from the Radford 2014 Global Life Sciences Survey with respect to public biopharmaceutical companies with between 30 and 260 employees, as well as the companies from our peer group that participated in that survey. To arrive at competitive market compensation for comparator purposes, Radford blended survey data using a special cut specific to our peer group companies that participated, and a broader survey cut, where possible. The survey composite was then blended with the public proxy data for the peer group companies to form a market composite. Radford also aged all cash compensation data by a 3% annual rate to reflect prevailing life sciences merit budgeting.

The committee utilized this data to assess whether our executive compensation falls within a competitive range against industry norms. Generally, for 2015 NEO compensation, the committee targeted base salary at the 50^th percentile of the comparator data, cash bonus opportunities at the 50^th percentile and equity award opportunities between the 25^th and 50^th percentile. The aggregate 2015 target total cash compensation (base salary and target cash bonus for 2015) for all of the NEOs was approximately 3% below the 50^th percentile of the comparator data.

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Performance-Driven Compensation

The committee emphasizes performance in annually reviewing and setting our NEOs’ base salary, bonuses and equity awards. This emphasis on performance with respect to a substantial portion of compensation is intended to motivate our NEOs to pursue our business objectives, reward them for achievement of these objectives and align their interests with those of our stockholders.

Our annual bonus program provides participants, including NEOs, with opportunities to earn cash bonuses that relate to specific goals for company and individual performance. Bonuses are paid in the following year after the committee determines the payouts to the participants. We also use equity awards to motivate performance. Stock options only have value to the extent our stock price improves over the term of the options. The value of restricted stock units, or RSUs, to a grantee will depend on our stock price at the time the RSUs vest. During 2011, the committee also made awards of performance-based restricted stock units, or PRSUs, that are subject to objective performance conditions. Based on the performance conditions and the stage of development of our potential products, however, we have concluded that the performance conditions will not be achieved before the performance deadline and, as a result, we do not expect any of the PRSUs to be earned or vest.

Elements of Executive Compensation

Base Salary

We provide base salaries to our NEOs and other employees to compensate them for services rendered on a day-to-day basis during the year. Generally, the base salary element of compensation is used to recognize the experience, skills, knowledge and responsibilities required of each NEO and over time reflects an NEO’s overall sustained performance and contributions to our business. The reviews of NEO base salary levels conducted by our CEO, except with respect to his own salary, and by the committee are subjective, based on their general experience with respect to setting salary levels and supplemented by survey data and assessments of the experience and performance of our NEOs. Survey and comparator group data also is used to validate that determinations fall within acceptable parameters relative to the market.

The following table sets forth information regarding the base salaries for 2015 for the NEOs, as well as the percentage increase from the prior year.

Named Executive Officer		2015 Base Salary				Percentage Increase from Prior Year
P. Ron Ellis		$	492,326				3.0	%
Michael A. Sherman		$	334,688				3.0	%
Scot L. Harper, Ph.D.(1)		$	300,530				14.4	%
Christopher P. Leamon, Ph.D.		$	300,000				7.2	%
Katherine Parker		$	250,290				3.0	%

The February 2015 increases in base salaries were made in consideration of our successful achievement of most of the Key Results Areas, or KRAs, that had been established for 2014. The committee approved 3% merit increases for the executive officers to align with peer company benchmarks. A larger percentage increase in the 2015 base salary of Dr. Leamon, as determined by the committee, was to better align his base salary with internal peers.

Short-Term Incentives (Cash Bonuses)

NEOs are eligible to earn annual cash bonuses that relate to goals set by the committee for company and individual performance. For the 2015 bonus program, the committee approved a target cash bonus opportunity for Mr. Ellis equal to 60%; Mr. Sherman equal to 50%; Drs. Leamon and Harper equal to 40%; and Ms. Parker equal to 35% of his or her 2015 base salary. The committee established a maximum limit, such that an executive could not receive more than 150% of his or her target bonus percentage opportunity.

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For purposes of determining the cash bonuses for our NEOs related to 2015 performance, the committee established KRAs for each NEO, with weightings assigned to each KRA. The committee selected three KRAs that it applied to all of the NEOs with varying weights depending on each NEO’s involvement in that KRA, which were in the following areas:

In addition to those three KRAs applicable to each NEO, the committee established other KRAs in the following areas which applied to individual NEOs, as follows:

In February 2016, the committee reviewed the 2015 performance of the NEOs and made a determination of the extent to which the 2015 KRAs were accomplished by the NEOs. The committee assigned a score to each 2015 KRA for each NEO, based on the extent to which the committee determined the KRA was accomplished. The assigned score was multiplied by the weight associated with that 2015 KRA for each NEO, resulting in a weighted number for each 2015 KRA. The weighted number for all of the 2015 KRAs for each NEO were added together, resulting in a total score for each NEO.

The committee then applied the total score of each NEO to his or her target cash bonus opportunity to arrive at the cash bonus payout for that NEO. The following table indicates the total KRA score, bonus amount and corresponding percentage of base salary, related to 2015 performance that was paid to each NEO:

Named Executive Officer		Total KRA Score				Bonus $				% of 2015 Salary
P. Ron Ellis			0.97			$	286,415				58.4	%
Michael A. Sherman			1.01			$	167,916				50.3	%
Scot L. Harper, Ph.D.			0.98			$	112,246				39.1	%
Christopher P. Leamon, Ph.D.			1.04			$	124,220				41.7	%
Katherine Parker			1.06			$	92,426				37.1	%

For 2016, the committee identified four KRAs which apply to all NEOs with varying weights depending on each NEO’s involvement in that KRA, which were in the following areas:

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The committee considered the importance of achieving efficacy hurdles for EC1169 and EC1456 in order to drive shareholder value and as such, weighted this KRA at 50% for all NEOs.

Long-Term Incentives (Equity Awards)

We believe that strong corporate performance over the long term is achieved with a corporate culture that encourages a long-term focus by our NEOs through the use of equity awards, the value of which depends on our stock performance. We use equity awards to provide certain of our employees, including our NEOs, with incentives to help align those employees’ interests with the interests of our stockholders and to enable them to participate in the long-term appreciation of our stockholder value. Additionally, equity awards provide an important retention tool for key employees, as the awards generally are subject to vesting over an extended period of time based on continued service with us.

Typically, we have made equity awards annually at the beginning of each year based primarily on corporate performance as a whole during the preceding year. In 2015, we granted equity awards in February. In addition, we may grant equity awards upon the occurrence of certain events during the year, for example, upon an employee’s hire or achievement of a significant business objective.

All 2015 equity awards were made under our 2010 Equity Incentive Plan, or EIP. The EIP permits the grant of incentive stock options to our employees and the grant of nonstatutory stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance units and performance shares to our employees, directors and consultants and our parent and subsidiary corporations’ employees and consultants.

The EIP is administered by the committee which has the authority to determine who among the eligible participants will receive awards and the terms of those awards, to prescribe rules and to construe and interpret the EIP and awards granted under the EIP.

For 2015, the equity awards were designed to provide an aggregate compensation comparable to or competitive with the peer group annual equity market value. The committee granted 75% of the value of the equity awards to each NEO in the form of stock options and 25% in the form of RSUs. In an effort to reduce shareholder dilution and be consistent with industry trends and peer group benchmarks, the committee decided to grant equity-based compensation in a combination of stock options and RSUs.

The committee made the following stock option and RSU awards to the NEOs under the EIP in 2015. Each option and RSU grant vests in three equal annual installments, subject to maintaining continued service.

Named Executive Officer		2015 Option Grants (Number of Shares)				2015 RSU Grants (Number of RSUs)
P. Ron Ellis			161,250				26,875
Michael A. Sherman			86,250				14,375
Scot L. Harper, Ph.D.			52,500				8,750
Christopher P. Leamon, Ph.D.			52,500				8,750
Katherine Parker(1)			60,000				10,000

The grant date fair value of the stock option and RSU grants are included in the Summary Compensation Table on page 29 and the Grants of Plan-Based Awards in 2015 table on page 31.

As of the end of 2015, the performance conditions under the PRSUs granted to our NEOs in 2011 had not occurred, and therefore the PRSUs had not yet been earned or vested. Following our withdrawal of our marketing applications in the European Union in 2014 and based on the stage of development of our potential products, we have concluded that the performance conditions will not be achieved before the performance deadline and, as a result, we do not expect any of the PRSUs to be earned or vest.

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Broad-based Employee Benefits

Our NEOs are eligible to participate in the same group insurance and employee benefit plans as our other salaried employees. We provide employee benefits to all eligible employees, including our NEOs, which our Board of Directors and the committee believe are reasonable and consistent with its overall compensation objective to better enable us to attract and retain employees. These benefits include medical, dental, vision, and disability benefits and life insurance. We do not provide special plans or programs for our NEOs.

We sponsor a 401(k) tax-qualified retirement savings plan pursuant to which employees are entitled to participate. Employees can make contributions to the plan on a before-tax basis to the maximum amount prescribed by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. In January 2014, we began providing matching contributions of 50% of the amount contributed by an employee, up to 6% of the employee’s salary that he or she contributes to the plan. Other than this plan, we do not maintain any other deferred savings plans in which our NEOs participate. We do not maintain or provide any defined benefit plans for our employees.

Our Board of Directors adopted, and our shareholders approved, the 2010 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, or the ESPP, in 2010 and 2011, respectively, but we chose to delay commencing the ESPP at that time. During the fourth quarter of 2013, the Board of Directors authorized the implementation of the ESPP effective as of January 1, 2014. The ESPP is intended to comply with Section 423 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, and to provide employees with an opportunity to acquire a stock ownership interest in us. The ESPP is administered by the committee, which has complete discretion to interpret and administer the ESPP, including the terms of each offering that permits purchases of our common stock. In 2015, participants purchased 74,805 shares of common stock under the ESPP. As of January 1, 2016, 911,725 shares of our common stock were available for issuance and purchase by our employees.

Change in Control and Severance Benefits

The committee considers maintaining a stable and effective management team to be essential to maximizing stockholder return. We have entered into change in control and severance arrangements with certain key executives, including our NEOs, that provide additional benefits in the event of a change in control. For more detail on the change in control and severance agreements, see “— Estimated Post-Employment Payments Under Alternative Termination Scenarios.”

Other Policies

In addition, we have adopted policies and practices that the committee believes help further its goals and objectives related to executive compensation, including:

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Tax and Accounting Considerations

We have not provided any executive officer or director with a gross-up or other reimbursement for tax amounts the executive officer or director might pay pursuant to Section 280G or Section 409A of the Code. Section 280G and related Code sections provide that executive officers, directors who hold significant stockholder interests and certain other service providers could be subject to significant additional taxes if they receive payments or benefits in connection with a change in control of our company that exceeds certain limits, and that we or our successor could lose a deduction on the amounts subject to the additional tax.

Section 409A also imposes additional significant taxes on the individual in the event that an executive officer, director or service provider receives “deferred compensation” that does not meet the requirements of Section 409A.

Section 162(m) of the Code limits the allowable deduction for compensation paid or accrued with respect to the chief executive officer and each of the three other most highly compensated executive officers (other than the chief financial officer) of a publicly held corporation to no more than $1,000,000 per year. This limitation does not apply to compensation that meets the requirements of Section 162(m) for performance-based compensation. Additionally, under a special Code Section 162(m) exception, any compensation paid by us pursuant to a compensation plan in existence before February 9, 2011, the date we closed our initial public offering, was not subject to the $1,000,000 limitation until our 2015 annual meeting of stockholders. Because the EIP was not presented to stockholders at the 2015 annual meeting for approval, grants made under the EIP after that meeting date do not satisfy the performance-based exception to Section 162(m). As a result, any taxable compensation attributable to those later awards would count against the $1,000,000 annual limit on deductibility. However, at December 31, 2015, we had net operating loss carryforwards for federal income taxes totaling approximately $191.1 million. These loss carryforwards defer the impact of any tax return deduction that we might lose under Section 162(m) for one or more of the carryforward years. Although the committee cannot predict how the deductibility limit may impact our compensation program in future years, the committee believes that the potential deductibility of compensation payable to our executives should be only one of a number of relevant factors taken into consideration. The committee intends to maintain an approach to executive compensation that strongly links pay to performance.

ASSESSMENT OF COMPENSATION-RELATED RISKS

We believe that our compensation policies and practices are designed to encourage our employees to act in the long-term best interests of the company and are not reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on our business. We believe that the following factors reduce the likelihood that our employees would be encouraged to take excessive risks:

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SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE

The following table provides information regarding the compensation of our principal executive officer, principal financial officer and each of the next three most highly compensated executive officers who were serving as executive officers at the end of 2015. We refer to these persons as our named executive officers, or NEOs.

Name and Principal Position		Year				Salary ($)				Bonus ($)(1)				Stock Awards ($)(2)				Option Awards ($)(3)				Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation ($)(4)				All Other Compensation ($)(5)				Total ($)
P. Ron Ellis President and Chief Executive Officer			2015				490,672				—				137,063				672,413				286,415				8,790				1,595,353
			2014				475,612				—				249,975				1,214,190				222,824				8,640				2,171,241
			2013				452,649				—				—				1,735,250				269,326				840				2,458,066
Michael A. Sherman Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer			2015				333,563				—				73,313				359,663				167,916				8,790				943,245
			2014				322,985				—				83,325				404,730				102,128				6,130				919,298
			2013				304,769				—				—				552,125				129,603				840				987,337
Scot L. Harper, Ph.D.(6) Vice President of Clinical Operations			2015				287,009				—				44,625				218,925				112,246				8,790				671,595
			2014				261,767				—				83,325				404,730				83,111				6,135				839,068
			2013				166,731				38,000				—				618,000				72,595				549				895,875
Christopher P. Leamon, Ph.D. Vice President of Research			2015				297,675				—				44,625				218,925				124,220				8,790				694,235
			2014				278,461				—				83,325				404,730				87,994				8,566				863,076
			2013				266,900				—				—				552,125				100,888				840				920,753
Katherine Parker(7) Vice President of Human Resources			2015				249,126				—				51,000				250,200				92,426				8,314				651,066

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Name		Year				Cell Phone Allowance ($)				401(k) Company Matching ($)
P. Ron Ellis			2015				840				7,950
			2014				840				7,800
			2013				840				0
Michael A. Sherman			2015				840				7,950
			2014				840				5,290
			2013				840				0
Scot L. Harper, Ph.D.			2015				840				7,950
			2014				840				5,295
			2013				549				0
Christopher P. Leamon, Ph.D.			2015				840				7,950
			2014				840				7,726
			2013				840				0
Katherine Parker			2015				840				7,474

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GRANTS OF PLAN-BASED AWARDS IN 2015

The following table presents information concerning grants of plan-based awards to each NEO during the year ended December 31, 2015.

Name

Grant Date

Estimated Possible Payouts Under Non-Equity Incentive Plan Awards ($)(1)

All Other Stock Awards: Number of Shares of Stock or Units (#)

Securities Underlying Options (#)

Exercise or Base Price of Option Awards ($/SH)

Grant Date Fair Value of Stock and Option Awards ($)(2)

Threshold

Target

Maximum

P. Ron Ellis

2/4/2015

N/A

N/A

N/A

26,875

N/A

N/A

137,063

2/4/2015

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

161,250

5.10

672,413

Annual Bonus

N/A

294,403

441,605

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Michael A. Sherman

2/4/2015

N/A

N/A

N/A

14,375

N/A

N/A

73,313

2/4/2015

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

86,250

5.10

359,663

Annual Bonus

N/A

166,782

250,172

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Scot L. Harper, Ph.D.

2/4/2015

N/A

N/A

N/A

8,750

N/A

N/A

44,625

2/4/2015

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

52,500

5.10

218,925

Annual Bonus

N/A

114,803

172,205

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Christopher P. Leamon, Ph.D.

2/4/2015

N/A

N/A

N/A

8,750

N/A

N/A

44,625

2/4/2015

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

52,500

5.10

218,925

Annual Bonus

N/A

119,070

178,605

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Katherine Parker(3)

2/4/2015

N/A

N/A

N/A

10,000

N/A

N/A

51,000

2/4/2015

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

60,000

5.10

250,200

Annual Bonus

N/A

87,194

130,791

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

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The number of shares issuable under the EIP includes any shares subject to stock options or similar awards granted under our prior two plans that expire or terminate without having been exercised in full and unvested shares issued pursuant to awards granted under the prior plans that are forfeited to or repurchased by us, with the maximum number of shares to be added to the EIP from the prior plans equal to 2,486,910 shares. In addition, the EIP provides for annual increases in the number of shares available for issuance by an amount equal to the least of:

In November 2015, the Board approved increasing the number of shares available for issuance by 1,261,000 shares. At February 29, 2016, there were 2,189,199 shares available for issuance under the EIP.

Shares issued pursuant to awards under the EIP that we repurchase or that expire or are forfeited, as well as shares used to pay the exercise price of an award or to satisfy the tax withholding obligations related to an award, will become available for future grant under the EIP. In addition, to the extent that an award is paid out in cash rather than shares, such cash payment will not reduce the number of shares available for issuance under the EIP.

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OUTSTANDING EQUITY AWARDS AT 2015 FISCAL YEAR-END

The following table presents certain information concerning equity awards held by the Named Executive Officers at December 31, 2015.

Name		Option Awards																Stock Awards
		Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#) Exercisable				Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#) Unexercisable				Option Exercise Price ($)				Option Expiration Date				Number of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested (#)				Market Value of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested ($)				Equity Incentive Plan Awards: Number of Unearned Shares, Units or Other Rights That Have Not Vested (#)				Equity Incentive Plan Awards: Market or Payout Value of Unearned Shares, Units or Other Rights That Have Not Vested ($)
P. Ron Ellis			65,445	(1)			—				3.06				2/12/2018
			93,438	(1)			—				2.54				3/5/2019
			143,979	(1)			—				3.82				2/11/2020
			160,000	(1)			—				9.05				4/14/2021
			150,000				50,000	(2)			3.55				2/28/2022
			110,000				110,000	(3)			9.86				2/19/2023
			33,750				101,250	(4)			11.11				2/6/2024
			—				161,250	(5)			5.10				2/4/2025
																											40,000	(6)			160,400
																			16,875	(7)			67,669
																			26,875	(8)			107,769
Michael A. Sherman			42,285	(1)			—				2.10				5/31/2017
			5,453	(1)			—				3.06				2/12/2018
			5,330	(1)			—				2.54				3/5/2019
			10,035	(1)			—				2.54				11/12/2019
			15,706	(1)			—				3.82				2/11/2020
			60,000	(1)			—				9.05				4/14/2021
			75,000				25,000	(2)			3.55				2/28/2022
			35,000				35,000	(3)			9.86				2/19/2023
			11,250				33,750	(4)			11.11				2/6/2024
			—				86,250	(5)			5.10				2/4/2025
																											17,000	(6)			68,170
																			5,625	(7)			22,556
																			14,375	(8)			57,644
Scot L. Harper, Ph.D.			30,000				30,000	(9)			12.78				6/13/2023
			11,250				33,750	(4)			11.11				2/6/2024
			—				52,500	(5)			5.10				2/4/2025
																			5,625	(7)			22,556
																			8,750	(8)			35,088
Christopher P. Leamon, Ph.D.			13,089	(1)			—				1.91				2/17/2016
			26,178	(1)			—				2.10				2/11/2017
			26,178	(1)			—				3.06				2/12/2018
			37,366	(1)			—				2.54				3/5/2019
			26,177	(1)			—				3.82				2/11/2020
			13,089	(1)			—				7.49				3/11/2021
			50,000	(1)			—				9.05				4/14/2021
			60,000				20,000	(2)			3.55				2/28/2022
			35,000				35,000	(3)			9.86				2/19/2023
			11,250				33,750	(4)			11.11				2/6/2024
			—				52,500	(5)			5.10				2/4/2025
																											8,000	(6)			32,080
																			5,625	(7)			22,556
																			8,750	(8)			35,088
Katherine Parker			4,750				14,250	(10)			11.47				1/5/2024
			—				60,000	(5)			5.10				2/4/2025
																			10,000	(8)			40,100

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OPTION EXERCISES AND STOCK VESTED IN 2015

The following table sets forth information regarding options exercised by our NEOs during 2015, and RSUs held by our NEOs that vested during 2015.

		Option Awards								Stock Awards
Name		Number of Shares Acquired on Exercise (#)				Value Realized on Exercise ($)(1)				Number of Shares Acquired on Vesting (#)				Value Realized on Vesting ($)(2)
P. Ron Ellis			52,356				162,827				5,625				28,913
Michael A. Sherman			—				—				1,875				9,638
Scot L. Harper, Ph.D.			—				—				1,875				9,638
Christopher P. Leamon, Ph.D.			13,089				43,063				1,875				9,638
Katherine Parker			—				—				—				—

None of the PRSUs held by our NEOs vested in 2015.

OTHER 2015 COMPENSATION INFORMATION

Pensions

During 2015, we did not maintain any plan providing for payments or other benefits at, following, or in connection with retirement.

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation

There were no nonqualified defined contributions or other deferred compensation plans for any NEO in existence during 2015.

Employment Agreements and Change in Control Arrangements

We do not currently have employment agreements with any of our NEOs, only Change in Control and Severance Agreements which are described in the following section.

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ESTIMATED POST-EMPLOYMENT PAYMENTS
UNDER ALTERNATIVE TERMINATION SCENARIOS

The following summaries of the plans and agreements we have with our NEOs provide information regarding the payments and other benefits available to our NEOs upon the termination of their employment under various circumstances and a possible change in control of our company.

Change in Control and Severance Agreements

We have entered into Change in Control and Severance Agreements with each of the NEOs.

The agreements provide that if the NEO’s employment is terminated by us without Cause (as defined below), or if he or she resigns for Good Reason (as defined below), prior to a Change in Control (as defined below) or after 12 months following a Change in Control, he or she will be entitled to:

If the NEO is terminated by the Company without Cause, or if he or she resigns for Good Reason, within 12 months following a Change in Control (a double trigger circumstance), he or she will be entitled to:

The foregoing severance benefits will be subject to the NEO providing us with an executed release of claims that becomes effective and irrevocable, and the NEO’s full compliance with the non-competition, non-interference, non-solicitation and non-disparagement provisions of the agreement and with the confidential information, non-disclosure and invention assignment agreements executed by the NEO or the provisions of the agreement.

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Each agreement provides that during the period of the NEO’s employment with us and for two years after the termination of the NEO’s employment for any reason:

Each agreement provides that in the event the NEO breaches any of the non-competition, non-interference, non-solicitation or non-disparagement provisions of the agreement, or any of the confidential information, non-disclosure or invention assignment agreements executed by the NEO and/or any provisions of the agreement, the NEO will forfeit his or her right to receive any severance payments or other benefits under the agreement and the NEO will be obligated to pay to us an amount equal to the amount of any severance compensation received by the NEO under the agreement, less $500.

For the purposes of the agreements, “Cause,” “Change in Control” and “Good Reason” are defined as follows:

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For purposes of this definition of Change in Control, persons will be considered to be acting as a group if they are owners of a corporation that enters into a merger, consolidation, purchase or acquisition of stock, or similar business transaction with our company. A transaction will not constitute a Change in Control if: (1) its sole purpose is to change the state of our incorporation, or (ii) its sole purpose is to create a holding company that will be owned in substantially the same proportions by the persons who held our securities immediately before such transaction.

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In order for an event to qualify as Good Reason, the NEO must not terminate employment with us without first providing us with written notice of the acts or omissions constituting the grounds for “Good Reason” within 90 days of the initial existence of the grounds for “Good Reason” and a reasonable cure period of not less than 30 days following the date of such notice.

Equity Awards

The EIP provides that all equity awards granted thereunder will vest in full, and all performance goals or other vesting criteria will be deemed achieved at 100% of target levels, upon a Change in Control if the successor corporation does not assume or substitute for the award. In addition, the award agreements for the PRSUs granted in 2011 provided that any unvested units will be considered fully vested and earned immediately prior to the consummation of a Change in Control, without regard to the actions of the successor corporation. “Change in Control” is defined in the EIP, and consequently in the PRSU award agreements, the same way it is defined in the Change in Control and Severance Agreements, as described above.

Estimated Payments for Termination or Change in Control as of December 31, 2015

The following table sets forth the value of the benefits that would have been payable to each of the NEOs assuming that the following events occurred on December 31, 2015. The table does not include payments or other benefits under our 401(k) retirement plan and health and welfare plans because all salaried employees are entitled to the same benefits under those plans. The amounts shown are only estimates of the amounts that would be payable to the executives upon termination of employment and do not reflect tax positions we may take or the accounting treatment of such payments. Actual amounts to be paid can only be determined at the time of separation.

Benefit		Voluntary resignation, retirement, death or disability ($)				Termination by the company without cause or by executive resignation with good reason ($)				Upon a change in control ($)				Termination within twelve months following change in control ($)
P. Ron Ellis
Severance Payment(1)			0				492,326				0				984,653
Stock Options(2)			0				23,000				23,000				23,000
RSUs(3)			0				58,482				175,438				175,438
PRSUs(4)			0				0				240,600				240,600
2015 Bonus(5)			0				0				0				588,806
COBRA payment(6)			0				22,815				0				45,630
Total			0				596,623				439,038				2,058,127
Michael A. Sherman
Severance Payment(1)			0				251,016				0				585,704
Stock Options(2)			0				11,500				11,500				11,500
RSUs(3)			0				26,735				80,200				80,200
PRSUs(4)			0				0				102,255				102,255
2015 Bonus(5)			0				0				0				291,869
COBRA payment(6)			0				14,131				0				32,972
Total			0				303,382				193,955				1,104,500

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Benefit		Voluntary resignation, retirement, death or disability ($)				Termination by the company without cause or by executive resignation with good reason ($)				Upon a change in control ($)				Termination within twelve months following change in control ($)
Scot L. Harper, Ph.D.
Severance Payment(1)			0				225,398				0				450,796
Stock Options(2)			0				0				0				0
RSUs(3)			0				19,216				57,644				57,644
PRSUs(4)			0				0				0				0
2015 Bonus(5)			0				0				0				172,205
COBRA payment(6)			0				5,653				0				11,305
Total			0				250,267				57,644				691,950
Christopher P. Leamon, Ph.D.
Severance Payment(1)			0				225,000				0				450,000
Stock Options(2)			0				9,200				9,200				9,200
RSUs(3)			0				19,216				57,644				57,644
PRSUs(4)			0				0				48,120				48,120
2015 Bonus(5)			0				0				0				178,605
COBRA payment(6)			0				10,924				0				21,847
Total			0				264,340				114,964				765,416
Katherine Parker
Severance Payment(1)			0				187,718				0				250,290
Stock Options(2)			0				0				0				0
RSUs(3)			0				13,369				40,100				40,100
PRSUs(4)			0				0				0				0
2015 Bonus(5)			0				0				0				87,194
COBRA payment(6)			0				17,111				0				22,815
Total			0				218,198				40,100				400,399

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2015 DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

Non-Employee Director Compensation

The following table sets forth information concerning compensation paid or accrued for services rendered to us by members of our Board of Directors for the year ended December 31, 2015. The table excludes Mr. Ellis, our President and Chief Executive Officer, and Dr. Low, our Chief Science Officer, who as employees do not receive any compensation from us in their roles as directors.

Name(1)		Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($)				Stock Awards(2) ($)				Option Awards(3) ($)				Total ($)
John C. Aplin, Ph.D.			62,500				13,545				74,385				150,430
Keith E. Brauer			50,000				13,545				74,385				137,930
Colin Goddard, Ph.D.			40,000				13,545				74,385				127,930
Ann F. Hanham, Ph.D.			42,500				13,545				74,385				130,430
Marc D. Kozin			43,750				13,545				74,385				131,680
Peter D. Meldrum			45,000				13,545				74,385				132,930
Fred A. Middleton			42,500				13,545				74,385				130,430
Lesley Russell, M.B., Ch.B.			38,750				13,545				74,385				126,680

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The aggregate number of RSUs and shares subject to stock options outstanding at December 31, 2015 for each non-employee director was as follows:

Name		Aggregate Number of RSUs Held as of December 31, 2015				Aggregate Number of Stock Options Held as of December 31, 2015(1)
John C. Aplin, Ph.D.			2,250				77,206
Keith E. Brauer			2,250				95,921
Colin Goddard, Ph.D.			2,250				55,500
Ann F. Hanham, Ph.D.			2,250				77,206
Marc D. Kozin			2,250				61,500
Peter D. Meldrum			2,250				71,500
Fred A. Middleton			2,250				77,206
Lesley Russell, M.B., Ch.B.			2,250				69,500

We refer to each of our non-employee directors as an outside director. The compensation policy for outside directors provides for (1) cash retainers and (2) automatic grants of stock options and RSUs under the EIP as described in the following paragraphs.

Our outside director compensation program consists of the following:

Each of the payments to our outside directors is made on a quarterly basis, in consideration for their services in these respective roles.

Each new outside director is automatically granted an equity award on the date such person first becomes an outside director. Beginning in February 2015, the equity award for a new outside director will consist of a stock option grant for 22,500 shares and a grant of 3,750 RSUs. A director who is an employee and who ceases to be an employee, but who remains a director, will not receive such an initial award.

In addition, each outside director is automatically granted an equity award on the date of each annual stockholder meeting. That annual equity award consists of a stock option grant for 13,500 shares and a grant of 2,250 RSUs.

The exercise price of all stock options granted pursuant to the EIP is equal to the fair market value of our common stock on the date of grant. The term of all stock options is ten years. Subject to the adjustment provisions of the EIP, initial awards vest as to one-third of the shares subject to such awards on the business day before each date of each annual stockholder meeting following their respective commencement of service, provided such outside director continues to serve as a director through each such date. The annual awards vest

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as to 100 percent of the shares on the business day prior to the next annual stockholder meeting following the date of grant, provided such outside director continues to serve as a director through such date.

In the event of a “change in control,” as defined in the EIP, with respect to awards granted under the EIP to outside directors, the awards will fully vest and become fully exercisable as to all shares underlying such awards and all restrictions on awards will lapse, and all performance goals or other vesting criteria will be deemed achieved at 100 percent of target level and all other terms and conditions met if the outside director is terminated following the change in control other than by voluntary resignation (unless such resignation is at the request of the acquiror). In addition, stock options and RSUs held by outside directors will fully vest upon the director’s resignation if such resignation was requested by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

The compensation committee, as the administrator of the EIP, may change or otherwise revise the terms of awards granted under the outside director compensation policy in its discretion.

Compensation of Dr. Low

Dr. Low is our Chief Science Officer and an executive officer. Dr. Low receives compensation from us in connection with his employment, based on his part-time employment status. Dr. Low does not receive any additional compensation for his service as a member of our Board of Directors. Dr. Low received the following compensation from us for 2015:

Fees Earned or         Paid in Cash(1)                 ($)		Stock Awards(2) ($)				Option Awards(3) ($)				All Other Compensation(4) ($)				Total ($)
228,816			44,625				218,925				840				493,206

As a salaried employee, Dr. Low is entitled to participate in our 401(k) retirement plan and our ESPP. Dr. Low is not a party to a Change in Control and Severance Agreement with us.

ANNUAL REPORT

Our Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2015, including financial statements audited by Ernst & Young LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm, and Ernst & Young LLP’s report thereon, is available to our stockholders on the Internet as described in the Notice of Internet availability of proxy materials. In addition, a copy of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, will be sent to any stockholder without charge (except for exhibits, if requested, for which a reasonable fee will be charged), upon written request to Corporate Secretary, Endocyte, Inc., 8910 Purdue Road, Suite 250, Indianapolis, Indiana 46268. Our Form 10-K is also available and may be accessed free of charge through the Investor Relations section of our internet website at www.Endocyte.com.

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STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS AT 2017 ANNUAL MEETING

The date by which we must receive stockholder proposals for inclusion in the proxy statement and form of proxy relating to the 2017 annual meeting of stockholders is November 23, 2016. Notice of any director nomination or other proposal that a stockholder intends to present at the 2017 annual meeting of stockholders, but does not intend to have included in the proxy statement and form of proxy relating to the 2017 annual meeting of stockholders, must be delivered to our Corporate Secretary by mail at Corporate Secretary, Endocyte, Inc., 8910 Purdue Road, Suite 250, Indianapolis, Indiana 46268 not earlier than the close of business on January 6, 2017 and not later than the close of business on February 6, 2017. Stockholder proposals must comply with all of the applicable requirements set forth in the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Rule 14a-8, as well as the advance notification requirements set forth in our By-Laws. A copy of the advance notification requirements may be obtained upon request to Corporate Secretary, Endocyte, Inc., 8910 Purdue Road, Suite 250, Indianapolis, Indiana 46268.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We are subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act and so we file periodic reports and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These reports and the other information we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission can be read and copied at the public reference room facilities maintained by the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, DC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20549. The Securities and Exchange Commission’s telephone number to obtain information on the operation of the public reference room is (800) SEC-0330. These reports and other information are also filed by us electronically with the Securities and Exchange Commission and are available at its website, www.sec.gov.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

To the extent this proxy statement has been or will be specifically incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Exchange Act, the sections of this proxy statement entitled “COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT” and “REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE” should not be deemed to be so incorporated unless specifically otherwise provided in any such filing.

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