Watson David O. 4

What Happened
David O. Watson, General Counsel of Apellis Pharmaceuticals (APLS), received a grant of 55,986 restricted stock units (RSUs) on January 28, 2026. The RSUs were reported as an award/acquisition (code A) with a grant price of $0.00 (typical for RSU awards, not an open‑market purchase).

Key Details

• Transaction date: January 28, 2026; Form 4 filed January 30, 2026 (timely filing).
• Instrument: 55,986 Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) granted; reported acquisition price $0.00.
• Vesting: 25% of the award vests annually over four years from the grant date (footnote F1); vesting is subject to continued service.
• Ownership after transaction: not specified in the provided filing details.
• Related footnotes: holdings associated with minor children (custodial account, F2) and two trusts (The David O. Watson Irrevocable Trust of 2023 with trustee William Zorn, F3; The Watson Education Trust, F4). The reporting person disclaims beneficial ownership of shares held by those trusts except to the extent of any pecuniary interest.
• Transaction code: A = Award/Grant.

Context
RSU grants are a common form of executive compensation and do not involve an immediate cash purchase or sale. Because vesting is spread over four years, these awards typically serve as retention incentives rather than a direct market signal. The $0.00 acquisition price is standard for RSU grants and reflects that shares are delivered upon vesting, not bought on the open market.