UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): ~~February~~March 2516, 2026

Hepion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware

001-36856

46-2783806

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

(Commission

File Number)

(IRS

Identification No.)

5534 ~~Madison~~Shrewsbury Ave., Suite ~~400-PMB# 4362~~1D

~~Morristown,~~Red Bank, NJ ~~07960~~07701

(Address of principal executive offices)

(732) 902-4000

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

~~Not~~55 ~~Applicable~~Madison Ave., Suite 400-PMB# 4362

Morristown, NJ 07960

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

☐	Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐	Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class:		Trading Symbol(s)		Name of each exchange on which registered:
Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share		HEPA		OTC QB

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Item 15.0102 ~~Entry~~Departure ~~into~~of aDirectors ~~Material~~or ~~Definitive~~Certain ~~Agreement~~Officers: Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

On ~~February~~March 2516, 2026, Dr. Kaouthar Lbiati, the Chief Executive Officer of Hepion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., ~~a Delaware corporation~~ (the “Company”), ~~entered into an intellectual~~informed ~~property~~the ~~license~~Board ~~agreement~~of ~~with~~Directors ~~Cirna Diagnostics, LLC~~ (the “~~Cirna~~Board”) ~~pursuant~~of ~~to which~~ the Company ~~licensed~~that ~~certain~~she ~~liver disease~~was ~~diagnostic~~resigning ~~assets from Cirna. The Company will pay an upfront payment of $50,000~~ as ~~well~~Chief asExecutive ~~certain~~Officer ~~patent~~for ~~expenses,~~personal ~~up to $2~~reasons,~~350,000~~ ineffective ~~milestone payments, up to $4,500,000 in sales milestone payments and a royalty payment on net sales in the low single digits~~immediately.

On March ~~Item~~16, ~~8.01~~2026, ~~Other~~the ~~Events~~Board approved the appointment of Gary Stetz as interim Chief Executive Officer of the Company and director and appointed Vincent LoPriore as Executive Chairman, Sireesh Appajosyula as director and Chase LoPriore as director.

OnThere ~~March~~are 3no arrangements or understandings between Messrs. Stetz, ~~2026~~V. LoPriore, ~~the~~Appajosyula ~~Company~~and ~~issued~~C. aLoPriore ~~press~~and ~~release~~any ~~(the~~other ~~“Press~~person ~~Release”)~~pursuant ~~announcing~~to which itsuch ~~has~~person ~~in-licensed~~was ~~from~~selected ~~Cirna~~as aan ~~novel biomarker~~officer ~~assay~~or ~~that~~director ~~detects~~of ~~mutant~~the ~~circulating~~Company, ~~tumor~~as ~~RNA~~the tocase ~~facilitate~~may ~~early~~be, ~~diagnosis~~and ofthere ~~hepatocellular~~is ~~carcinoma~~no infamily ~~high-risk~~relationship ~~patients.~~between Aany ~~copy~~ of ~~the~~Mr. ~~press~~Stetz, ~~release~~Mr. isV. ~~attached~~LoPriore, asMr. ~~Exhibit~~Appajosyula 99and Mr.2 ~~hereto~~C. LoPriore and isany ~~incorporated~~of ~~herein~~the byCompany’s ~~reference~~other directors or executive officers.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits

99.1		Press Release dated March 3, 2026
104		Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the XBRL document)

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

Date: March 3, 2026		Hepion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Date: March 18, 2026	Hepion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
	By:	/s/ ~~Kaouthar~~Gary ~~Lbiati~~Stetz
		Kaouthar Lbiati
		Gary Stetz
		Chief Executive Officer
		Interim Chief Executive Officer

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