President and CEO Koenig Sheldon L. returned 2,121,094 shares to the company, closing all direct ownership in the company (SEC Form 4) (tax liability)
$ESPR
Biotechnology: Pharmaceutical Preparations
Health Care
| FORM 4 | UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 |
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| Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b). | ||||||||||||||||
| Check this box to indicate that a transaction was made pursuant to a contract, instruction or written plan for the purchase or sale of equity securities of the issuer that is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c). See Instruction 10. | |||||||||||||||||
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person*
(Street)
(Country) | 2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. [ ESPR ] | 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
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| 2a. Foreign Trading Symbol
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| 3. Date of Earliest Transaction
(Month/Day/Year) 07/13/2026 | 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
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| 4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed
(Month/Day/Year) |
| Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned | ||||||||||
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| 1. Title of Security (Instr. 3) | 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) | 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) | 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) | 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) | 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) | 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) | 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) | |||
| Code | V | Amount | (A) or (D) | Price | ||||||
| Common Stock | 07/13/2026 | D(1) | 2,121,094(2)(3)(4) | D | (2)(3) | 0 | D | |||
| Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities) | |||||||||||||||
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| 1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3) | 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security | 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) | 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) | 4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) | 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) | 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year) | 7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4) | 8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5) | 9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4) | 10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) | 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) | ||||
| Code | V | (A) | (D) | Date Exercisable | Expiration Date | Title | Amount or Number of Shares | ||||||||
| Stock Option (right to buy) | $2.05(5) | 07/13/2026 | D(1) | 642,000 | (5) | 03/14/2034 | Common Stock | 642,000 | (5) | 0 | D | ||||
| Stock Option (right to buy | $1.5(5) | 07/13/2026 | D(1) | 753,000 | (5) | 03/14/2035 | Common Stock | 753,000 | (5) | 0 | D | ||||
| Stock Option (right to buy) | $2.44(5) | 07/13/2026 | D(1) | 647,460 | (5) | 03/13/2036 | Common Stock | 647,460 | (5) | 0 | D | ||||
| Explanation of Responses: |
| 1. This Form 4 reports securities disposed of pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger (the "Merger Agreement"), dated May 1, 2026, by and among the Issuer, Essence Parent Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Parent") and Essence MergerCo Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of Parent ("MergerCo"), pursuant to which, on July 13, 2026 (the "Effective Time"), MergerCo merged with and into the Issuer, with the Issuer continuing as the surviving corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent. |
| 2. At the Effective Time, each share of the Issuer's common stock, par value $0.001 per share ("Common Stock") was converted into the right to receive (a) an amount in cash equal to $3.16 per share, without interest (the "per share cash consideration"), and (b) one contractual contingent value right per share (each, a "CVR" and, together with the per share cash consideration, the "merger consideration"), representing the right to participate in contingent payments in cash, without interest, upon the achievement of certain milestones, subject to any applicable withholding taxes. From and after the Effective Time, all such shares of Common Stock were no longer outstanding and were automatically canceled. |
| 3. Includes 1,474,344 restricted stock units (each, a "RSU"). At the Effective Time, each RSU with respect to Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time vested in full (to the extent then-unvested), and was canceled and converted into the right to receive, with respect to each share of Common Stock subject to such RSU immediately prior to the effective time, (a) a cash payment (rounded down to the nearest cent), without interest and subject to applicable tax withholding and deductions, equal to the per share cash consideration, plus (b) one CVR, subject to certain exceptions. |
| 4. Includes 1,983 shares recently acquired in Esperion's Employee Stock Purchase Plan. |
| 5. At the Effective Time, each stock option having a per share exercise price that was less than the per share cash consideration (each, an "in-the-money option") was canceled and converted into the right to receive, for each share of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of such in-the-money option immediately prior to the Effective Time, (a) a cash payment (rounded down to the nearest cent), without interest and subject to applicable tax withholding and deductions, equal to the excess of the per share cash consideration over the per share exercise price of such in-the-money option plus (b) one CVR. |
| Remarks: |
| /s/ Sheldon L. Koenig | 07/13/2026 | |
| ** Signature of Reporting Person | Date | |
| Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly. | ||
| * If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v). | ||
| ** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a). | ||
| Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure. | ||
| Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number. | ||
| * Form 4: SEC 1474 (03-26) | ||