SEC Form S-8 filed by Terns Pharmaceuticals Inc.

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 30, 2026

Registration No. 333-

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

Terns Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

2021 Incentive Award Plan

2022 Employment Inducement Award Plan, as amended

2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan

(Full Title of the Plan)

Amy Burroughs, M.B.A.

Chief Executive Officer

Terns Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

1065 East Hillsdale Blvd., Suite 100

Foster City, California 94404

(650) 525-5535

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

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 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐

Proposed sale to take place as soon after the effective date of the
registration statement as awards under the plans are exercised and/or vest.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Registration Statement on Form S-8 is being filed for the purpose of registering an additional 8,369,288 shares of the Registrant’s common stock issuable under the following employee benefit plans for which Registration Statements of the Registrant on Forms S-8 (File Nos. 333-253085, 333-263340, 333-268277, 333-271944, 333-275549, 333-277943, 333-283169 and 333-285966) are effective: (i) the 2021 Incentive Award Plan, as a result of the operation of an automatic annual increase provision therein, which added 5,616,234 shares of common stock; (ii) the 2022 Employment Inducement Award Plan, as amended, which added 2,000,000 shares of common stock pursuant to Amendment No. 3 to the 2022 Employment Inducement Award Plan, approved by the Board of Directors of the Company and effective as of January 1, 2026; and (iii) the 2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, as a result of the operation of an automatic annual increase provision therein, which added 753,054 shares of common stock.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF CONTENTS OF REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON
FORM S-8

Pursuant to General Instruction E of Form S-8, the contents of the Registrant’s Registration Statements on Forms S-8 (File Nos. 333-253085, 333-263340, 333-268277, 333-271944, 333-275549, 333-277943, 333-283169 and 333-285966), filed with the Commission on February 12, 2021, March 7, 2022, November 9, 2022, May 15, 2023, November 14, 2023, March 14, 2024, November 12, 2024 and March 20, 2025, respectively, are hereby incorporated by reference.

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

The information called for in Part I of Form S-8 is not being filed with or included in this Form S-8 (by incorporation by reference or otherwise) in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC.

Item 8. Exhibits

# Indicates management contract or compensatory plan.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Foster City, State of California, on this 30th day of March, 2026.

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below does hereby constitute and appoint Amy Burroughs and Andrew Gengos, and each of them, with full power of substitution and full power to act without the other, as his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent to act for him or her in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement, and to file this registration statement, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in order to effectuate the same as fully, to all intents and purposes, as they or he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.