DEF 14A

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of

the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Filed by the Registrant ☒

Filed by a Party other than the Registrant ☐

Check the appropriate box:


☐	Preliminary Proxy Statement

☐	Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))

☒	Definitive Proxy Statement

☐	Definitive Additional Materials

☐	Soliciting Material under Rule 14a-12

     TENAX THERAPEUTICS, INC.

    

     (Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

    

Not Applicable

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

Payment of Filing Fee (Check all boxes that apply):


☒	No fee required.

☐	Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.

☐	Fee computed on table in exhibit required by Item 25(b) per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.

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TENAX THERAPEUTICS, INC.

101 Glen Lennox Drive, Suite 300

Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27517

(919) 855-2100

Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders

To Be Held on June 2, 2026

Dear Stockholder:

Notice is hereby given that the Annual Meeting of the Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of Tenax Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) will be held on June 2, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time at the Company’s principle executive office at 101 Glen Lennox Drive, Suite 300, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

The purpose of the Annual Meeting is to propose and act upon the following matters:

To elect the directors named in the Proxy Statement for a one-year term expiring in 2027 or until their successors have been elected and qualified;

To ratify the appointment of Cherry Bekaert LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026; and

To consider and take action upon such other matters as may properly come before the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.

These matters are more fully described in the Proxy Statement accompanying this Notice. If you were a stockholder of record of Company common stock as of the close of business on April 8, 2026, you are entitled to receive this Notice and vote at the Annual Meeting and any adjournments or postponements thereof, provided that our Board of Directors may fix a new record date for an adjourned meeting. Our stock transfer books will not be closed. A list of the stockholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting may be examined at our principal executive offices in Chapel Hill, North Carolina during ordinary business hours for the 10-day period preceding the Annual Meeting for any purposes related to the meeting.

We are pleased to take advantage of the SEC rules that allow us to furnish these proxy materials (including an electronic Proxy Card for the meeting) and our 2025 Annual Report to Stockholders to stockholders via the Internet. On or about April 22, 2026, we mailed to our stockholders of record a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials containing instructions on how to access our Proxy Statement and 2025 Annual Report to Stockholders and how to vote. We believe that posting these materials on the Internet enables us to provide stockholders with the information they need to vote more quickly, while lowering the cost and reducing the environmental impact of printing and delivering annual meeting materials.

You are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting. Whether or not you expect to attend, our Board of Directors respectfully requests that you vote your stock in the manner described in the Proxy Statement. You may revoke your proxy in the manner described in the Proxy Statement at any time before it has been voted at the Annual Meeting.

Your vote is important, and we appreciate your cooperation in considering and acting on the matters presented.


April 22, 2026	By order of the Board of Directors,

	/s/ Gerald T. Proehl
	Gerald T. Proehl
	Chairman of the Board of Directors

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TENAX THERAPEUTICS, INC.

Proxy Statement

for the

Annual Meeting of Stockholders

To Be Held June 2, 2026

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	Page
Information Concerning Solicitation and Voting	1

Questions and Answers About the 2026 Annual Meeting	2

Proposal 1 - Election of Directors	6

Proposal 2 - Ratification of Selection of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm	10

Corporate Governance Matters	11

Audit and Compliance Committee Report	17

Executive Compensation	19

Director Compensation	28

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management	29

Certain Relationships and Related-Party Transactions	33

Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports	34

Stockholder Proposals	35

Householding Matters	35

Annual Report on Form 10-K	36

Requests for Directions to the Annual Meeting	36

Other Matters	36

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TENAX THERAPEUTICS, INC.

PROXY STATEMENT

ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

TO BE HELD JUNE 2, 2026

Information Concerning Solicitation and Voting

The Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders, Proxy Statement, Form of Proxy, and 2025 Annual Report to

Stockholders are available at https://investors.tenaxthera.com/ and at www.proxyvote.com.

This Proxy Statement is furnished to the holders of our common stock in connection with the solicitation of proxies on behalf of our Board of Directors for use at the Annual Meeting to be held on June 2, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time at 101 Glen Lennox Drive, Suite 300, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, or for use at any adjournment or postponement thereof, for the purposes set forth herein and in the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Only stockholders of record at the close of business on April 8, 2026 (the “Record Date”) are entitled to notice of and to vote at the meeting.

In accordance with the rules of the SEC, instead of mailing a printed copy of our proxy materials to each stockholder of record, we are furnishing proxy materials, including the Notice, this Proxy Statement, our 2025 Annual Report to Stockholders, including financial statements, and a Proxy Card for the Annual Meeting, by providing access to them on the Internet to save printing costs and reduce impact on the environment. These materials were first available on the Internet on April 22, 2026. We mailed a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials on or about April 22, 2026 to our stockholders of record and beneficial owners as of the close of business on the Record Date. The Proxy Statement and the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials contain instructions for accessing and reviewing our proxy materials on the Internet and for voting by proxy over the Internet. You will need to obtain your own Internet access if you choose to access the proxy materials and/or vote over the Internet. If you prefer to receive printed copies of our proxy materials, the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials contains instructions on how to request the materials by mail. You will not receive printed copies of the proxy materials unless you request them. If you elect to receive the materials by mail, you may also vote by proxy on the Proxy Card or Voter Instruction Card that you will receive in response to your request.

Each holder of our common stock is entitled to one vote for each share held as of the Record Date with respect to all matters that may be considered at the Annual Meeting. Stockholder votes will be tabulated by persons appointed by our Board of Directors to act as inspectors of election for the Annual Meeting.

Our directors and employees may also solicit proxies in person, by telephone, fax, electronic transmission or other means of communication. We will not pay these directors and employees any additional compensation for these services. We will ask banks, brokerage firms, and other institutions, nominees, and fiduciaries to forward these proxy materials to their principal, and to obtain authority to execute proxies, and will reimburse them for their expenses.

All references in this Proxy Statement to “Tenax,” “Tenax Therapeutics,” “we,” “our” and “us” mean Tenax Therapeutics, Inc.

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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE 2026 ANNUAL MEETING

Will the Annual Meeting be conducted in person?

We currently intend to hold the Annual Meeting in person at 101 Glen Lennox Drive, Suite 300, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. However, if it becomes necessary to change the date, time, location, and/or format of the Annual Meeting, in lieu of mailing additional soliciting materials or amending this Proxy Statement, we will announce the decision in advance by issuing a press release, filing the announcement with the SEC and taking other reasonable steps to notify other parties involved in the proxy process of the change(s). Any such press release and filing with the SEC will also be available on our website at investors.tenaxthera.com/news.

We recommend that you monitor our press releases or filings with the SEC in the event that circumstances require us to change the date, time, location or format of the Annual Meeting, particularly if you plan to attend the Annual Meeting in person. We encourage all stockholders to vote their shares prior to the Annual Meeting. Even if you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, we recommend that you vote your shares in advance using one of the methods described below under “How may I vote my shares at the Annual Meeting?” to ensure that your vote will be counted in the event that you later decide not to attend the Annual Meeting.

Who may vote at the Annual Meeting?

Our Board of Directors set April 8, 2026 as the Record Date for the Annual Meeting. If you owned shares of our common stock at the close of business on April 8, 2026, you may attend and vote at the Annual Meeting. Each stockholder is entitled to one vote for each share of common stock held on all matters to be voted on. Cumulative voting is not permitted in the election of directors or on any other matter.

As of the close of business on April 8, 2026, there were 25,775,500 shares of our common stock outstanding and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting.

A list of the stockholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting may be examined at our principal executive offices in Chapel Hill, North Carolina during ordinary business hours for the ten-day period preceding the meeting for any purposes related to the meeting.

What is the difference between holding shares as a stockholder of record and as a beneficial owner?

Many of our stockholders hold their shares through a broker, bank or other nominee rather than directly in their own name as the stockholder of record. As summarized below, there are some distinctions between shares held of record and those owned beneficially.

Stockholder of Record. If your shares are registered directly in your name with our transfer agent, Equiniti Trust Company, LLC, you are considered, with respect to those shares, the stockholder of record, and these proxy materials are being sent directly to you. As the stockholder of record, you have the right to grant your voting proxy directly to us or to vote in person at the Annual Meeting. You will need to present a form of personal photo identification in order to be admitted to the Annual Meeting.

Beneficial Owner. If you hold your shares in an account with a broker, bank or other nominee, rather than of record directly in your own name, then the broker, bank or other nominee is considered the record holder of that stock. You are considered the beneficial owner of that stock, and your stock is held in “street name.” This Proxy Statement has been forwarded to you by your broker, bank or other nominee. As the beneficial owner, you have the right to direct your broker, bank or other nominee regarding how to vote your shares, and you are also invited to attend the Annual Meeting.

Your broker, bank or other nominee has enclosed a Voter Instruction Card for you to use in directing your broker, bank or other nominee as to how to vote your shares. In most cases, you will be able to do this by mail, via the Internet or by telephone. Alternatively, you may obtain a “legal proxy” from your broker, bank or other nominee and follow the instructions described below. Because a beneficial owner is not the stockholder of record, you may not vote these shares in person at the Annual Meeting unless you obtain a “legal proxy” from the broker, bank or other nominee that holds your shares, giving you the right to vote the shares at the Annual Meeting. We urge you to instruct your

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broker, bank or other nominee by following the instructions on the enclosed Voter Instruction Card, to vote your shares in line with our Board of Directors’ recommendations on the Voter Instruction Card.

What is the quorum requirement for the Annual Meeting?

One-third of our outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to vote as of the Record Date must be present at the Annual Meeting in order for us to hold the meeting and conduct business. This is called a quorum. Your shares will be counted as present at the Annual Meeting if you:

•

Are present and entitled to vote in person at the Annual Meeting;

•

Properly submitted a proxy card or voter instruction card; or

•

Do not provide your broker with instructions on how to vote, but the broker submits your proxy nonetheless (a broker non-vote).

Abstentions, withheld votes and, provided there is at least one matter considered routine at the Annual Meeting, broker non-votes (if any) will be counted for purposes of determining whether a quorum is present at the Annual Meeting. Broker non-votes occur when a person holding shares in street name, such as through a brokerage firm, does not provide instructions as to how to vote those shares, but the broker submits that person’s proxy nonetheless. If you are present in person or by proxy at the Annual Meeting but withhold your vote or abstain from voting on any or all proposals, your shares are still counted as present and entitled to vote.

What proposals will be voted on at the Annual Meeting?

The two proposals to be voted on at the Annual Meeting are as follows:

To elect the directors named in the Proxy Statement for a one-year term expiring in 2027 or until their successors have been elected and qualified;

To ratify the appointment of Cherry Bekaert LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026 (the “Auditor Ratification Proposal”).

We will also consider any other business that properly comes before the Annual Meeting. As of the Record Date, we are not aware of any other matters to be submitted for consideration at the Annual Meeting. If any other matters are properly brought before the Annual Meeting, the proxy named in the Proxy Card or Voter Instruction Card will vote the shares it represents using its best judgment.

What is a broker non-vote, and will there be any broker non-votes at the Annual Meeting?

Broker non-votes occur when brokers do not have discretionary voting authority to vote certain shares held in “street name” on particular non-routine proposals and the beneficial owner of those shares has not instructed the broker to vote on those proposals. Broker non-votes are not counted in the tabulations of the votes present at the Annual Meeting and entitled to vote on any of the non-routine proposals to be voted on at the Annual Meeting, and therefore will have no effect on the outcome of Proposal 1, the election of directors.

Proposal 2, the Auditor Ratification Proposal, is considered a routine proposal, and brokers have discretion to vote on this matter even if no instructions are received from the “street name” holder. As such, we do not expect any broker non-votes for Proposal 2.

What vote is required to approve each proposal?

Votes will be counted by the inspector of elections appointed for the Annual Meeting, who will separately count votes “For” and “Against,” abstentions or withheld votes, and, if applicable, broker non-votes. The following table describes the voting requirements for each proposal, including the vote required to approve each proposal and the effect that abstentions or broker non-votes will have on the outcome of each proposal:

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Proposal Number	Proposal Description	Vote Required for Approval	Effect of Abstentions	Effect of Broker Non-Votes
1	Election of directors	Nominee receiving the most “For” votes (plurality voting)	Withheld votes will have no effect	None

2	Approval of the Auditor Ratification Proposal	“For” votes from the holders of a majority of the shares present or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the meeting	Will have the same effect as a vote against the proposal	No broker non-votes are expected

Can I access these proxy materials on the Internet?

Yes. The Notice of Annual Meeting, Proxy Statement, and 2025 Annual Report to Stockholders are available for viewing, printing, and downloading at www.proxyvote.com. Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 is also available under the Investors/Financials-SEC Filings section of our website at www.tenaxthera.com and through the SEC website at http://www.sec.gov. All materials will remain posted on www.proxyvote.com at least until the conclusion of the Annual Meeting.

How may I vote my shares at the Annual Meeting?

If your common stock is held by a broker, bank or nominee, they should send you instructions that you must follow in order to have your shares voted.

If you hold shares in your own name, you may vote by proxy in any one of the following ways:

•

Proxy Vote by Internet. You may use the Internet to transmit your voting instructions by going to the website www.proxyvote.com and following the voting instructions on that website;

•

Proxy Vote by Phone. You may use any touch-tone telephone to transmit your voting instructions by calling the toll-free number 1-800-690-6903 and following the recorded instructions;

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By Mail. By requesting that printed copies of the proxy materials be mailed to you pursuant to the instructions provided in the Notice of Internet Availability and completing, dating, signing, and returning the Proxy Card that you receive in response to your request; or

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In Person at the Annual Meeting. All stockholders may vote in person at the Annual Meeting. You may also be represented by another person at the Annual Meeting by executing a proper proxy designating that person. You are encouraged to vote via the Internet, by telephone or by mail, regardless of whether you plan to attend the Annual Meeting in person.

The Internet and telephone voting procedures are designed to authenticate stockholders’ identities by use of a control number to allow stockholders to vote their shares and to confirm that stockholders’ instructions have been properly recorded. Voting via the Internet or telephone must be completed by 11:59 PM ET on June 1, 2026. If you submit or return a Proxy Card without giving specific voting instructions, your shares will be voted as recommended by our Board of Directors, as permitted by law.

What is a proxy?

A proxy is your legal designation of another person to vote the stock you own. That other person is called a “proxy”. If you designate someone as your proxy in a written document, that document is also called a proxy or a proxy card. Our Board of Directors has designated Christopher Giordano and Gerald Proehl as the Company’s proxies for the Annual Meeting.

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How can I change my vote after submitting it?

If you are a stockholder of record, you can revoke your proxy before your shares are voted at the Annual Meeting by:

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Filing a written notice of revocation bearing a later date than the proxy with our Corporate Secretary at 101 Glen Lennox Drive, Suite 300, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27517 at or before the taking of the vote at the Annual Meeting;

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Duly executing a later-dated proxy relating to the same shares and delivering it to our Corporate Secretary at 101 Glen Lennox Drive, Suite 300, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27517 at or before the taking of the vote at the Annual Meeting;

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Attending the Annual Meeting and voting at the meeting (although attendance at the meeting will not in and of itself constitute a revocation of a proxy); or

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If you voted by telephone or via the Internet, voting again by the same means prior to 11:59 PM ET on June 1, 2026.

If you are a beneficial owner of shares, you may submit new voting instructions by contacting your broker, bank, or other nominee. You may also vote at the Annual Meeting by following the instructions provided by your bank, broker or other nominee to participate in the Annual Meeting.

What does it mean if I receive more than one proxy card or Voter Instruction Card?

It means that you have multiple accounts at the transfer agent or with banks, brokers or other nominees. Please complete and return all proxy cards or Voter Instruction Cards to ensure that all of your shares are voted. For joint accounts, each owner should sign the proxy card. When signing as an executor, administrator, attorney, trustee, guardian or other representative, please print your full name and title on the proxy card.

Who will pay the costs of soliciting these proxies, and how are they being solicited?

Our directors and employees may solicit proxies in person, by telephone, fax, electronic transmission or other means of communication. We will not pay these directors and employees any additional compensation for these services. We will ask banks, brokerage firms, and other institutions, nominees, and fiduciaries to forward these proxy materials to their principal, and to obtain authority to execute proxies, and will reimburse them for their expenses.

If you choose to access the proxy materials and/or submit a proxy to vote on the Internet or telephonically, you are responsible for access charges you may incur.

Where can I find the voting results of the Annual Meeting?

We plan to announce the preliminary voting results at the Annual Meeting. We will publish the results in a Form 8-K filed with the SEC within four business days after the Annual Meeting.

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PROPOSAL 1

ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Nominees for Election as Directors

Our Board of Directors currently consists of seven members, each of whom serve for a one-year term or until a successor has been elected and qualified.

If you are a stockholder of record, unless you mark your proxy card to withhold authority to vote, the proxy holder will vote the proxies received by it for the director nominees named below, each of whom is currently a director and each of whom has consented to be named in this Proxy Statement and to serve if elected. In the event that any nominee is unable or declines to serve as a director at the time of the Annual Meeting, your proxy will be voted for any nominee designated by our Board of Directors to fill the vacancy. We do not expect that any of the nominees will be unable or will decline to serve as a director. If you are a beneficial owner of shares held in street name and you do not provide your broker with voting instructions, your broker may not vote your shares on the election of directors. Therefore, it is important that you vote.

The name of and certain information regarding each director nominee as of April 8, 2026 is set forth below. This information is based on data furnished to us by the directors. There is no family relationship between any director, executive officer, or person nominated to become a director or executive officer. The business address for each nominee for matters regarding our Company is 101 Glen Lennox Drive, Suite 300, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27517.


Name	Age	Position with Tenax Therapeutics, Inc.	Director Since
June Almenoff, MD, PhD	69	Director	February 2021
Michael Davidson, MD	69	Director	February 2021
Declan Doogan, MD	74	Director	February 2021
Christopher T. Giordano	52	President and Chief Executive Officer and Director	July 2021
Robyn M. Hunter	64	Director	January 2022
Gerald T. Proehl	67	Chair	April 2014
Stuart Rich, MD	76	Chief Medical Officer and Director	February 2021

June Almenoff, MD, PhD has served as a director since February 2021. She is an accomplished C-level executive with over 25 years of senior leadership experience. Dr. Almenoff has strong expertise in translational medicine, clinical development, commercial strategy, and business development across many therapeutic areas. She has led or contributed to numerous FDA submissions, product approvals and launches. Dr. Almenoff currently serves as a Board Director and is also a strategic advisor to management of numerous biopharma companies. She is currently a member of the investment advisory board of the Harrington Discovery Institute (a venture philanthropy) since 2015. She has also served as an Executive Venture Partner at 82 Venture Studios (affiliated with Alloy Therapeutics) where since November 2025 she has served as a co-founder and executive board chair of a portfolio company focused on autoimmune disorders. Since 2024 she has served as a member of the Board of Directors of Actinium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE American: ATNM). Previously, she served as a member of the board of directors of Avalo Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVTX) from 2021 to 2025, Brainstorm Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: BCLI) from 2017 to 2023, Kurome Therapeutics, Inc. from 2020 to 2021, and Tigenix NV (acquired by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited in August 2018) from 2016 to 2018. From March 2010 to October 2014, Dr. Almenoff served as President, Chief Medical Officer and a member of the board of directors of Furiex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (previously NASDAQ: FURX) (“Furiex”), which was acquired by Actavis plc (now AbbVie, Inc.) for $1.2 billion in July 2014. Furiex developed eluxadoline (Viberzi®), which was approved both in the United States and Europe. From May 2019 to May 2024, Dr. Almenoff served as Chief Medical Officer of RedHill Biopharma Ltd (NASDAQ: RDHL) leading a team that was instrumental in positioning Talicia® as a first-line therapy. Earlier in her career, Dr. Almenoff was at GlaxoSmithKline plc (NYSE: GSK) for twelve years, where she held various positions of increasing responsibility, including most recently Vice President in the Clinical Safety organization. While at GlaxoSmithKline, Dr. Almenoff chaired a PhRMA-FDA working group, and also worked in the area of scientific licensing. She also led the development of pioneering data analytics systems, which have been widely adopted by industry regulators to minimize clinical risk for both development and marketed drugs. Dr. Almenoff received her B.A. cum laude from Smith College and graduated with AOA honors from the M.D.-Ph.D. program at the Icahn (Mt. Sinai) School of Medicine. She

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completed post-graduate medical training at Stanford University Medical Center and served on the faculty of Duke University School of Medicine. She is an adjunct Professor at Duke, a Fellow of the American College of Physicians (FACP) and has authored over 70 publications.

Our Board believes that Dr. Almenoff’s 25 years of leadership experience as a biopharma executive, her expertise in research and development, as well as her experience with biotech boards, venture philanthropy investment, venture backed companies, and product commercialization qualify her to serve on our Board.

Michael Davidson, MD has served as a director since February 2021. Since August 2020, Dr. Davidson has served as the Chief Executive Officer of New Amsterdam Pharma B.V., a clinical stage company focused on the treatment of cardio-metabolic diseases. Since April 2007, Dr. Davidson has also served as Clinical Professor and Director of the Lipid Clinic at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. From January 2016 to July 2020, Dr. Davidson was the Founder and Chief Scientific Officer and a director of Corvidia Therapeutics, a company focused on the development of transformational therapies for cardio-renal diseases, which was acquired by Novo-Nordisk for up to $2.1 billion in June 2020. Prior to that, from November 2009 to January 2016, Dr. Davidson was the co-founding Chief Medical Officer of Omthera Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty pharmaceuticals company focusing its efforts on the clinical development of new therapies for dyslipidemia, which was acquired by AstraZeneca plc in 2013 for $443 million. Earlier in his career, he founded the Chicago Center for Clinical Research, which became the largest investigator site in the United States and was acquired by PPD, Inc. in 1996. He currently serves as a member of the board of directors of BioAge Labs, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIOA) and Abcentra Therapeutics. He is founder of Sonogene LLC and Jocasta Neuroscience, Inc. His research background encompasses both pharmaceutical and nutritional clinical trials including extensive research on statins, novel lipid-lowering drugs, and omega-3 fatty acids. Dr. Davidson is board-certified in internal medicine, cardiology, and clinical lipidology and served as President of the National Lipid Association from 2010 to 2011. He received his B.A./M.S. from Northwestern University and M.D. from The Ohio State University School of Medicine.

Our Board of Directors believes that Dr. Davidson’s medical background and extensive experience in clinical development, as well as his extensive experience as an executive of several biotechnology companies, qualify him to serve on our Board.

Declan Doogan, MD has served as a director since February 2021. Since November 2019, Dr. Doogan has served as co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of Juvenescence Ltd., a life sciences company developing therapies to modify aging and increase healthy human lifespan. From June 2013 to May 2019, Dr. Doogan served as Chief Executive Officer of Portage Biotech, Inc. (NASDAQ: PRTG), a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company, where he currently remains a director. From 2007 to 2012, Dr. Doogan held various executive roles at Amarin Corporation plc (NASDAQ: AMRN), a pharmaceutical company focused on cardiovascular disease management, including Head of Research and Development, Interim Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Medical Officer. Prior to that, from 1982 to 2007, he held a number of executive positions in the U.S., the U.K. and Japan at Pfizer, Inc. (NYSE: PFE), a multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation, and was most recently the Senior Vice President and Head of Worldwide Development. Beyond his executive career, Dr. Doogan is an investor in emerging biotechnology companies, and is a partner at Mediqventures Ltd., a biotech merchant bank and investment firm. In addition to Portage Biotech, Inc., Dr. Doogan currently serves as a member of the board of directors of Apterna Ltd. and Causeway Therapeutics Ltd. Dr. Doogan previously served as chairman of the board of directors of Biohaven Pharmaceuticals (NYSE: BHVN) and a member of the boards of directors of Intensity Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: INTS), Sosei Group Corporation (TSE: 4565), Kleo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Celleron Therapeutics Ltd. Dr. Doogan has also held professorships at Harvard School of Public Health, Glasgow University Medical School and Kitasato University (Tokyo). He received his medical degree from Glasgow University. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and the Faculty Pharmaceutical Medicine and holds a Doctorate of Science at the University of Kent in the UK.

Our Board of Directors believes that Dr. Doogan’s 30 years of experience in the global pharmaceutical industry in both major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, in addition to his medical background, experience in clinical development and extensive board experience on both public and privately held life sciences companies, qualify him to serve on our Board.

Christopher T. Giordano joined the Company as our Chief Executive Officer and a member of our Board of Directors in July 2021 and became President and Chief Executive Officer in October 2021. From March 2018 to July 2021, he served as President of IQVIA Biotech LLC and IQVIA MedTech Inc., a provider of integrated clinical and

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commercial solutions to medical device and small biotech companies, where he led an executive team that managed a clinical trial portfolio of several hundred active projects during his three years of leadership. Prior to that role, from August 2008 to March 2018, Mr. Giordano held roles of increasing responsibility at Quintiles Transnational Holdings Inc., a provider of pharmaceutical outsourcing services (acquired by IMS Health Holdings, Inc. in October 2016 to become IQVIA Holdings Inc.), and was most recently Global Vice President of the cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic group. From January 2001 to July 2008, Mr. Giordano served in various sales and operational roles at PPD, Inc., a global clinical research organization. Mr. Giordano holds a B.A. (summa cum laude) in English from the University of San Diego and a M.A. in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Our Board of Directors believes that Mr. Giordano’s 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and extensive experience with bringing pharmaceutical products to market qualify him to serve on our Board.

Robyn M. Hunter has served as a director since January 2022. Since August 2022, she has served as global Chief Financial Officer of Sotio Biotech Inc., a clinical stage immuno-oncology company. Previously, she served as the Chief Financial Officer of Fortress Biotech, Inc. (NASDAQ: FBIO) ("Fortress Biotech") from June 2017 to August 2022, and from August 2011 to June 2017, she served as the Vice President and Corporate Controller of Fortress Biotech. From January 2006 to May 2011, Ms. Hunter served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Schochet Associates, Inc. From August 2004 to January 2006, Ms. Hunter served as the Corporate Controller for Indevus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. From 1990 to 2004, Ms. Hunter held several positions from Accounting Manager to Vice President and Treasurer of The Stackpole Corporation. Ms. Hunter holds a B.A. in Economics from Union College in Schenectady, New York.

Our Board of Directors believes that Ms. Hunter’s general business experience and finance expertise and practice in the pharmaceutical industry, developed through her leadership at other companies, qualifies her to serve on our Board.

Gerald T. Proehl has served as a director since April 2014. Since June 2015, Mr. Proehl has served as Founder, President, Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the board of directors of Dermata Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company (NASDAQ: DRMA). In January 1999, Mr. Proehl co-founded Santarus, Inc., a specialty biopharmaceutical company, and through January 2014, until its sale to Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. for $2.6 billion, he held various leadership roles, including as President, Chief Executive Officer and a director. Prior to joining Santarus, Mr. Proehl was with Hoechst Marion Roussel (HMR) for 14 years where he served in various capacities, including Vice President of Global Marketing. During his career at HMR he worked across numerous therapeutic areas, including central nervous system, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal. Mr. Proehl previously served on the boards of Prometheus Biosciences, Inc. (formerly NASDAQ: RXDX), Sophiris Bio Inc. (formerly OTCQB: SPHS), Ritter Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (formerly NASDAQ: RTTR), Kinetek Sports, Inc., and Auspex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (formerly NASDAQ: ASPX). Mr. Proehl holds a B.S. in education from the State University of New York at Cortland, an M.A. in exercise physiology from Wake Forest University and an M.B.A. from Rockhurst University.

Our Board of Directors believes that Mr. Proehl’s general business and commercial experience in the pharmaceutical industry, as well as his strong background in business operations developed through his leadership at other companies, qualify him to serve on our Board.

Stuart Rich, MD has served as our Chief Medical Officer since January 2021 and a director since February 2021. Dr. Rich joined the Company from PHPrecisionMed Inc. (PHPM), where he was a co-founder and held the positions of Chief Executive Officer and Director from October 2018 until PHPM’s merger with the Company in January 2021. Beginning July 2015, Dr. Rich has served as Professor of Medicine (and since 2021, Professor Emeritus) at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He was co-founder and a Trustee of the Pulmonary Vascular Research Institute from 2006 until 2023, a U.K. based charity. From July 2015 until January 2021 he also served as the Director of the Pulmonary Vascular Disease Program at the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute of Northwestern University, and since January 2006 he has served as a Director of the Cardiovascular Medical and Research Foundation, a U.S. based charity. He was a standing member of the Cardiovascular and Renal Advisory Committee of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration from 2002 through 2013. Prior to Northwestern University, Dr. Rich was Professor of Medicine at the Section of Cardiology of the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine from September 2004 to July 2015. Dr. Rich also served as the Chief Medical Officer of United Therapeutics from October 2003 until December 2004. He was Professor of Medicine at the Rush Heart Institute of the Rush University School of Medicine from July 1996 to September 2004 and Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Section of Cardiology at

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the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago from July 1980 to July 1996. Dr. Rich received his B.S. in Biology at the University of Illinois and his M.D. at Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, and he completed his residency in medicine at the Washington University of St. Louis and his fellowship in cardiology at the University of Chicago.

Our Board of Directors believes that Dr. Rich’s extensive medical background in the field of pulmonary hypertension and experience as a consultant and standing member of the Cardiovascular and Renal Advisory Committee of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration qualify him to serve on our Board.

Required Vote

Provided there is a quorum for the Annual Meeting, the director nominees receiving the highest number of affirmative votes of our common stock present or represented and entitled to be voted for them will be elected as directors. Votes withheld will have no legal effect on the election of directors. Under applicable exchange rules, brokers are not permitted to vote shares held for a customer on “non-routine” matters without specific instructions from the customer. As such, broker non-votes will have no effect on the outcome of this Proposal 1.

Our Board of Directors unanimously recommends that stockholders vote

FOR all the director nominees listed above.

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PROPOSAL 2

RATIFICATION OF SELECTION OF

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

The Audit and Compliance Committee has selected Cherry Bekaert LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2026 and recommends that stockholders vote for the ratification of such appointment. Cherry Bekaert LLP has served as our independent auditor since January 2009. Cherry Bekaert LLP has advised us that it does not have, and has not had, any direct or indirect financial interest in the Company that impairs its independence under SEC rules. Notwithstanding the selection, the Audit and Compliance Committee, in its discretion, may appoint a different independent registered public accounting firm at any time if it believes that doing so would be in our Company’s best interests and the best interests of our stockholders. In the event of a negative vote on ratification, the Audit and Compliance Committee will reconsider, but might not change, its selection.

Representatives of Cherry Bekaert LLP are expected to be present telephonically at the Annual Meeting and will have the opportunity to make a statement, if they desire to do so, and will be available to respond to appropriate questions from our stockholders.

Required Vote

Provided there is a quorum for the Annual Meeting, ratification of the selection of Cherry Bekaert LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the meeting. Abstentions will have the same effect as a vote against this proposal and we do not expect broker non-votes on this proposal.

Our Board of Directors unanimously recommends that stockholders vote

FOR the Auditor Ratification Proposal.

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE MATTERS

Information about our Board

Our Board of Directors is currently comprised of seven members consisting of Gerald Proehl, our Chairman, June Almenoff, Michael Davidson, Declan Doogan, Christopher Giordano, Robyn Hunter, and Stuart Rich. Each director will be elected for a term of one year and will serve until a successor is duly elected and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation, or removal. Any additional directorships resulting from an increase in the number of directors or a vacancy may be filled by the directors then in office (as provided in our Bylaws).

Board Leadership Structure

The Board of Directors recognizes that one of its key responsibilities is to evaluate and determine its optimal leadership structure so as to provide independent oversight of management. The Board understands that there is no single, generally accepted approach to providing Board leadership and that given the dynamic and competitive environment in which we operate, the right Board leadership structure may vary as circumstances warrant. Consistent with this understanding, the independent directors consider the Board’s leadership structure on an annual basis. This consideration includes the pros and cons of alternative leadership structures in light of our operating and governance environment at the time, with the goal of achieving the optimal model for effective oversight of management by the Board.

Currently, Mr. Giordano, who has been a member of our Board of Directors since July 2021, serves as our President and Chief Executive Officer and Mr. Proehl, who has been a member of our Board since April 2014, serves as Chairman of the Board. Based on the Board’s most recent review of our Board leadership structure, the Board has determined that this leadership structure is optimal for the Company because it allows Mr. Giordano to focus on leading our business and operations and carrying out our strategy, and Mr. Proehl, our Chairman of the Board, to focus on leading our Board’s oversight of our strategy and business.

In considering its leadership structure, the Board of Directors has taken a number of factors into account. The Board, which consists of highly qualified and experienced directors, a majority of whom are independent, exercises a strong, independent oversight function. This oversight function is enhanced by the fact that all of the Board’s three standing committees - Audit and Compliance, Compensation, and Corporate Governance and Nominating - are composed entirely of independent directors. A number of Board and committee processes and procedures, including regular executive sessions of directors, periodic executive sessions of the independent directors, and annual evaluations of our Chief Executive Officer’s performance against pre-determined goals, provide substantial independent oversight of our Chief Executive Officer’s performance. The Board believes that these factors provide the appropriate balance between the authority of those who oversee the Company and those who manage it on a day-to-day basis.

Director Independence

In accordance with the applicable Nasdaq Listing Rules, our Board of Directors must consist of a majority of “independent directors”, which is defined generally as a person other than an officer or employee of the company or its subsidiaries or any other individual having a relationship, which, in the opinion of our Board would interfere with the director’s exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director.

The Board has determined that directors Drs. Almenoff, Davidson, and Doogan, Mr. Proehl and Ms. Hunter are independent directors in accordance with applicable Nasdaq Listing Rules. In making these determinations, the Board reviewed the information provided by the director nominees with regard to each individual’s business and personal activities as they may relate to us and our management.

Family Relationships

There is no family relationship between any director, executive officer, or person nominated to become a director or executive officer of our Company.

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Procedures for Director Nominations

Pursuant to its charter, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee is responsible for identifying from a wide field of candidates and recommending to the Board of Directors, select qualified candidates for membership on the Board. In evaluating the suitability of individual director candidates, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee takes into account such factors as it considers appropriate, which may include (i) ensuring that the Board, as a whole reflects an appropriate range of viewpoints, backgrounds, skills, experience and expertise, and consists of individuals with relevant technical skills, industry knowledge and experience, financial expertise and local or community ties; (ii) minimum individual qualifications, including strength of character, mature judgment, relevant career experience, independence of thought and an ability to work collegially; (iii) questions of independence, possible conflicts of interest and whether a candidate has special interests or a specific agenda that would impair his or her ability to effectively represent the interests of all stockholders; (iv) the extent to which the candidate would fill a present need on the Board; and (v) whether the candidate can make sufficient time available to perform the duties of a director. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee implements and assesses the effectiveness of these factors and the Board’s commitment to diversity by considering these factors in our assessment of potential director nominees and the overall make-up of our Board. In determining whether to recommend a director for re-election, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee will consider the director’s participation in and contributions to the activities of the Board.

The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee does not set specific, minimum qualifications that nominees must meet in order to be recommended to the Board of Directors, but rather the Board believes that each nominee should be evaluated based on his or her individual merits, taking into account the needs of the Company and the composition of the Board. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee conducts appropriate inquiries into the backgrounds and qualifications of possible nominees and investigates and reviews each proposed nominee’s qualifications for service on the Board. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee may engage outside search firms to assist in identifying or evaluating potential nominees.

The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee will consider candidates recommended by stockholders. It is the policy of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee that candidates recommended by stockholders will be given appropriate consideration in the same manner as other candidates. The procedure for submitting candidates for consideration by the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee for election at our 2027 annual meeting is described under “Other Matters-Stockholder Proposals.”

Attendance at Meetings

The Board of Directors met four times during 2025, and each of our directors attended at least 75% of the aggregate of the total number of Board meetings held during the period each has been a director and the total number of meetings held by all committees on which each director then served. From time to time the Board also acted through written consents. We do not have a formal policy requiring director attendance at the annual meeting, although all directors are encouraged to attend the annual meeting if they are able to do so. All of the directors of the Company, with the exception of Drs. Davidson and Doogan, attended the 2025 annual meeting.

Standing Committees

Our Board of Directors has three standing committees: the Audit and Compliance Committee, the Compensation Committee, and the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. Copies of the charters of the Audit and Compliance, Compensation, and Corporate Governance and Nominating Committees, as they may be amended from time to time, are available on our website at http://www.tenaxthera.com under Investors/Governance-Documents & Charters.

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The Board of Directors has determined that all of the members of each of the Audit and Compliance, Compensation, and Corporate Governance and Nominating Committees are independent as defined under applicable Nasdaq Listing Rules. In addition, the Board has determined that Ms. Hunter, and Drs. Almenoff and Davidson meet the additional test for independence for audit committee members and Ms. Hunter, Mr. Proehl and Dr. Davidson meet the additional test for independence for compensation committee members imposed by SEC regulations and the Nasdaq Listing Rules.

The following table provides membership information of our directors on each committee of our Board of Directors as of April 8, 2026.


	Audit and Compliance Committee	Compensation Committee	Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee
June Almenoff

Michael Davidson

Declan Doogan

Robyn M. Hunter

Gerald T. Proehl

= Committee Chair

= Member

Audit and Compliance Committee

The Audit and Compliance Committee’s principal responsibilities include:

•

appointing, terminating, compensating, and overseeing the work of any accounting firm engaged to prepare or issue an audit report or other audit, review or attestation services;

•

overseeing the accounting and financial reporting processes of the Company and audits of our financial statements;

•

acting on behalf of the Board of Directors in providing oversight with respect to (i) the quality and integrity of our financial statements and internal accounting and financial controls; (ii) all audit, review and attest services relating to our financial statements and internal control over financial reporting (collectively, “Audit Services”), including the appointment, compensation, retention and oversight of the work of the independent auditors engaged to provide Audit Services to us; and (iii) our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements;

•

reporting to the Board of Directors on such matters as the Audit and Compliance Committee deems necessary or appropriate to assure that the Board is informed of any significant developments within the scope of the Audit and Compliance Committee’s responsibilities that merit the attention of the Board;

•

providing the report required of the Audit and Compliance Committee by the rules of the SEC for inclusion in our annual proxy statement;

•

conducting review and oversight of any related person transactions, other than related person transactions for which the Board of Directors has delegated review to another independent body of the Board; and

•

fulfilling such other responsibilities as may be required of the Audit and Compliance Committee under applicable laws and regulations.

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The members of the Audit and Compliance Committee are currently Drs. Almenoff and Davidson and Ms. Hunter. Ms. Hunter serves as chair of the Audit and Compliance Committee. The Board of Directors has determined that Ms. Hunter qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined by applicable SEC rules. The Audit and Compliance Committee met four times during the year ended December 31, 2025.

Compensation Committee

The Compensation Committee’s primary responsibilities include:

•

engaging and evaluating any compensation consultants, independent counsel and other advisers used to assist in the evaluation of director or executive compensation, including evaluation of the advisers’ independence in advance of engagement;

•

reviewing our equity and non-equity-based compensation plans and recommending changes in such plans to the Board of Directors and stockholders as necessary or appropriate;

•

reviewing and evaluating potential candidates for executive officer positions, including the Chief Executive Officer;

•

reviewing our succession and development plans for executive officers and other members of senior management;

•

reviewing and making recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding the employment agreement terms for any executive officer;

•

providing recommendations to the Board concerning any hiring or termination actions with respect to an executive officer position;

•

annually evaluating the Chief Executive Officer’s performance and recommending to the Board of Directors the amount of any performance-based compensation and the Chief Executive Officer’s annual compensation going forward;

•

annually reviewing the performance evaluation process and compensation structure for the Company’s other executive officers, with input for the Chief Executive Officer, and making recommendations to the Board of Directors to approve the annual compensation for the executive officers; and

•

preparing an annual report on executive compensation or Compensation Discussion and Analysis for inclusion in our proxy statement, as and if required by applicable laws.

The members of the Compensation Committee are currently Ms. Hunter, Dr. Davidson and Mr. Proehl. Mr. Proehl serves as chair of the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee met three times during the year ended December 31, 2025.

Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee

The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee’s primary responsibilities include:

•

engaging and evaluating any search firm, independent counsel or other advisers used to assist in identifying candidates to serve as directors of the Company;

•

establishing criteria for the selection of nominees for directors and the processes for identifying and evaluating nominees for directors to serve on the Board of Directors;

•

identifying individuals qualified to become directors and recommending that the Board of Directors select the candidates for all directorships to be filled by the Board or by the stockholders;

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•

reviewing and making recommendations to the full Board of Directors whether members of the Board should stand for re-election, and consider matters relating to the retirement of members of the Board, including term limits or age limits;

•

overseeing the process for submission of director nominations recommended by stockholders according to the procedures therefor set forth in the Company’s Bylaws;

•

upon the recommendation of the Compensation Committee, determining compensation arrangements for non-employee directors;

•

developing and recommending to the Board of Directors corporate governance principles for the Company; and

•

otherwise taking a leadership role in shaping the corporate governance of the Company.

The members of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee are currently Drs. Almenoff and Doogan and Mr. Proehl. Dr. Almenoff serves as chair of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee met once during the year ended December 31, 2025.

Processes and Procedures for Executive and Director Compensation

The Compensation Committee has the authority to review and recommend to the Board of Directors the compensation of the Chief Executive Officer and all other executive officers. In making its recommendation to the Board with respect to the compensation of the Chief Executive Officer, the Compensation Committee considers, among other things, the Chief Executive Officer’s performance of established corporate goals and objectives previously approved by the Board. In making its recommendation to the Board with respect to the compensation of other executive officers, the Compensation Committee takes into account, among other things, each executive officer’s performance in light of established goals and objectives as well as the recommendations of the Chief Executive Officer. The Chief Executive Officer has no input and may not be present during voting or deliberations about his compensation. Our Compensation Committee may delegate its authority to the chair of the committee to the extent it deems necessary to finalize matters as to which the Compensation Committee has given its general approval.

The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee has authority to determine and approve all matters pertaining to compensation of our directors. In making its determination with respect to director compensation, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee considers, among other things, the Compensation Committee’s recommendation, the Board’s overall level of performance, the individual director’s participation in committees, the compensation paid to other directors in similarly situated companies, and our financial growth.

The Compensation and Corporate Governance and Nominating Committees have the authority to retain compensation consultants and other outside advisors to assist in discharging their responsibilities. The recommendations of such consultants are considered in conjunction with the other considerations listed above.

In 2024 and 2025, our Compensation Committee engaged Anderson Pay Advisors LLC (“Anderson Pay Advisors”) to analyze our executive and compensation structure and plan designs and non-employee director compensation, and to assess whether the compensation programs are competitive with the market and support the Compensation Committee’s goal to align stockholders’ interests with those of our directors and executive officers. To ensure Anderson Pay Advisors’ independence, Anderson Pay Advisors reports directly to our Compensation Committee and Corporate Governance Nominating Committee, as applicable, and works specifically for such committees solely on compensation and benefits.

Board’s Role in Risk Oversight

We operate in a highly complex and regulated industry and are subject to a number of significant risks. The Board of Directors plays a key role with respect to our risk oversight, such as determining whether and under what circumstances we will engage in financing transactions or enter into strategic alliances and collaborations. The Board is also involved in our management of risks related to our financial condition and to the development and commercialization of our product candidates.

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One of the Board of Directors’ risk oversight roles is to provide guidance to management. The Board receives regular business updates from members of senior management in order to identify matters that involve operational, financial, legal, or regulatory risks.

To facilitate its oversight of the Company, the Board of Directors has delegated certain risk oversight functions to Board committees. The Audit and Compliance Committee reviews and discusses with management our major financial risk exposures and the steps management has taken to monitor and control such exposures, the Compensation Committee evaluates the risks presented by our compensation programs and analyzes these risks when making compensation decisions, and the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee evaluates whether the composition of the Board is appropriate to respond to the risks that we face.

Although the Board of Directors has delegated certain functions to various committees, each of these committees regularly reports to and solicits input from the full Board regarding its activities.

Code of Ethics

We have adopted a Code of Ethics and Business Conduct (the “Code of Ethics”) applicable to all of our officers, directors and employees, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer, controller, or persons performing similar functions. A copy of this Code of Ethics is posted on our website at http://www.tenaxthera.com under Investors/Governance-Documents & Charters. In the event the Code of Ethics is revised, or any waiver is granted under the Code of Ethics with respect to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer, controller, or persons performing similar functions, notice of such revision or waiver will be posted on our website or disclosed on a current report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC, as required.

Anti-Hedging and Anti-Pledging Policies

The Company does not currently have a policy that prohibits our directors, officers and employees from engaging in hedging activity in our securities or pledging any of our securities as collateral for loans or margin accounts.

Insider Trading Policy

The Company’s Insider Trading Policy governs the purchase, sale, and/or other dispositions of Tenax securities by directors, officers, and employees. We believe this policy is reasonably designed to promote compliance with insider trading laws, rules and regulations and listing standards applicable to the Company.

Stockholder Communications with Directors

It is the policy of the Company and the Board of Directors to encourage free and open communication between stockholders and the Board. Any stockholder wishing to communicate with the Board should send any communication to Tenax Therapeutics, Inc., Attn: Corporate Secretary, 101 Glen Lennox Drive, Suite 300, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27517. Any such communication must be in writing and must state the number of shares beneficially owned by the stockholder making the communication. Our Corporate Secretary will forward such communication to the full Board or to any individual director or directors to whom the communication is directed unless the communication is frivolous, hostile, threatening, illegal, or similarly inappropriate, in which case the Corporate Secretary has the authority to discard the communication or take appropriate legal action regarding the communication. This policy is not designed to preclude other communications between the Board and stockholders on an informal basis.

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AUDIT AND COMPLIANCE COMMITTEE REPORT

The Audit and Compliance Committee has reviewed our audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2025 and has discussed these statements with management. The Audit and Compliance Committee has also discussed with Cherry Bekaert LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm during the year ended December 31, 2025, the matters required to be discussed by the applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (the “PCAOB”) and the SEC.

The Audit and Compliance Committee also received from Cherry Bekaert LLP the written disclosures and the letter required by applicable requirements of the PCAOB regarding Cherry Bekaert LLP’s communications with the Audit and Compliance Committee concerning independence and discussed with Cherry Bekaert LLP its independence.

Based on the review and discussions noted above, the Audit and Compliance Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the audited financial statements be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 for filing with the SEC.

The Audit and Compliance Committee is currently comprised of the following three directors: Drs. Almenoff and Davidson and Ms. Hunter. All are independent directors as defined in Rules 5605(a)(2) and 5605(c)(2) of the Nasdaq Listing Rules and Section 10A(m)(3) of the Exchange Act. The Board of Directors has determined that Ms. Hunter is an “audit committee financial expert” as such term is defined in Item 407(d)(5)(ii) of Regulation S-K promulgated by the SEC.

Cherry Bekaert LLP has served as our independent auditor since January 2009.

Summary of Fees

It is our Audit and Compliance Committee’s policy and procedure to approve in advance all audit engagement fees and terms and all permitted non-audit services provided by our independent registered public accounting firm. All audit engagement fees and terms and permitted non-audit services provided by our independent registered public accounting firm as described in the below table were approved in advance by our Audit and Compliance Committee.

The aggregate fees billed for professional services by the Company’s professional accounting firm in the years ending December 31, 2025 and 2024 were as follows:


		2025			2024
Audit fees (1)	$		179,979	$		158,550
Audit-Related Fees (2)			15,750			95,025
Tax fees (3)			7,665			8,975
All Other Fees (4)			-			-
Total fees	$		203,394	$		262,550

(1)

This category includes fees billed for the fiscal years shown for professional services for the audit of our annual financial statements included in our annual reports on Form 10-K, review of financial statements included in our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and services that are normally provided by the independent auditor in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements for the relevant fiscal years. The increase in fees for this category was related to inflation and additional complexity of the audit during 2025 as compared to 2024.

(2)

This category includes fees billed in the fiscal years shown for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of our financial statements and are not reported under the category “Audit Fees.” The decrease in fees for this category was related to decreased fundraising transaction complexity in 2025 as compared to 2024.

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(3)

This category includes fees billed in the fiscal years shown for professional services for tax compliance, tax advice, and tax planning. The decrease in fees for this category was related to decreased tax compliance requirements.

(4)

This category includes fees billed in the fiscal years shown for products and services provided by the principal accountant that are not reported in any other category. There were no billings for this category in 2025 or 2024.


THE AUDIT AND COMPLIANCE COMMITTEE OF
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
	Robyn M. Hunter (Chair)
	June Almenoff
	Michael Davidson

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

The following tables and narrative discussion describe the material elements of our executive compensation program during 2025. We also provide an overview of our executive compensation philosophy, including our principal compensation policies and practices.

Our “named executive officers” (“NEOs”) for fiscal 2025 were:

•

Christopher T. Giordano, our President and Chief Executive Officer (our “CEO”);

•

Stuart Rich, our Chief Medical Officer (our “CMO”); and

•

Thomas A. McGauley, our Interim Chief Financial Officer (our “Interim CFO”).

2025 Summary Compensation Table


Name and Principal		Salary		Option Awards			Bonus			Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation			All Other Compensation			Total
Position	Year	($)(1)		($)(2)			($)			($)			($)			($)
Christopher T. Giordano	2025		563,734		7,266,000	(3)		-			204,375	(4)		45,524	(5)		8,079,633
President and Chief Executive Officer	2024		495,680		6,475,000	(6)		-			390,000	(7)		42,911	(8)		7,403,591

Stuart Rich	2025		322,724		3,242,750	(9)		-			157,500	(10)		9,993	(11)		3,732,967
Chief Medical Officer	2024		287,832		2,590,000	(12)		75,000	(13)		175,000	(14)		10,212	(15)		3,138,044

Thomas A. McGauley (16)	2025		-		-			-			-			475,498	(16)		475,498
Interim Chief Financial Officer	2024		-		-			-			-			37,208	(16)		37,208

(1)

Reflects base salary earned during the fiscal year covered.

(2)

The amounts in these columns reflect the aggregate grant date fair value of awards granted during the year computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, Compensation - Stock Compensation. The assumptions made in determining the fair values of our stock and option awards are set forth in Note 4 to our Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2025, included in our Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the SEC on March 10, 2026.

(3)

In May 2025, we granted an option to purchase 1,400,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $5.89 per share to Mr. Giordano. The options vest and become exercisable as follows: 25% of the underlying shares of common stock vest and become exercisable on May 16, 2026, and thereafter 1/36th of the remaining shares will vest on the last day of each following month for a period of 36 months, subject to Mr. Giordano’s continued employment.

(4)

The Compensation Committee calculated the predetermined operational goals for 2025 had been achieved at 75%, resulting in a cash bonus of $204,375 paid to Mr. Giordano.

(5)

Consists of $31,524 of health and benefit premiums for coverage of Mr. Giordano and his eligible dependents and $14,000 of Company contributions to Mr. Giordano’s 401(k) plan.

(6)

In May 2024, we granted an option to purchase 437 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $3.549 per share to Mr. Giordano. The options vest and become exercisable in four equal annual installments beginning on May 17, 2025. In December 2024, we granted an option to purchase 1,250,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $5.94 per share to Mr. Giordano. The options vested on December 10, 2025.

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(7)

The Compensation Committee calculated the predetermined operational goals for 2024 had been achieved at 160%, resulting in a cash bonus of $390,000 paid to Mr. Giordano.

(8)

Consists of $29,511 of health and benefit premiums for coverage of Mr. Giordano and his eligible dependents and $13,400 of Company contributions to Mr. Giordano’s 401(k) plan.

(9)

In May 2025, we granted an option to purchase 625,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $5.89 per share to Dr. Rich. The options vest and become exercisable as follows: 25% of the underlying shares of common stock vest and become exercisable on May 16, 2026, and thereafter 1/36th of the remaining shares will vest on the last day of each following month for a period of 36 months, subject to Dr. Rich’s continued employment.

(10)

The Compensation Committee calculated the predetermined operational goals for 2025 had been achieved at 75%, resulting in a cash bonus of $157,500 paid to Dr. Rich.

(11)

Consists of $805 of benefit premiums for Dr. Rich and $9,407 of Company contributions to Dr. Rich’s 401(k) plan.

(12)

In May 2024, we granted an option to purchase 119 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $3.549 per share to Dr. Rich. The options vest and become exercisable in four equal annual installments beginning on May 17, 2025. In December 2024, we granted an option to purchase 500,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $5.94 per share to Dr. Rich. The option vested on December 10, 2025.

(13)

The Compensation Committee awarded a cash bonus of $75,000 to Dr. Rich in recognition of his significant contributions to the Company during 2024.

(14)

The Compensation Committee calculated the predetermined operational goals for 2024 had been achieved at 160%, resulting in a cash bonus of $175,000 paid to Dr. Rich.

(15)

Consists of $805 of benefit premiums for Dr. Rich and $9,407 of Company contributions to Dr. Rich’s 401(k) plan.

(16)

Mr. McGauley is a consulting Interim Chief Financial Officer employed by Danforth Advisors, LLC (“Danforth”) and was contracted on a part time basis by us beginning December 2, 2024. We paid $475,498 and $37,208 in consulting fees to Danforth for Mr. McGauley’s services in fiscal year 2025 and 2024, respectively.

Narrative to Summary Compensation Table

Elements of Compensation

During the year ended December 31, 2025, we compensated our Named Executive Officers generally through a mix of (i) base salary (ii) annual cash bonus based on achievement of predetermined operational goals (non-equity incentive plan compensation) and (iii) long-term equity compensation, in the form of options.

Mr. McGauley has served as our Interim Chief Financial Officer since December 2, 2024. In accordance with our consulting agreement with Danforth (the “Danforth Consulting Agreement”), Mr. McGauley is employed by Danforth and compensated on an hourly basis. See “Employment and Other Contracts – Thomas A. McGauley” for further discussion of the Danforth Consulting Agreement.

Annual Base Salaries

Mr. Giordano and Dr. Rich received a base salary to compensate them for services rendered to us during the year ended December 31, 2025. The base salary is intended to provide a fixed component of compensation reflecting the executive’s skill set, experience, role, responsibilities and time commitment. In the year ended December 31, 2025, we paid an annual base salary of $545,000 to Mr. Giordano. In the year ended December 31, 2025, we paid an annual base salary of $445,000 to Dr. Rich, prorated to $267,000 to reflect a three-day work schedule.

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Cash Bonuses

Under each of their employment agreements, Mr. Giordano and Dr. Rich are eligible to receive annual cash bonuses based on the achievement of annual goals. During the year ended December 31, 2025, Mr. Giordano and Dr. Rich were eligible to receive a target cash bonus consisting of 50% and 40%, respectively, of their base salaries, based on 100% achievement of the predetermined operational goals. There is no cap on the bonuses for greater than 100% achievement of goals, and there is no pre-identified threshold amount that must be achieved to receive any cash bonus payment. Our Compensation Committee evaluated performance for the year ended December 31, 2025 and determined the operational goals for 2025 had been achieved at 75%.

Long-Term Equity Compensation

We generally award stock options to our key employees, including to our non-executive employees, on an annual basis and subject to approval by (i) the Board of Directors upon the Compensation Committee’s recommendation with respect to executive officers and (ii) the Compensation Committee with respect to all other employees.

In December 2024, as a one-time catch-up grant, our Board of Directors, upon the recommendation of Anderson Pay Advisors, approved additional option grants for our key employees, non-executive employees, and non-employee directors, to adjust their compensation to a more appropriate level, since the equity pool in the Company’s 2022 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended (the “2022 Plan”) did not have enough shares available to make adequate grants during 2024, prior to the October 25, 2024 approval by stockholders of an increase to the number of shares authorized under the 2022 Plan.

Other Elements of Compensation

Employee Benefits and Perquisites

We maintain broad based benefits that are provided to all employees, including health and dental insurance. Our executive officers are eligible to participate in all of our employee benefit plans, in each case, on the same basis as other employees.

No Tax Gross-Ups

We do not make gross-up payments to cover our NEOs’ personal income taxes that may pertain to any of the compensation or perquisites paid or provided by us.

Severance

Pursuant to employment agreements we have entered into with certain NEOs, each such officer is entitled to specified benefits in the event of the termination of his employment under specified circumstances. We have provided more detailed information about these benefits under the caption “-Employment and Other Contracts” below.

Employment and Other Contracts

Christopher T. Giordano

We entered into an executive employment agreement with Mr. Giordano, effective July 6, 2021 (the “Giordano Employment Agreement”). Under the Giordano Employment Agreement, Mr. Giordano initially received an annual base salary of $375,000, which was recently increased to $600,000, effective January 2026. Mr. Giordano also receives medical insurance, dental insurance, and other benefit plans on the same basis as our other officers. Under the Giordano Employment Agreement, Mr. Giordano receives an annual cash bonus consisting of 50% of his base salary, based on 100% achievement of annual goals (with no cap on the bonus for greater than 100% achievement of goals).

The Giordano Employment Agreement is effective for automatically renewing one-year terms, unless the Giordano Employment Agreement is terminated in advance of renewal or either party gives notice at least 90 days prior to the end of the then-current term of an intention not to renew. If Mr. Giordano is terminated without “cause”,

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if he terminates his employment for “good reason”, or if the Company elects not to renew the Giordano Employment Agreement, Mr. Giordano would be entitled to receive (i) one-year of base salary, (ii) a pro-rated amount of the annual bonus that he would have received had 100% of goals been achieved, and (iii) one-year of COBRA reimbursements or benefits payments, as applicable. Mr. Giordano’s entitlement to these payments is conditioned upon execution of a release of claims.

For purposes of the Giordano Employment Agreement: (i) “cause” includes (1) a willful material breach of the Giordano Employment Agreement by Mr. Giordano, (2) material misappropriation of Company property, (3) material failure to comply with our policies, (4) abuse of illegal drugs or abuse of alcohol in a manner that interferes with the performance of his duties, (5) dishonest or illegal action that is materially detrimental to the Company, (6) failure to cooperate with internal investigations or law enforcement and regulatory investigations, and (7) failure to disclose material conflicts of interest and (ii) “good reason” includes (1) a material reduction in base salary, (2) a material reduction of Mr. Giordano’s authority, duties or responsibility, (3) certain changes in geographic location of Mr. Giordano’s employment, or (4) a material breach of the Giordano Employment Agreement or other written agreement with Mr. Giordano by the Company.

Stuart Rich

We entered into an employment agreement with Dr. Rich, effective January 15, 2021, which was amended on June 12, 2024 and January 6, 2026 (the “Rich Employment Agreement”). Under the Rich Employment Agreement, Dr. Rich initially received an annual base salary of $300,000, which was recently increased to $546,000, effective January 2026, and prorated to $436,800 pursuant to the amendment to reflect his modified work schedule of four days per week. Dr. Rich also receives medical insurance, dental insurance, and other benefit plans on the same basis as our other officers. Under the Rich Employment Agreement, Dr. Rich is eligible for an annual target cash bonus of 40% of his base salary, based on 100% achievement of annual goals (with no cap on the bonus for greater than 100% achievement of goals).

The Rich Employment Agreement is effective for automatically renewing one-year terms, unless terminated in advance of renewal or either party gives notice at least 90 days prior to the end of the then-current term of an intention not to renew. If Dr. Rich is terminated without “cause”, if he terminates his employment for “good reason, or if we elect not to renew the Rich Employment Agreement, Dr. Rich would be entitled to receive (i) one-year of his then current base salary, (ii) a pro-rated amount of the annual bonus that he would have received had 100% of goals been achieved, (iii) acceleration of vesting of all outstanding equity-based compensation awards held by Dr. Rich, and (iv) one-year of COBRA reimbursements or benefits payments, as applicable. Dr. Rich’s entitlement to these payments is conditioned upon execution of a release of claims.

For purposes of the Rich Employment Agreement: (i) “cause” includes (1) a willful material breach of the Rich Employment Agreement by Dr. Rich, (2) material misappropriation of Company property, (3) material failure to comply with our policies, (4) abuse of illegal drugs or abuse of alcohol in a manner that materially interferes with the performance of his duties, (5) dishonest or illegal action that is materially detrimental to the Company, and (6) failure to disclose material conflicts of interest; and (ii) “good reason” includes (1) a material reduction in base salary, (2) a material reduction of his authority, duties or responsibility, or (3) a material breach of the Rich Employment Agreement by the Company.

Thomas A. McGauley

We entered into a consulting agreement with Danforth, dated October 14, 2021, providing for the engagement of a consultant with Danforth as the Company’s Interim Chief Financial Officer (the “Danforth Consulting Agreement”). Pursuant to the Danforth Consulting Agreement, the consultant serves as an independent contractor with the Company and is responsible for the Company’s accounting and finance functions and serves as our principal financial officer and principal accounting officer. The Danforth Consulting Agreement may be terminated by us or Danforth (i) with “cause”, immediately upon written notice to the other party or (ii) without cause upon 30 days prior written notice to the other party. Pursuant to the Danforth Consulting Agreement, Danforth received cash

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compensation at a rate of $410 per hour for Mr. McGauley’s services, which rate may be increased by up to 4% annually.

For purposes of the Danforth Consulting Agreement, “cause” is a material breach of the terms of the Danforth Consulting Agreement which, if curable, is not cured within 10 days of written notice of such default, or the commission of any act of fraud, embezzlement or deliberate disregard of a rule or policy of the Company.

Outstanding Equity Awards

The following table provides information about outstanding equity awards held by the NEOs as of December 31, 2025, as retrospectively adjusted for the Company’s reverse stock splits.

Outstanding Equity Awards as of December 31, 2025


	Option Awards
Name and Principal Position	Number of securities underlying unexercised options (Exercisable)		Number of securities underlying unexercised options (Unexercisable)			Option exercise price		Option expiration date
	(#)		(#)			($/Sh)
Christopher T.		157		-	(1)		3,152.00	7/6/2031
Giordano		94		31	(2)		992.00	6/9/2032
President and Chief		109		328	(3)		3,549.00	5/17/2034
Executive Officer		1,250,000		-			5.94	12/10/2034
		-		1,400,000	(4)		5.89	5/16/2035

Stuart Rich		79		78	(5)		2,848.00	1/15/2031
Chief Medical		47		16	(2)		992.00	6/9/2032
Officer		30		89	(3)		35.49	5/17/2034
		500,000		-			5.94	12/10/2034
		-		625,000	(4)		5.89	5/16/2035

Thomas A. McGauley		-		-			-		-
Interim Chief Financial Officer

(1)

The option vested in annual installments beginning July 6, 2022, subject to Mr. Giordano’s continued employment, and became exercisable in full on July 6, 2025.

(2)

The option is exercisable as to one-fourth of the shares of common stock underlying the option on each of June, 9, 2023, June 9, 2024, June 9, 2025 and June 9, 2026, subject to the executive’s continued employment.

(3)

The option is exercisable as to one-fourth of the shares of common stock underlying the option on each of May 17, 2025, May 17, 2026, May 17, 2027, and May 17, 2028, subject to Mr. Giordano’s continued employment.

(4)

The option is exercisable as to one-fourth of the shares of common stock underlying the option on May 16, 2026, and 1/36th of the remaining shares of common stock underlying the option on the last day of each following month for a period of 36 months, subject to the executive’s continued employment.

(5)

The option is exercisable in four equal installments, with 25% vesting after the start of a Phase 3 clinical trial, 25% vesting after the database lock with respect to the trial, 25% vesting after the opening of an Investigational New Drug Application with the FDA, and 25% vesting after the approval from the FDA, subject to Dr. Rich’s continued employment.

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Policies and Practices Related to the Grant of Certain Equity Awards Close in Time to the Release of Material Nonpublic Information

While we do not have a formal written policy in place with regard to the timing of awards of options or similar awards in relation to the disclosure of material nonpublic information, our equity awards are generally granted on fixed dates determined in advance. On limited occasions, our Board of Directors (or Compensation Committee, as appropriate) may grant equity awards outside of our annual grant cycle for new hires, promotions, recognition, retention or other purposes.

Our Board of Directors’ general practice, and its practice for fiscal year 2025, has been to complete its annual executive compensation review and determine performance goals and target compensation for our executives, which coincides with the Company’s regularly scheduled Board meetings; then equity awards are generally granted with an effective date during the Company’s next open trading window, as determined by the Board.

The Committee approves all equity award grants on or before the grant date and does not grant equity awards in anticipation of the release of material nonpublic information. Similarly, the Committee does not time the release of material nonpublic information based on equity award grant dates.

Pay Versus Performance

As required by Section 953(a) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and Item 402(v) of Regulation S-K, we are providing the following information about the relationship between executive compensation actually paid and certain financial performance of our Company for each of the last three completed fiscal years. In determining the “compensation actually paid” to our NEOs, we are required to make various adjustments to amounts that have been previously reported in the Summary Compensation Table in previous years, as the SEC’s valuation methods for this section differ from those required in the Summary Compensation Table. The table below summarizes compensation values both previously reported in our Summary Compensation Table, as well as the adjusted values required in this section for the 2023, 2024 and 2025 fiscal years. Note that for our NEOs other than our CEO, or principal executive officer, compensation is reported as an average.


Christopher T. Giordano (“PEO”)
Year	Summary Compensation Table Total for PEO (1)		Compensation Actually Paid to PEO (2)		Average Summary Compensation Table Total for Non-PEO NEOs (3)		Average Compensation Actually Paid to Non- PEO NEOs (4)		Value of Initial Fixed $100 Investment Based On Total Shareholder Return (“TSR”) (5)		Net Income (Loss) (millions) (6)
2025	$	8,079,633	$	21,671,572	$	1,866,484	$	4,799,796	$	0.73	$	(52.6	)
2024	$	7,403,591	$	7,702,803	$	1,717,532	$	1,776,945	$	0.37	$	(17.6	)
2023	$	644,770	$	515,684	$	323,756	$	259,737	$	1.00	$	(7.7	)

(1)

Represents the amounts of total compensation reported for our PEO for each corresponding year in the “Total” column of the Summary Compensation Table above or the Summary Compensation Table included in our definitive proxy statement filed with the SEC on April 25, 2025, as applicable.

(2)

Represents the amount of “compensation actually paid” to our PEO, as computed in accordance with Item 402(v) of Regulation S-K. The dollar amounts do not reflect the actual amount of compensation earned by or paid to our PEO during the applicable year. In accordance with the requirements of Item 402(v) of Regulation S-K, the following adjustments were made our PEO’s total compensation for each year to determine the compensation actually paid:

SEC Form DEF 14A filed by Tenax Therapeutics Inc.