v3.25.3
Share-based compensation
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2025
Share-based compensation  
Share-based compensation

10Share-based compensation

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The Company’s share-based compensation plans include the amended and restated 2014 Share Incentive Plan (as amended, the “2014 Plan”) and inducement grants under Rule 5653(c)(4) of the Nasdaq Global Select Market with terms similar to the 2014 Plan (together the “2014 Plans”). At the annual general meeting of shareholders in June 2025, the Company’s shareholders authorized an additional 2,400,000 shares for issuance under the 2014 Plan. As of September 30, 2025, a total of 4,414,685 ordinary shares remain available for issuance under the 2014 Plan.

​

In June 2018, the Company’s shareholders adopted and approved the uniQure N.V. Employee Stock Purchase Plan (as amended, the “ESPP”) allowing the Company to issue up to 150,000 ordinary shares. The ESPP is intended to qualify under Section 423 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Under the ESPP, employees are eligible to purchase ordinary shares through payroll deductions, subject to any plan limitations. The purchase price of the ordinary shares on each purchase date is equal to the lower of: (i) 85% of the closing market price on the offering date or (ii) 85% of the closing market price on the purchase date.

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2014 Plans and ESPP

​

Share-based compensation expense recognized by classification included in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss in relation to the 2014 Plans and the ESPP for the periods indicated below was as follows:

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

    

​

Three months ended September 30, 

​

Nine months ended September 30, 

​

    

2025

    

2024

    

2025

    

2024

​

​

(in thousands)

​

(in thousands)

Cost of contract manufacturing revenues

​

$

—

​

$

—

​

$

—

​

$

1,035

Research and development expenses

​

​

695

​

​

1,413

​

​

5,916

​

​

7,694

Selling, general and administrative expenses

​

​

2,827

​

​

2,025

​

​

7,100

​

​

8,780

Total

​

$

3,522

​

$

3,438

​

$

13,016

​

$

17,509

​

Share-based compensation expense recognized by award type for the 2014 Plans as well as the ESPP was as follows:

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Three months ended September 30, 

​

Nine months ended September 30, 

​

    

2025

    

2024

    

2025

    

2024

​

​

(in thousands)

​

(in thousands)

Award type/ESPP

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Share options

​

$

1,829

​

$

2,003

​

$

5,128

​

$

7,576

Restricted share units

​

​

2,837

​

​

1,615

​

​

7,597

​

​

10,199

Performance share units

​

​

(1,159)

​

​

(180)

​

​

276

​

​

(276)

ESPP

​

​

15

​

​

—

​

​

15

​

​

10

Total

​

$

3,522

​

$

3,438

​

$

13,016

​

$

17,509

​

As of September 30, 2025, the unrecognized share-based compensation expense related to unvested awards under the 2014 Plans were:

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

    

Unrecognized

  

Weighted average

​

    

share-based

    

remaining

​

​

compensation

​

period for

​

​

expense

​

     recognition     

​

​

(in thousands)

​

(in years)

Award type

​

​

​

​

​

Share options

​

$

13,621

​

2.63

Restricted share units

​

​

20,501

​

2.23

Performance share units

​

​

166

​

0.25

Total

​

$

34,288

​

2.38

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The Company satisfies the exercise of share options and vesting of Restricted Share Units (“RSUs”) and Performance Share Units (“PSUs”) through newly issued ordinary shares.

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Share options

Share options are priced on the date of grant and, except for certain grants made to non-executive directors, vest over a period of four years. The first 25% of each grant vests after one year from the initial grant date and the remainder vests in equal quarterly installments over years two, three and four. Certain grants to non-executive directors vest in full after one year. Any options that vest must be exercised by the tenth anniversary of the initial grant date.

The following table summarizes option activity under the 2014 Plans for the nine months ended September 30, 2025:

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​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Options

​

​

Number of

​

Weighted average

​

    

ordinary shares

    

exercise price

​

​

​

​

​

​

Outstanding at December 31, 2024

​

4,967,160

​

​

19.87

Granted

​

1,220,410

​

$

12.63

Forfeited

​

(118,432)

​

$

13.17

Expired

​

(833,550)

​

$

29.86

Exercised

​

(553,556)

​

$

15.74

Outstanding at September 30, 2025

​

4,682,032

​

$

17.04

Thereof, fully vested, and exercisable on September 30, 2025

​

2,534,300

​

$

21.41

Thereof, outstanding and expected to vest after September 30, 2025

​

2,147,732

​

$

11.88

Outstanding and expected to vest after December 31, 2024

​

1,838,603

​

$

11.46

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Total weighted average grant date fair value of options issued during the period (in $ millions)

​

​

​

$

9.4

​

The fair value of each option issued is estimated at the respective grant date using the Hull & White option pricing model with the following weighted-average assumptions:

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Three months ended September 30, 

    

Nine months ended September 30, 

​

    

2025

    

2024

    

2025

    

2024

Assumptions

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Expected volatility

​

80%

​

70%

​

70% - 80%

​

70%

Expected terms

​

10 years

​

10 years

​

10 years

​

10 years

Risk-free interest rate

​

4,38%

​

4,32%

​

4.36% - 4.64%

​

4,32%

Expected dividend yield

​

0,0%

​

0,0%

​

0,0%

​

0,0%

​

RSUs

​

The following table summarizes the RSU activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2025:

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

RSUs

​

    

​

    

Weighted average

​

​

Number of

​

grant-date fair

​

​

ordinary shares

​

value

Non-vested at December 31, 2024

​

1,659,898

​

$

10.71

Granted

​

1,587,990

​

$

12.46

Vested

​

(747,388)

​

$

12.14

Forfeited

​

(213,147)

​

$

10.11

Non-vested at September 30, 2025

​

2,287,353

​

$

11.51

​

​

​

​

​

​

Total weighted average grant date fair value of RSUs granted during the period (in $ millions)

​

​

​

$

19.8

​

RSUs generally vest over one to three years. RSUs granted to non-executive directors vest one year from the date of grant.

​

PSUs

​

Awards of PSUs are subject to the achievement of specified performance objectives. The fair value of PSUs granted in 2022 and 2024 was determined on the grant date by reference to the market price of the Company’s ordinary shares.

​

The following table summarizes the PSU activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2025:

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

PSUs

​

    

​

    

Weighted average

​

​

Number of

​

grant-date fair

​

​

ordinary shares

​

value

Non-vested at December 31, 2024

​

150,120

​

$

21.65

Vested

​

(66,500)

​

$

26.70

Forfeited

​

(38,620)

​

$

20.24

Non-vested at September 30, 2025

​

45,000

​

$

15.40

​

ESPP

​

During the nine months ended September 30, 2025, nil ordinary shares were issued under the ESPP compared to 10,150 ordinary shares issued during the same period in 2024. As of September 30, 2025, 86,712 ordinary shares remain available for issuance under the ESPP compared to a total of 86,712 ordinary shares as of September 30, 2024.

​