Edgar Filing: QUIDEL CORP /DE/

DEF 14A

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

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Securities Exchange Act of 1934

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QUIDEL CORPORATION

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

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

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QUIDEL CORPORATION

12544 High Bluff Drive, Suite 200

San Diego, CA 92130

(858) 552-1100

April 14, 2016

To Our Stockholders:

You are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which will be held on Tuesday, May 17, 2016, at 8:30 a.m., local time, at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines, 10950 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037. At the Annual Meeting, you will be asked to consider and vote upon: (i) the election of the seven directors designated herein to the Board of Directors; (ii) the ratification of the selection of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for our fiscal year ending December 31, 2016; (iii) advisory approval of the Company’s executive compensation; (iv) the approval of the adoption of our 2016 Equity Incentive Plan; (v) an amendment and restatement of our 1983 Employee Stock Purchase Plan; and (vi) such other business as may properly be presented at the Annual Meeting or any adjournments or postponements thereof.

Enclosed are the Notice of the Annual Meeting, the Proxy Statement and accompanying proxy card, and a copy of our Annual Report to Stockholders.

It is important that your shares be represented and voted at the Annual Meeting. You may vote your shares via the Internet, by telephone or by completing and returning the enclosed proxy card.

Our Board of Directors and officers look forward to seeing you at the Annual Meeting.

Sincerely yours,

Douglas C. Bryant

President and Chief Executive Officer

QUIDEL CORPORATION

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

To Be Held On May 17, 2016

To Our Stockholders:

The Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Quidel Corporation will be held on Tuesday, May 17, 2016, at 8:30 a.m., local time, at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines, 10950 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, for the following purposes:

1. To elect the seven directors designated herein to serve on the Board of Directors to hold office until the 2017 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and until their successors are elected and qualified;

2. To ratify the selection of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for our fiscal year ending December 31, 2016;

3. To obtain advisory approval of the Company’s executive compensation;

4. To approve the adoption of the Quidel Corporation 2016 Equity Incentive Plan;

5. To approve the amendment and restatement of the Quidel Corporation 1983 Employee Stock Purchase Plan; and

6. To transact such other business as may properly be presented at the Annual Meeting or any adjournments or postponements thereof.

Only stockholders of record at the close of business on March 23, 2016 are entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting and any adjournments or postponements thereof.

The Board of Directors of Quidel Corporation unanimously recommends that the stockholders vote FOR the seven nominees for the Board of Directors named in the accompanying Proxy Statement; FOR the ratification of the selection of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm; FOR the advisory approval of the Company’s executive compensation; FOR the adoption of the 2016 Equity Incentive Plan; and FOR the amendment and restatement of the 1983 Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

All stockholders are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting. It is important that your shares be represented and voted at the Annual Meeting whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting. You may vote your shares via the Internet, by telephone or by completing and returning a proxy card. If you attend the Annual Meeting and wish to do so, you may vote your shares in person even if you have signed and returned your proxy card. Specific voting instructions are set forth in the accompanying Proxy Statement and on the proxy card.

By Order of the Board of Directors,

Douglas C. Bryant

President and Chief Executive Officer

QUIDEL CORPORATION

San Diego, California

April 14, 2016

TABLE OF CONTENTS



	Page
RECORD DATE AND VOTING	1
PROPOSAL 1 ELECTION OF DIRECTORS	3
PROPOSAL 2 RATIFICATION OF THE SELECTION OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM	5
PROPOSAL 3 ADVISORY APPROVAL OF THE COMPANY’S EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION	6
PROPOSAL 4 ADOPTION OF THE 2016 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN	7
PROPOSAL 5 AMENDMENT AND RESTATEMENT OF THE 1983 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN	15
SECURITIES AVAILABLE FOR ISSUANCE UNDER OUR EQUITY COMPENSATION PLANS	18
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE	19
Board Leadership Structure and Risk Oversight	19
Board of Directors Meetings, Committees of the Board and Related Matters	19
Director Independence	20
Audit Committee	20
Compensation Committee	20
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee	21
Meetings of Non-Management Directors	21
Director Nominations	21
Director Qualifications	22
Communications With the Board of Directors	23
Director Attendance at Annual Meetings	23
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics	23
Access to Corporate Governance Documentation and Other Information Available on Our Website	23
DIRECTOR COMPENSATION	24
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT	26
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION	29
Compensation Discussion and Analysis	29
Compensation Committee Report	36
Summary Compensation Table	38
Grants of Plan-Based Awards in Fiscal Year 2015	39
Outstanding Equity Awards at 2015 Fiscal Year-End	40
Option Exercises and Stock Vested in Fiscal Year 2015	42
Nonqualified Deferred Compensation	43
Employment, Change in Control and Severance Arrangements	43
Potential Post-Employment Payments	45
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE INTERLOCKS AND INSIDER PARTICIPATION	47
AUDIT COMMITTEE MATTERS	47
Report of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors	47
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm	47
Policy on Audit Committee Pre-approval of Audit and Permissible Non-audit Services	48
SECTION 16(a) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE	48
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS	48
Review and Approval of Related Party Transactions	48
Related Party Transactions	48
STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS	48
ANNUAL REPORT	49
INTERNET AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS	49
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS	49
OTHER BUSINESS	50

QUIDEL CORPORATION

Principal Executive Offices

12544 High Bluff Drive, Suite 200

San Diego, California 92130

(858) 552-1100

ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

May 17, 2016

This Proxy Statement is furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Board of Directors of Quidel Corporation for use at the 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on Tuesday, May 17, 2016, at 8:30 a.m., local time, at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines, 10950 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, and at any and all adjournments and postponements of the Annual Meeting. This Proxy Statement and the accompanying proxy card will first be sent to stockholders on or about April 14, 2016.

We will pay the expenses in connection with this solicitation. Our employees may solicit proxies by mail, in person, by telephone, facsimile or other electronic means and will not receive any additional compensation for such solicitations. In addition, we have engaged InvestorCom, Inc. to aid in the solicitation of proxies to be voted at the Annual Meeting at an estimated cost of $10,000 plus out-of-pocket expenses. We will also pay brokers or other nominees for the expenses of forwarding soliciting material to beneficial owners.

RECORD DATE AND VOTING

The close of business on March 23, 2016 has been fixed as the record date (the “Record Date”) for determining the stockholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting. On the Record Date, 32,319,587 shares of our voting common stock were outstanding. Each share of such common stock is entitled to one vote on any matter that may be presented for consideration and action by the stockholders at the Annual Meeting. A quorum is required to transact business at the Annual Meeting. The holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock on the Record Date and entitled to be voted at the Annual Meeting, present in person or by proxy, will constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at the Annual Meeting and any adjournments and postponements thereof. Abstentions and broker non-votes are counted for the purpose of determining the presence or absence of a quorum for the transaction of business.

Where a stockholder has directed how his or her proxy is to be voted, it will be voted according to the stockholder’s directions. If your shares are held in a brokerage account or by another nominee, you are considered the “beneficial owner” of shares held in “street name,” and this proxy and the related materials are being forwarded to you by your broker or nominee (the “record holder”) along with a voting instruction card. As the beneficial owner, you have the right to direct your record holder regarding how to vote your shares, and the record holder is required to vote your shares in accordance with your instructions. If a proposal is routine, a broker or other entity holding shares for a beneficial owner in street name may vote on the proposal without voting instructions from the owner. If a proposal is non-routine, the broker or other entity may vote on the proposal only if the beneficial owner has provided voting instructions. A “broker non-vote” occurs when the broker or other entity is unable to vote on a proposal because the proposal is non-routine and the beneficial owner does not provide instructions.

If you do not give voting instructions to your record holder prior to the Annual Meeting, the record holder will be entitled to vote your shares in its discretion only on Proposal 2 (Ratification of Selection of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm) and will not be able to vote your shares on Proposal 1 (Election of Directors), Proposal 3 (Advisory Approval of the Company’s Executive Compensation), Proposal 4 (Adoption of the 2016 Equity Incentive Plan) or Proposal 5 (Amendment and Restatement of the 1983 Employee Stock Purchase Plan), and your shares will be treated as a “broker non-vote” on those proposals. We are not aware of any other matters to be presented at the Annual Meeting except for those described in this Proxy Statement. However, if any other matters not described in this Proxy Statement are properly presented at the Annual Meeting, the persons named as proxies will use their own judgment to determine how to vote your shares. If the Annual Meeting is adjourned, your shares may be voted by the persons named as proxies on the new meeting date as well, unless you have revoked your proxy instructions prior to that time.

With regard to the election of directors, votes may be cast in favor of a director nominee or withheld. Because directors are elected by plurality, broker non-votes will have no effect on its outcome. If a quorum is present at the Annual Meeting, the nominees receiving the greatest number of votes (up to seven directors) will be elected. For Proposal 2 (Ratification of Selection of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm), Proposal 3 (Advisory Approval of the Company’s Executive Compensation), Proposal 4 (Adoption of the 2016 Equity Incentive Plan) and Proposal 5 (Amendment and Restatement of the 1983 Employee Stock Purchase Plan), the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present in person or represented by proxy

at the Annual Meeting and entitled to vote on the matter is required for approval. With regard to these proposals, abstentions will be counted in tabulations of the votes cast on a proposal presented to stockholders and will have the same effect as a vote against the proposal, whereas broker non-votes will not be counted for purposes of determining whether a proposal has been approved and accordingly will have no effect on the outcome of the vote on such proposal. Unless otherwise designated, each signed proxy submitted by a stockholder will be voted:


•	FOR each of the seven nominees named below for election as directors;


•	FOR ratification of the selection of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for our fiscal year ending December 31, 2016;


•	FOR the advisory approval of the Company’s executive compensation;


•	FOR the adoption of the 2016 Equity Incentive Plan; and


•	FOR the amendment and restatement of the 1983 Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

Shares may be voted via the Internet, by telephone or by completing and returning a proxy card.Any stockholder has the power to revoke his or her proxy at any time before it is voted at the Annual Meeting by submitting a written notice of revocation to the Secretary of the Company or by timely filing a duly executed proxy bearing a later date. The proxy will not be voted if the stockholder who executed it is present at the Annual Meeting and elects to vote in person the shares represented by the proxy. Attendance at the Annual Meeting will not by itself revoke a proxy.

PROPOSAL 1

ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Nominees for Election

Our directors are elected at each annual meeting of stockholders. At the Annual Meeting, seven directors will be elected to serve until the next annual meeting of stockholders and until their successors are elected and qualified. The nominees receiving the greatest number of votes (up to seven directors) at the Annual Meeting will be elected. Our Board of Directors recommends that the stockholders vote FOR the seven nominees named below for election to the Board of Directors.

Rod F. Dammeyer, 75, has informed the Board that he intends to retire from the Board upon the conclusion of his current term and, therefore, will not stand for reelection at the Annual Meeting.

Each of the nominees set forth below for election as a director is an incumbent director, other than Mr. Slacik who was appointed to the Board in November 2015 after being recommended for the Board by a non-employee director. Each of the nominees has consented to serve as a director if elected. Unless authority to vote for any director nominee is withheld in a proxy, it is intended that each proxy will be voted FOR each of the nominees. If, before the Annual Meeting, any of the nominees for director should become unable to serve if elected, it is intended that shares represented by proxies will be voted for such substitute nominees, if any, as may be recommended by our existing Board of Directors, unless other directions are given in the proxies.



Name of Nominee	Age	Principal Occupation	Director Since
Thomas D. Brown	68	Retired Senior Vice President and President of the Diagnostics Division of Abbott Laboratories	2004
Douglas C. Bryant	58	President and Chief Executive Officer, Quidel Corporation	2009
Kenneth F. Buechler, Ph.D.	62	Founder and former President and Chief Scientific Officer of Biosite, Inc.	2007
Mary Lake Polan, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H.	72	Clinical Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine	1993
Jack W. Schuler	75	Co-founder, Crabtree Partners, LLC, a private investment company	2006
Charles P. Slacik	62	Former Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Beckman Coulter Inc.	2015
Kenneth J. Widder, M.D.	63	General Partner, LVP Life Science Ventures	2014

Biographical Information

THOMAS D. BROWN was appointed to our Board of Directors in December 2004. Prior to his retirement in 2002, Mr. Brown had a 28-year career in the healthcare industry where he held various sales, marketing and executive positions within Abbott Laboratories, a broad-based healthcare company. From 1998 to 2002, Mr. Brown was Senior Vice President and President of the Diagnostics Division. From 1993 to 1998, Mr. Brown was Corporate Vice President Worldwide Commercial Operations. From 1992 to 1993, Mr. Brown was Divisional Vice President Worldwide Commercial Operations. From 1987 to 1992, Mr. Brown was Divisional Vice President and General Manager, Western Hemisphere Commercial Operations. From 1986 to 1987, Mr. Brown was Divisional Vice President U.S. Sales and, from 1985 to 1986, was Director of Sales. Mr. Brown currently serves on the Board of Directors of Cepheid, a molecular diagnostics company, and Stericycle, Inc., a medical waste management and healthcare compliance services company. Mr. Brown holds a B.A. degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

DOUGLAS C. BRYANT was appointed to our Board of Directors on February 2, 2009 and became our President and Chief Executive Officer on March 1, 2009. Prior to joining us, Mr. Bryant served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Luminex Corporation, managing its Bioscience Group, Luminex Molecular Diagnostics (Toronto), manufacturing, R&D, technical operations and commercial operations. From 1983 to 2007, Mr. Bryant held various worldwide commercial operations positions with Abbott Laboratories including, among others: Vice President of Abbott Vascular for Asia/

Japan, Vice President of Abbott Molecular Global Commercial Operations and Vice President of Abbott Diagnostics Global Commercial Operations. Earlier in his career with Abbott, Mr. Bryant was Vice President of Diagnostic Operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and Vice President of Diagnostic Operations Asia Pacific. Mr. Bryant has over 30 years of industry experience in sales and marketing, product development, manufacturing and service and support in both the diagnostics and life sciences markets. Mr. Bryant holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of California at Davis.

KENNETH F. BUECHLER, Ph.D. was appointed to our Board of Directors in November 2007. Dr. Buechler was President, Chief Scientific Officer and co-founder of Biosite Incorporated. From 1988 to 1994, Dr. Buechler was Biosite’s Director of Chemistry. Prior to co-founding Biosite, Dr. Buechler was a senior research scientist for the diagnostics research and development group at Hybritech Incorporated. Dr. Buechler received his Ph.D. in biochemistry and his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Indiana University. Dr. Buechler also is a director of Sequenom Inc., a life sciences company, Sotera Wireless Inc., a technology solutions company, Astute Medical Inc., a company that develops biomarkers for acute medical conditions, and Edico Genome Inc., a DNA sequencing technology company.

MARY LAKE POLAN, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H. was appointed to our Board of Directors in February 1993. She is a Professor and Chair Emerita of the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at Stanford University School of Medicine where she served from 1990 to 2005. Dr. Polan received a B.A. degree from Connecticut College, a Ph.D. in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry and an M.D. from Yale University School of Medicine and her Masters in Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Polan remained at Yale New Haven Hospital for her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology, followed by a Reproductive Endocrine Fellowship. Dr. Polan was on the faculty at Yale University until 1990, when she joined Stanford University. She was an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Columbia University School of Medicine from 2007 to 2014 and then in 2015 rejoined the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Yale University School of Medicine as Clinical Professor. Dr. Polan is a practicing clinical Reproductive Endocrinologist with a research interest in ovarian function and granulosa cell steroidogenesis. More recently, Dr. Polan’s interests have been in the interaction between the immune and endocrine systems: the role of monokines in reproductive events and gene expression in stress urinary incontinence as well as brain activation in human sexual function. Dr. Polan also served on the Board of Directors of Wyeth, a research-based global pharmaceutical and health care products company, until its acquisition in 2009.

JACK W. SCHULER was appointed to our Board of Directors in February 2006. Mr. Schuler has been on the Board of Directors of Stericycle, Inc., a medical waste management and healthcare compliance services company, since March 1989 and currently serves as Lead Director. Mr. Schuler also currently serves on the Board of Directors of Accelerate Diagnostics, Inc., a medical diagnostics company. Mr. Schuler is also a co-founder of Crabtree Partners, LLC, a Chicago-based venture capital firm which was formed in 1995. Prior to 1990, Mr. Schuler held various executive positions at Abbott Laboratories, a broad-based healthcare company, from December 1972 through August 1989, most recently serving as President and Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Schuler also recently served on the Board of Directors of Medtronic Inc. from 1990 through 2013 and Hansen Medical, Inc., a medical technology company, from 2013 until January 2016. Mr. Schuler holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Tufts University and an M.B.A. from Stanford University.

CHARLES P. SLACIK was appointed to our Board of Directors in November 2015. Mr. Slacik has more than 30 years of executive experience in the health care industry, serving most recently as the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Beckman Coulter Inc. from October 2006 until June 2011 when Danaher Corp. bought Beckman Coulter. Mr. Slacik currently serves as a Member of the Board and Chair of the Audit Committee at Sequenom, Inc., a life sciences company. Mr. Slacik received his B.S. in Accounting and Finance from the University of Connecticut and is a certified public accountant.

KENNETH J. WIDDER, M.D. was appointed to our Board of Directors in November 2014. Dr. Widder has more than 30 years of experience working with biomedical companies and has been a General Partner with LVP Life Science Ventures, a venture capital company for biotechnology and medical device start-ups, since 2007. Dr. Widder is also a member of the Board of Directors of Evoke Pharma Inc., a pharmaceutical company, and Aptinyx Inc., a neuropharmaceutical company. He holds an M.D. from Northwestern University and trained in pathology at Duke University.

Vote Required and Board Recommendation

The nominees for election as directors will be elected by a plurality of the votes of the shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote on the proposal at the Annual Meeting.

OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE “FOR” EACH OF THE NAMED NOMINEES IN PROPOSAL 1.

PROPOSAL 2

RATIFICATION OF SELECTION OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors has selected the firm of Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, to audit our consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2016 and to perform other appropriate accounting and tax services. We are asking our stockholders to ratify the selection of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for 2016. Although ratification is not required by our bylaws or otherwise, the Board of Directors is submitting the selection of Ernst & Young LLP to our stockholders as a matter of good corporate practice. If the stockholders do not ratify the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP, the selection of the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm will be reconsidered by the Audit Committee. Even if the selection is ratified, the Audit Committee, in its discretion, may direct the appointment of a different independent registered public accounting firm at any time during the year if it determines that such a change would be in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders.

One or more representatives of Ernst & Young LLP are expected to be at the Annual Meeting. The representatives of Ernst & Young LLP will have an opportunity to make a statement, if they so desire, and will be available to respond to appropriate questions.

Vote Required and Board Recommendation

The affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting and entitled to vote on the proposal is required to ratify the selection of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for 2016.

OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE “FOR” THE RATIFICATION OF THE SELECTION OF ERNST & YOUNG LLP AS OUR INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2016.

PROPOSAL 3

ADVISORY APPROVAL OF THE COMPANY’S EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

We are providing stockholders with an advisory (non-binding) vote on the compensation of our Named Executive Officers (commonly referred to as “say on pay”). Accordingly, you may vote on the following resolution at the Annual Meeting:

“Resolved, that the compensation paid to the Company’s Named Executive Officers, as disclosed in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis,” the accompanying compensation tables, and the related narrative discussion in this Proxy Statement, is hereby approved.”

The advisory approval of the Company’s executive compensation is a non-binding vote on the compensation paid to the Company’s Named Executive Officers, as described pursuant to Item 402 of Regulation S-K, including the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” section, compensation tables, and the narrative discussions, set forth in this Proxy Statement.

As described in detail under “Executive Compensation--Compensation Discussion and Analysis,” our compensation programs are designed to attract, motivate and retain highly qualified executive officers who are able to achieve corporate objectives and create stockholder value. The Compensation Committee believes the Company’s executive compensation programs reflect a strong pay-for-performance philosophy and are well aligned with our stockholders’ long-term interests. Stockholders are encouraged to read the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” section, the accompanying compensation tables, and the related narrative discussion.

Because the vote on this proposal is advisory in nature, it will not affect any compensation already paid or awarded to our Named Executive Officers and will not be binding on the Board of Directors or the Compensation Committee. However, the Compensation Committee will consider the outcome of the vote when making future executive compensation decisions.

The affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting and entitled to vote on the proposal is required to approve the advisory vote on executive compensation.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE “FOR” THE APPROVAL, ON AN ADVISORY BASIS, OF THE COMPENSATION OF OUR NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS.

PROPOSAL 4

ADOPTION OF THE 2016 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

General

At the Annual Meeting, the stockholders will be asked to approve the Quidel Corporation 2016 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2016 Plan”). The 2016 Plan was unanimously approved by the Board of Directors on February 23, 2016, subject to the approval of stockholders at the Annual Meeting. We continue to rely heavily upon equity compensation to recruit, retain, motivate and reward our employees, management, directors and other qualified persons, and to align their interests with the interests of our stockholders. By approving Proposal 4, stockholders will enable us to continue to use equity compensation for these purposes.

Our equity compensation program is currently operated under the Quidel Corporation 2010 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended (the “2010 Plan”). As of March 23, 2016, a total of 4,651,008 shares were authorized for issuance under the 2010 Plan, and only 665,650 shares remained available for future issuance. In addition, as of March 23, 2016, there were 4,515,948 stock options outstanding under the Company’s equity compensation plans with a weighted average exercise price of $17.16 and weighted average remaining term of 6.05 years. Further, as of March 23, 2016, there were 515,586 restricted stock unit awards outstanding under the Company’s equity compensation plans. Other than the foregoing, no other awards under the Company’s equity compensation plans were outstanding as of March 23, 2016. Upon approval of the 2016 Plan by stockholders, the 2016 Plan will supersede and replace the 2010 Plan and all other similar plans adopted by the Company at any time in the past (collectively, the “Prior Plans”), provided that all Prior Plans shall remain in effect until all awards granted under the Prior Plans have been exercised, forfeited, canceled, or have otherwise expired or terminated. No further awards will be made under the Prior Plans if and when the 2016 Plan is approved by stockholders.

Please refer to the Securities Available for Issuance Under Our Equity Compensation Plans table on Page 18 for information regarding our equity incentive plans.

The potential dilution from the 1,865,000 “new” shares requested to be approved by stockholders is 5.77% of the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock as of March 23, 2016. The potential dilution from the 5,697,184 shares authorized for issuance under the 2010 Plan is 17.63% of the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock as of March 23, 2016. Therefore, if the 2016 Plan is approved, the Company’s total potential dilution would increase from 17.63% of the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock under the 2010 Plan as of March 23, 2016 to 23.40% of the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock under the 2016 Plan as of March 23, 2016.

The Company oversees its long-term dilution by managing the number of shares subject to equity awards that it grants annually, commonly referred to as the burn rate (calculated by dividing all shares subject to equity awards granted during the fiscal year by the number of outstanding shares at the end of the fiscal year). The burn rate shows how rapidly a company is depleting its shares reserved for future issuance under its equity compensation plans. Over the past three fiscal years, the Company’s burn rate has averaged 2.18% (2.43% in fiscal year 2015, 2.04% in fiscal year 2014 and 1.78% in fiscal year 2013) and the Company’s adjusted burn rate has averaged 2.66% (3.19% in fiscal year 2015, 2.67% in fiscal year 2014 and 2.11% in fiscal year 2013), while the industry group adjusted burn rate over the last three years averaged 5.14%. The Company’s adjusted burn rate and industry group burn rate data was provided by Institutional Shareholder Services Inc., commonly known as “ISS.” The adjusted burn rates incorporate an adjustment whereby full-value awards are multiplied by a burn rate multiplier that is based on stock option volatility; our full-value awards were subject to a 2.5 burn rate multiplier. We believe our significantly lower burn rate compared to our industry group’s burn rate over the last three years shows we have prudently managed our dilution in terms of burn rate.

When considering the number of shares to be approved under the 2016 Plan, the Compensation Committee also reviewed, among other things, projected future share usage and projected future forfeitures. The projected future usage of shares for long-term incentive awards under the 2016 Plan was reviewed under scenarios based on a variety of assumptions. Depending on assumptions, the 1,865,000 shares to be approved under the 2016 Plan, in combination with the remaining authorized shares and shares added back to the plan from forfeitures of awards previously granted, is expected to satisfy, assuming no significant acquisitions of other companies, the Company’s equity compensation needs for approximately two to three years. The Compensation Committee is committed to effectively managing the number of shares reserved for issuance under the 2016 Plan, in light of the 2016 Plan’s purposes, while minimizing stockholder dilution.

The 2016 Plan is intended to permit the award of equity compensation that may qualify as “performance-based compensation” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended; however, there can be no guarantee that amounts payable under the 2016 Plan will be treated as qualified performance-based compensation under Section 162(m). The Board of Directors believes that it is in the best interests of our stockholders for us to have a stockholder-

approved plan under which equity compensation awarded to our executives could be designed in a manner intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” within the meaning of Section 162(m). In general, under Section 162(m), in order for us to be able to deduct compensation in excess of $1,000,000 paid in any one year to our chief executive officer or any of our three other most highly compensated executive officers (other than our chief financial officer), such compensation must qualify as “performance-based.” One of the requirements of “performance-based” compensation for purposes of Section 162(m) is that the material terms of the performance goals under which compensation may be paid be disclosed to and approved by stockholders at least once every five years. For purposes of Section 162(m), the material terms include (i) the individuals eligible to receive compensation, (ii) a description of the criteria on which performance goals are based, and (iii) the maximum amount of compensation that can be paid to an individual under a performance goal. With respect to the various types of awards under the 2016 Plan, each of these aspects is discussed below, and stockholder approval of this Proposal 4 will be deemed to constitute approval of each of these aspects of the 2016 Plan for purposes of the stockholder approval requirements of Section 162(m).

Summary of the 2016 Plan

The following summary of the 2016 Plan, as proposed to be adopted, is qualified in its entirety by reference to the terms of the 2016 Plan, a copy of which, as proposed to be amended, is attached hereto as Appendix A.

Purpose. The purpose of the 2016 Plan is to promote our and our stockholders’ interests by using equity interests in the Company to attract, retain and motivate our directors, management, employees and other persons, to encourage and reward their contributions to our performance and to align their interests with the interests of our stockholders.

Administration, Amendment and Termination. The 2016 Plan is currently administered by the Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors (the “administrator”). The administrator has the power to:


•	select the eligible persons to whom, and the times at which, awards will be granted, the nature of each award and the terms and conditions of each award;


•	interpret the 2016 Plan and the rights of recipients of awards granted under the 2016 Plan;

•

accelerate or extend the vesting or exercise period of any award, and make such other modifications in the terms and conditions of an award as it deems advisable; provided, however, that the administrator may not, other than in connection with a change in capitalization, reprice or otherwise reduce the exercise or base price of a stock option or stock appreciation right (including by the cancellation of the stock option or stock appreciation right in exchange for cash, other awards, or a new stock option or stock appreciation right at such reduced exercise or base price or by amendment of the stock option or stock appreciation right) without stockholder approval; and


•	change the number of shares or vesting periods associated with non-employee director options, and suspend and reactivate the 2016 Plan provisions regarding automatic grants of non-employee director options.

Any amendment of the 2016 Plan shall, in the discretion of the administrator, apply to and govern awards granted under the 2016 Plan prior to the date of such amendment; provided, however, that the consent of an award holder is required if such amendment would alter, impair or diminish in any material respect any rights or obligations under any award or cause the award to cease to qualify as an incentive stock option. Awards may be granted under the 2016 Plan until May 17, 2026, unless earlier terminated.

Securities Subject to the 2016 Equity Incentive Plan. The aggregate number of shares of common stock issuable pursuant to the 2016 Plan may not exceed 1,865,000 shares, plus (i) any shares that were authorized for issuance under the 2010 Plan that, as of the date of the Annual Meeting, remain available for issuance under the 2010 Plan (not including any shares that are subject to outstanding awards under the 2010 Plan or any shares that previously were issued pursuant to awards granted under the 2010 Plan) and (ii) any shares subject to outstanding awards under the Company’s 2001 Equity Incentive Plan and 2010 Plan as of the date of the Annual Meeting that on or after such date cease for any reason to be subject to such awards (other than by reason of exercise or settlement of the awards to the extent they are exercised for or settled in vested and nonforfeitable shares), subject in each case to adjustment upon a change in capitalization.

As noted above, as of March 23, 2016, 665,650 shares remained available for issuance under future awards that could be granted under the 2010 Plan (which shares will cease to be available for issuance under the 2010 Plan upon stockholder approval of the 2016 Plan). As such, if the 2016 Plan is approved by stockholders, approximately 2,530,650 shares will initially be available for awards under the 2016 Plan consisting of 1,865,000 “new” shares and approximately 665,650 remaining shares previously authorized and available for issuance under the 2010 Plan.

The 2016 Plan provides that each share issued under awards other than options or stock appreciation rights (“full-value awards”) will count against the number of shares available under the Plan as 1.5 shares. Shares issued under options or stock

appreciation rights count against the shares available under the Plan on a one-for-one basis. The Board of Directors believes that this formula-based limit will allow for the issuance of a sufficient number of full-value awards to satisfy projected grants thereof, while providing the flexibility to change the mix of option and full-value awards to the extent the Board of Directors determines a different mix than currently provided is in the best interests of the Company and stockholders.

We may issue common stock under the 2016 Plan from authorized but unissued shares of common stock or from previously issued shares of common stock that we reacquired, including shares purchased on the open market. For purposes of calculating the aggregate number of shares issued under the 2016 Plan, we will count only the number of shares issued upon exercise or settlement of an award and not returned to us upon expiration, termination or cancellation of any awards. However, if an award holder pays the exercise price or withholding taxes relating to an option or stock appreciation right with shares of our common stock, or if we withhold shares otherwise issuable upon exercise of such an award in satisfaction of the exercise price or withholding taxes payment, then we will reduce the number of shares of common stock available for issuance under the 2016 Plan by the gross number of shares for which the award is exercised. In addition, upon the exercise of a stock appreciation right, the number of shares of common stock available for issuance under the 2016 Plan will be reduced by the gross number of shares to which the award relates and not by the net number of shares issued to the holder in settlement thereof.

The 2016 Plan provides that the administrator shall appropriately and proportionately adjust the maximum number and kind of shares subject to the 2016 Plan, the number and kind of shares or other securities subject to then outstanding awards, the price for each share or other unit of any other securities subject to, or measurement criteria applicable to, then outstanding awards, and/or the number and kind of shares or other securities to be issued as non-employee director options if our common stock is affected through any of the following:


•	merger;


•	consolidation;


•	sale or exchange of assets;


•	recapitalization;


•	reclassification;


•	combination;


•	stock dividend;


•	extraordinary cash dividend;


•	stock split;


•	reverse stock split;


•	spin off; or


•	similar transaction.

Awards Under the 2016 Plan. We may grant the following types of awards under the 2016 Plan:


•	stock options;


•	performance awards;


•	restricted stock;


•	stock appreciation rights;


•	stock payments;


•	dividend equivalents;


•	stock bonuses;


•	stock sales;


•	phantom stock;


•	other stock-based benefits; or


•	restricted stock units.

Stock options granted under the 2016 Plan may be incentive stock options intended to qualify under the provisions of Section 422 of the Code or non-qualified stock options that do not so qualify. However, the aggregate fair market value of stock with respect to which any employee’s incentive stock options first become exercisable during any calendar year (under all our plans and those of any subsidiary corporation) may not exceed $100,000 (as determined on the grant date), and may be further limited by other requirements in the Internal Revenue Code. If this $100,000 limitation is exceeded, the excess incentive stock options will be treated as non-qualified stock options.

Individual Limitations on Awards. In each calendar year no participant may be granted awards under the 2016 Plan (other than performance awards payable in cash) relating up to more than 1,800,000 shares. In addition, in each calendar year no participant may be granted performance awards payable in cash that exceed $1,000,000. The forgoing limitations will not apply

if it is not required in order for the compensation attributable to awards under the 2016 Plan to qualify as performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code. No non-employee director participant in the 2016 Plan may be granted awards that exceed $750,000 in total value during a single calendar year.

Eligibility. Our directors, officers, employees, consultants and advisors, and those of our affiliated entities, are eligible to receive awards under the 2016 Plan, except that only non-employee directors may receive “non-employee director options,” as described below. As of December 31, 2015, 624 persons (not including consultants and advisors) were eligible for selection to receive awards under the 2016 Plan, consisting of: 609 employees other than executive officers, 7 executive officers and 8 non-employee directors.

Terms and Conditions of Non-Employee Director Options. Similar to the 2010 Plan, the 2016 Plan provides for automatic grants to non-employee directors. However, these automatic grants have been suspended since 2004. The automatic grant feature provides that immediately following each annual meeting of stockholders, each non-employee director who had served as a director since his or her election or appointment and who had been re-elected as a director at such annual meeting will automatically receive an option to purchase up to 10,000 shares of common stock. In addition, each non-employee director who was appointed or elected other than at an annual meeting of stockholders (whether by replacing a director who retired, resigned or otherwise terminated his or her service as a director prior to the expiration of his or her term or otherwise) will automatically receive an option to purchase shares of our common stock as of the date of such appointment or election, consisting of a number of shares of common stock determined by multiplying 10,000 by a fraction, the numerator of which was the number of days from the date of grant to the date of the next scheduled annual meeting of stockholders and the denominator of which was 365 (exclusive of fractional shares).

Apart from these automatic non-employee director options, which are currently suspended, non-employee directors are eligible to receive other grants of awards under the 2010 Plan, including non-qualified stock options other than the automatic non-employee director options, at the discretion of the administrator. To the extent not inconsistent with the provisions of the 2010 Plan governing non-employee director options, the terms of general stock option awards under the 2010 Plan apply to non-employee director options. Under the 2016 Plan, all grants of stock options to non-employee directors fully vest and become exercisable one year following the grant date if the non-employee director has remained a director for the entire period from the date of grant to the vesting date. If the individual was a director from the period of grant until the next annual meeting of stockholders (either because the director is not re-elected or because the director chooses not to run for another term), the stock options that were granted to the director at the annual meeting in the prior year shall continue to vest following the date that the individual ceases to be a director and shall become exercisable one year following the grant date.

Terms and Conditions of Other Awards. The administrator will select the recipients of awards granted under the 2016 Plan from the pool of eligible persons and will set the terms of the awards.

Award Pricing. The administrator will determine the exercise or purchase price of awards granted under the 2016 Plan; which, with respect to options and stock appreciation rights, will be no less than the fair market value of the shares underlying the award as of the grant date. In addition, the exercise price for an incentive stock option must comply with the provisions of Section 422 of the Code. Section 422 currently provides that the exercise price must not be less than the fair market value of the common stock on the date of grant and not less than 110% of the fair market value as of the date of grant in the case of a grant to a person owning more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of the issuer’s stock or the stock of any parent or any subsidiary corporations. On March 23, 2016, the closing price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Global Market was $17.08 per share.

Award Vesting and Term. The administrator will determine the date or dates on which awards granted under the 2016 Plan vest and become exercisable. Stock options and stock appreciation rights shall not vest or become exercisable until at least one year following the date the stock option or stock appreciation right is granted; provided, however, that stock options and stock appreciation rights that result in the issuance of an aggregate of up to 5% of the shares reserved for issuance under the 2016 Plan may be granted without regard to such minimum vesting. In addition, the administrator may provide for accelerated vesting upon a change in control or the recipient’s death or disability. The term of each stock option or stock appreciation right granted will expire no later than ten (10) years after the date the stock option or stock appreciation right is granted and may be subject to earlier termination as described below. In addition, the term for an incentive stock option must comply with the provisions of Section 422 of the Code. Section 422 currently provides that the incentive stock option may not be exercisable after the expiration of 10 years from the date of grant, or five years in the case of an incentive stock option granted to a person owning more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the issuer, or of its parent or any subsidiary corporations.

Awards granted under the 2016 Plan may be exercised at any time after they vest and before the expiration date determined by the administrator, provided that an award is generally exercisable following an award holder’s termination of

employment only to the extent that the award had become exercisable on or before the date of termination (other than stock options granted to non-employee directors) and to the extent that the award is not forfeited under the terms of the 2016 Plan. Furthermore, in the absence of a specific agreement to the contrary, stock options will generally expire and become unexercisable immediately upon termination of the recipient’s employment with us for just cause (as defined in the 2016 Plan); 90 days after termination of the recipient’s employment with us for any reason other than just cause, death or permanent disability; or one year after termination of the recipient’s employment with us due to death or permanent disability, in each case unless the term of the options provides for an earlier expiration. If the employment of a recipient of restricted stock is terminated for any reason, any such restricted stock that remains subject to restrictions on the date of such termination will be repurchased by the Company at the purchase price, if any, paid by the recipient, or returned to the Company without consideration, provided, however, that the administrator may in its discretion determine otherwise.

Other Award Provisions. The administrator will determine any applicable performance criteria, restrictions or conditions of any award. The administrator may establish performance criteria and level of achievement versus such criteria that will determine the number of shares to be granted, retained, vested, issued or issuable under or in settlement of or the amount payable pursuant to an award, which criteria may be based on “qualifying performance criteria” (as described below) or other standards of financial performance and/or personal performance evaluations. In addition, the administrator may specify that an award or a portion of an award is intended to satisfy the requirements for “performance-based compensation” under Section 162(m) of the Code, provided that the performance criteria for such award or portion of an award that is intended by the administrator to satisfy the requirements for “performance-based compensation” under Section 162(m) of the Code will be a measure based on one or more qualifying performance criteria selected by the administrator and specified at the time the award is granted. The administrator will certify the extent to which any qualifying performance criteria has been satisfied, and the amount payable as a result thereof, prior to payment, settlement or vesting of any award that is intended to satisfy the requirements for “performance-based compensation” under Section 162(m) of the Code. Notwithstanding satisfaction of any performance goals, the number of shares issued under or the amount paid under an award may be reduced, but not increased, by the administrator on the basis of such further considerations as the administrator in its sole discretion may determine.

For purposes of the 2016 Plan, the term “qualifying performance criteria” means any one or more of the following performance criteria, or derivations of such performance criteria, either individually, alternatively or in any combination, applied to either the Company as a whole or to a business unit or affiliated entity, either individually, alternatively or in any combination, and measured either annually (or over such shorter period) or cumulatively over a period of years, on an absolute basis or relative to a pre-established target, to previous years’ results or to a designated comparison group, in each case as specified by the administrator: (a) cash flow, (b) earnings and earnings per share (including earnings before interest, taxes, and amortization), (c) return on equity, (d) total stockholder return, (e) return on capital, (f) return on assets or net assets, (g) aggregate product price or product sales; (h) market share or market penetration with respect to specific designated products and/or geographic areas; (i) revenues, income or net income, (j) operating income or net operating income, (k) operating margin, (l) return on operating revenue and (m) research and development milestones. The administrator shall, within the time prescribed by Section 162(m), define in an objective fashion the manner of calculating the qualifying performance criteria to be used for a performance period for a particular eligible person.

Award Payments. A holder of an award may pay cash or any other consideration deemed acceptable by the administrator to pay the exercise price for the award, if any. The administrator may, in its discretion, allow an award holder to pay the exercise price for an award by delivering our common stock, except in limited circumstances.

Non-Assignability of Awards. Awards are generally not transferable by the recipient during the life of the recipient. Awards are generally exercisable during the life of a recipient only by the recipient.

Award Documentation. Each award must be evidenced by an award document setting forth such terms and conditions applicable to the award as the administrator may in its discretion determine.

Rights With Respect to Stock Ownership. No recipient of an award under the 2016 Plan or other person will have any right, title or interest in or to any shares of common stock subject to any award or any rights as a stockholder unless the award is duly exercised pursuant to the terms of the 2016 Plan and/or the shares of common stock subject to the award are issued to the recipient.

Provisions Regarding Changes in Control. As of the effective time and date of any change in control (as defined in the 2016 Plan), the 2016 Plan and any of the then outstanding awards (whether or not vested) will automatically terminate unless:

•

provision is made in writing in connection with such change in control transaction for the continuance of the 2016 Plan and for the assumption of such awards, or for the substitution for such awards of new awards covering the securities of a successor entity or an affiliate thereof with appropriate adjustments as to the number and kind of securities and exercise prices or measurement criteria, in which event the 2016 Plan and such outstanding awards will

continue or be replaced, as the case may be, in the manner and under the terms so provided; or

•

our Board of Directors otherwise provides in writing for such adjustments as it deems appropriate in the terms and conditions of the then outstanding awards (whether or not vested), including without limitation accelerating the vesting of outstanding awards and/or providing for the cancellation of awards and their automatic conversion into the right to receive the securities, cash or other consideration that a holder of the shares underlying such awards would have been entitled to receive upon consummation of such change in control had such shares been issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective date and time of the change in control (net of the appropriate option exercise prices).

If, pursuant to these provisions, the 2016 Plan and the awards terminate by reason of the occurrence of a change in control without provision for any of the actions described in the paragraph above, then any recipient holding outstanding awards will have the right, at such time immediately prior to the consummation of the change in control as our Board of Directors will designate, to exercise or receive the full benefit of the recipient’s awards to the full extent not theretofore exercised, including any installments that have not yet become vested. All non-employee director options granted under the 2016 Plan shall automatically vest and become exercisable immediately prior to a change in control if the optionee is a director of the Company at that time.

New plan benefits

The issuance of any awards under the 2016 Plan will be at the discretion of the Compensation Committee. Therefore, it is not possible to determine the amount or form of any award that will be granted to any individual in the future. The table below sets forth the awards that were provided under the 2010 Plan during the 2015 fiscal year to our named executive officers and others. More information on the awards made during the 2015 fiscal year to the named executive officers appears in the “Grants of Plan-Based Awards in Fiscal Year 2015” table on page 39.



Name and Position	Number of Stock Awards	Number of Option Awards	Dollar Value
Douglas C. Bryant	35,377	93,847	$	1,542,483
President and CEO
Randall J. Steward	5,339	39,103	$	499,984
Chief Financial Officer
Robert J. Bujarski	9,249	35,192	$	517,436
SVP, Business Development and General Counsel
Werner Kroll, Ph.D.	4,805	35,192	$	449,976
SVP, Research and Development
John D. Tamerius, Ph.D.	5,485	32,846	$	440,657
SVP, Strategic and External Affairs
All executive officers as a group	79,978	286,198	$	4,250,504
All non-management directors as a group	23,480	47,946	$	976,271
Employees other than executives as a group	84,374	271,016	$	4,861,698

Tax Information

The following summary of certain federal income tax consequences of the receipt and exercise of awards we grant is based on the laws and regulations in effect as of the date of this Proxy Statement and does not purport to be a complete statement of the law in this area. Furthermore, the discussion below does not address the tax consequences of the receipt and exercise of awards under foreign, state and local tax laws, and such tax laws may not correspond to the federal income tax treatment described herein. The exact federal income tax treatment of transactions under the 2016 Plan will vary depending upon the specific facts and circumstances involved.

Incentive Stock Options. Except as discussed below, under federal income tax law, a recipient of an incentive stock option generally will not owe tax on the grant or the exercise of the option if the recipient satisfied certain employment and holding period requirements. To satisfy the employment requirement, a participant must exercise the option not later than three months after the recipient ceases to be our employee (or an employee of any parent or subsidiary corporation) (or within one year, if termination was due to a permanent and total disability), unless the recipient has died. To satisfy the holding period requirement, a participant must hold the stock acquired upon the exercise of the incentive stock option more than two years

from the date of grant of the stock option and more than one year after the transfer of the shares to the recipient. If these requirements are met, the recipient will, on the sale of such stock, be taxed on any gain, measured by the difference between the option price and the net proceeds of sale, generally at long-term capital gains rates.

If the recipient of the incentive stock option sells the shares acquired upon the exercise of the option at any time within one year after the date we issue the shares to the recipient or within two years after the date we grant the incentive stock option to the recipient, then:

•

if the recipient’s sales price exceeds the purchase price the recipient paid for the shares upon exercise of the incentive stock option, the recipient will recognize capital gain equal to the excess, if any, of the sales price over the fair market value of the shares on the date of exercise, and will recognize ordinary income equal to the excess, if any, of the lesser of the sales price or the fair market value of the shares on the date of exercise over the purchase price paid for the shares upon exercise of the incentive stock option; or


•	if the recipient’s sales price is less than the purchase price paid for the shares upon exercise of the incentive stock option, the recipient will recognize a capital loss equal to the excess of the purchase price paid for the shares upon exercise of the incentive stock option over the sales price of the shares.

The amount by which the fair market value of shares the recipient acquires upon exercise of an incentive stock option (determined as of the date of exercise) exceeds the purchase price paid for the shares upon exercise of the incentive stock option will be included as a positive adjustment in the calculation of the recipient’s alternative minimum taxable income in the year of exercise, if the recipient is subject to alternative minimum tax.

In the case of an early disposition of shares by a recipient that results in the recognition of ordinary income, we will be entitled to a deduction equal to the amount of such ordinary income. If the recipient holds the shares for the requisite period described above and therefore solely recognizes capital gain upon the sale of such shares, we are not entitled to any deduction.

Non-qualified Stock Options. Our grant of a non-qualified stock option to a recipient is generally not a taxable event for the recipient. Upon the exercise of a non-qualified stock option, the recipient will generally recognize ordinary income equal to the excess of the fair market value of the shares the recipient acquires upon exercise (determined as of the date of exercise) over the purchase price paid for the shares upon exercise of the non-qualified stock option. We generally will be entitled to deduct as a compensation expense the amount of such ordinary income. Provided the shares are held as a capital asset, the recipient’s subsequent sale of the shares generally will give rise to capital gain or loss equal to the difference between the sale price and the sum of the purchase price paid for the shares plus the ordinary income recognized with respect to the shares, and such capital gain or loss will be taxable as long term or short term capital gain or loss depending upon the recipient’s holding period after exercise.

Stock Appreciation Rights and Phantom Stock. Generally, the holder of a stock appreciation right or phantom stock award will recognize ordinary income equal to the value we pay (whether in cash, stock or a combination thereof) on the date the holder receives payment. If we place a limit on the amount that will be payable under a stock appreciation right, the holder may recognize ordinary income equal to the value of the holder’s right under the stock appreciation right at the time the value of such right equals such limit and the stock appreciation right is exercisable. We will generally be entitled to a deduction in an amount equal to the ordinary income recognized by the holder.

Stock Purchase Rights - Restricted Stock. Under the 2016 Plan, we are authorized to grant rights to purchase our restricted common stock subject to a right to repurchase such stock at the price paid by the participant if the participant’s employment or service relationship with us terminates prior to the lapse of such repurchase right. In general, there will be no tax consequences to a participant upon the grant of a right to purchase such restricted stock or upon purchase of such restricted stock. Instead, the participant will be taxed at ordinary income rates at the time our repurchase rights expire or are removed on an amount equal to the excess of the fair market value of the stock at that time over the amount the participant paid to acquire such stock. A participant who acquires restricted stock, however, may make an election under Section 83(b) of the Code with respect to such stock. If such an election is made within 30 days after the participant’s acquisition of the stock, the participant is taxed at ordinary income rates in the year in which the participant acquires the restricted stock. The ordinary income the participant must recognize is equal to the excess of the fair market value of the stock at the time of the participant’s acquisition of the stock (determined without regard to the restrictions) over the amount that the participant paid to acquire such stock. If a participant makes a timely election under Section 83(b) of the Code with respect to restricted stock, the participant generally will not be required to report any additional income with respect to such restricted stock until he or she disposes of such stock, at which time he or she will generally recognize capital gain or loss (provided the shares are held as a capital asset) equal to the difference between the sales price and the fair market value of the stock at the time or the participant’s acquisition of the stock (determined without regard to restrictions). In the event that a participant forfeits (as a result of our repurchase) restricted stock with respect to which an election under Section 83(b) of the Code has been made, the participant ordinarily will not be entitled

to recognize any loss for federal income tax purposes (except to the extent the amount realized by the participant at the time of such forfeiture is less than the participant’s purchase price for such stock). We generally will be entitled to a deduction equal to the amount of ordinary income (if any) recognized by a participant.

Other Awards. In addition to the types of awards described above, the 2016 Plan authorizes certain other awards that may include payments in cash, our common stock, or a combination of cash and common stock. The tax consequences of such awards will depend upon the specific terms of such awards. Generally, however, a participant who receives an award payable in cash will recognize ordinary income, and we will be entitled to a deduction, with respect to such award at the earliest time at which the participant has an unrestricted right to receive the amount of the cash payment. In general, the sale or grant of stock to a participant under the 2016 Plan will be a taxable event at the time of the sale or grant if such stock at that time is not subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture or is transferable within the meaning of Section 83 of the Code in the hands of the participant. For such purposes, stock is ordinarily considered to be transferable if it can be transferred to another person who takes the stock free of any substantial risk of forfeiture. In such case, the participant will recognize ordinary income, and we will be entitled to a deduction, equal to the excess of the fair market value of such stock on the date of the sale or grant over the amount, if any, that the participant paid for such stock. Stock that at the time of receipt by a participant is subject to restrictions that constitute a substantial risk of forfeiture and that is not transferable within the meaning of Internal Revenue Code Section 83 generally will be taxed under the rules applicable to restricted stock as described above.

Withholding. In the event that an optionee or other recipient of an award under the 2016 Plan is our employee, we ordinarily will be required to withhold applicable federal income taxes with respect to any ordinary income recognized by such optionee or other award recipient in connection with stock options or other awards under the 2016 Plan.

Certain Additional Rules Applicable to Awards. The terms of awards granted under the 2016 Plan may provide for accelerated vesting in connection with a change in control. In that event and depending upon the individual circumstances of the recipient, certain amounts with respect to such awards may constitute “excess parachute payments” under the “golden parachute” provisions of the Code. Under these provisions, a participant will be subject to a 20% excise tax on any “excess parachute payments” and we will be denied any deduction with respect to such excise tax payment.

Participation in the 2016 Plan by Executive Officers, Directors and Other Employees; Interest of Certain Persons in Matters to be Acted Upon

Each of our current directors, executive officers and employees is eligible to receive awards under the 2016 Plan. The administrator has the discretion to determine which eligible persons will receive awards under the 2016 Plan the amount and timing of such awards are not determinable at this time.

Vote Required and Board Recommendation

The affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote on the proposal at the Annual Meeting is required to approve the 2016 Plan.

OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE “FOR” THE APPROVAL OF OUR 2016 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN.

PROPOSAL 5

AMENDMENT AND RESTATEMENT OF

THE 1983 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN

General

On February 23, 2016, the Board of Directors authorized, subject to stockholder approval, an amendment and restatement of the 1983 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “1983 Plan”) to increase the number of shares of our common stock available for issuance under the 1983 Plan from 1,250,000 to 1,500,000 shares. As of March 23, 2016, 1,172,655 shares of common stock had been sold under the 1983 Plan, leaving 77,345 shares available for future issuance under the 1983 Plan. The purpose of the amendment is to allow us to continue to utilize the 1983 Plan, and accordingly to provide us with flexibility in attracting employees in the future and to encourage employee ownership of our common stock, and approval of Proposal 5 will enable us to continue to use equity compensation for these purposes.

Summary of the 1983 Employee Stock Purchase Plan

The following summary is a description of the material features of the 1983 Plan and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the 1983 Plan, as proposed to be amended and restated, a copy of which is attached as Appendix B and incorporated herein by reference.

General. The 1983 Plan, which was adopted by the Board of Directors in March 1983 and approved by the stockholders in August 1983, provides our employees with the opportunity to purchase shares of common stock through payroll deductions. A total of 1,250,000 shares of common stock currently have been reserved for issuance under the 1983 Plan. As of March 23, 2016, 1,172,655 shares of common stock had been sold under the 1983 Plan, leaving 77,345 shares available for future issuance under the 1983 Plan.

Administration. The 1983 Plan is administered by the Compensation Committee. The 1983 Plan, and the right of participants to make purchases thereunder, is intended to qualify under the provisions of Sections 421 and 423 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Eligibility and Participation. Any person who is customarily employed by us or any of our designated subsidiaries on or before the beginning of the applicable offering period for at least 20 hours per week and more than five months per calendar year is eligible to participate in the offering under the 1983 Plan, provided that such person is employed by us on the commencement date of the offering period, subject to certain limitations imposed by Section 423(b) of the Internal Revenue Code and limitations on stock ownership as defined in the 1983 Plan. As of March 23, 2016, 611 persons (not including consultants and advisors) were eligible to participate in the 1983 Plan, consisting of: 604 employees other than executive officers and 7 executive officers.

Offering Dates. The 1983 Plan is implemented by accumulating payroll deductions of participating employees during a six-month offering period, with the offering periods thereunder to commence February 15 and August 15 of each year. The Board of Directors has the power to alter the duration of the offering periods without stockholder approval, if such change is announced at least 15 days prior to the scheduled beginning of the first offering period to be affected.

Purchase Price. The purchase price per share at which shares are sold in an offering under the 1983 Plan is the lower of 85% of the fair market value of a share of common stock on the date of commencement of the six-month offering period (the “Entry Price”), or 85% of the fair market value of a share of common stock on the last day of the offering period (the “Exit Price”). On March 23, 2016, the closing price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Global Market was $17.08 per share.

Payment of Purchase Price; Payroll Deductions. The purchase price of the shares is accumulated by payroll deductions over the offering period. The deductions may not exceed 10% of a participant’s compensation. A participant may discontinue his or her participation in the 1983 Plan, and may decrease, but not increase, the rate of payroll deductions at any time during an offering period.

Purchase of Stock. By executing a subscription agreement to participate in the 1983 Plan, the employee is entitled to have shares placed under option, which are exercisable on the last day of the offering period. The maximum number of shares placed under option to a participant in an offering period is that number determined by dividing the amount accumulated in such participant’s account during such offering period at the end of the offering period by the lower of the Entry Price or the Exit Price, subject to a maximum of 5,000 shares. Unless the employee’s participation is discontinued prior to such purchase date, his or her option for the purchase of the shares will be exercised automatically at the end of the offering period at the applicable price.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, however, no participant may receive an option (i) if immediately after such grant, the participant would own stock and/or outstanding options to purchase stock possessing five percent or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of our stock or of any subsidiary of ours, or (ii) which permits the participant’s rights to purchase stock to accrue at a rate in excess of $25,000 worth of stock (determined at the fair market value of the stock at the time such option is granted) in any calendar year.

Amendment and Termination. The Board of Directors may at any time terminate or amend the 1983 Plan. No such termination will affect options previously granted, nor may any amendment make any change in any option previously granted which adversely affects the rights of any participant, nor may any amendment be made without prior stockholder approval if such amendment would (i) increase the number of shares that may be issued under the 1983 Plan, (ii) permit payroll deductions at a rate in excess of 10% of compensation, (iii) modify employee eligibility for participation requirements, or (iv) materially increase benefits which may accrue to participants under the 1983 Plan.

Non-Assignability. In general, neither payroll deductions credited to a participant’s account nor any rights with regard to the exercise of an option may be assigned, transferred, pledged or otherwise disposed of in any way by the participant.

Adjustments upon Changes in Capitalization. Subject to any required action by our stockholders, the number of shares of common stock covered by each option which has not yet been exercised and the number of shares of common stock which have been authorized for issuance under the 1983 Plan but have not yet been placed under option, as well as the price per share of common stock covered by each outstanding option, shall be proportionately adjusted for any increase or decrease in the number of issued shares of common stock resulting from a stock split or the payment of a stock dividend (but only on the common stock) or any other increase or decrease in the number of shares of common stock effected without receipt of consideration by us, provided that the conversion of convertible securities of ours will not be deemed to have been effected without the receipt of consideration. In the event that we effect a reorganization, recapitalization, rights offering or other increase or reduction of shares of our outstanding common stock, or in the event that we are consolidated with or merged into any other corporation, the Board of Directors may, if it so determines in the exercise of its discretion, make similar adjustments.

Withdrawal; Termination of Employment. A participant’s interest in a given offering period may be terminated in whole, but not in part, by signing and delivering to us a notice of withdrawal from the 1983 Plan. Such withdrawal may be elected at any time prior to the end of the applicable six-month offering period. A participant’s withdrawal from one offering period does not have any effect upon such participant’s eligibility to participate in subsequent offerings. Upon withdrawal from an offering period, all payroll deductions which have been credited to the participant’s account prior to the notice of withdrawal will be returned to the participant without interest.

Termination of a participant’s employment for any reason, including retirement or death, or the failure of the participant to remain in our continuous employ for at least 20 hours per week during the applicable offering period, cancels the participant’s participation in the 1983 Plan. In such event, the payroll deductions credited to the participant’s account will be returned to such participant or to his or her beneficiaries without interest.

Compliance with Law. Shares will not be issued with respect to an option unless the exercise of such option and the issuance and delivery of such shares pursuant thereto comply with all applicable provisions of law, including securities laws and the requirements of any stock exchange upon which the shares may then be listed.

Tax Information

The following summary of certain federal income tax consequences of the grant and exercise of rights to purchase shares of common stock under the 1983 Plan is based upon the laws and regulations in effect as of the date of this Proxy Statement and does not purport to be a complete statement of the law in this area. Furthermore, the discussion below does not address the tax consequences under foreign, state and local tax laws, and such tax laws may not correspond to the federal income tax treatment described herein. The exact federal income tax treatment of transactions under the 1983 Plan will vary depending upon the specific facts and circumstances involved.

The 1983 Plan is intended to qualify as an employee stock purchase plan under Section 423 of the Internal Revenue Code. If certain employment requirements are satisfied, an employee who is granted a right, or “option,” to purchase stock under a plan meeting the requirements of Internal Revenue Code Section 423 will not be subject to federal income tax, and we will not be entitled to any deduction, on either the grant or the exercise of such right.

If the employee makes no disposition of the stock acquired pursuant to the exercise of such right within two years after the date of the grant of such stock purchase right (generally, the commencement date of the six-month offering period, hereinafter referred to as the “Offering Date”) or within one year after the transfer of the stock to the employee pursuant to the exercise of such right, any gain or loss on the subsequent disposition of the stock generally will be treated as capital gain or

loss, except to the extent that the employee’s purchase price was less than 100% of the fair market value of the stock on the Offering Date, and no deduction will be available to us at the time of such disposition. If the employee’s purchase price for the stock was less than 100% of the fair market value of the stock on the Offering Date, the employee will be required to include in his or her gross income as ordinary income for the year of the disposition (or, if earlier, at the time of his or her death) an amount equal to the lesser of (i) the excess of the fair market value of the stock on the Offering Date over the purchase price that the employee would have been required to pay if the employee had exercised such right as of the Offering Date, or (ii) the excess of the fair market value of the stock at the time of the disposition or death over the amount paid for the stock. No deduction will be available to us with respect to any such ordinary income recognized by the employee.

Any sale or other disposition of stock acquired under a right granted under the 1983 Plan at any time within (i) two years after the Offering Date or (ii) one year after the transfer of the shares to the employee pursuant to the exercise of such right generally will be treated as a “disqualifying disposition.” Upon a disqualifying disposition, the employee generally will recognize ordinary compensation income in an amount equal to the difference between the purchase price and the fair market value of the stock on the date the option was exercised. Any gain in excess of such ordinary income amount generally will be capital gain. We generally will be entitled to a deduction in an amount equal to the amount of ordinary income recognized by the employee by reason of a disqualifying disposition.

Participation in the 1983 Employee Stock Purchase Plan by Executive Officers, Directors and Other Employees; Interest of Certain Persons in Matters to be Acted Upon

All of our employees, including our employee-directors and executive officers, are eligible to participate in the 1983 Plan. Non-employee directors are not eligible to participate. Participation in the 1983 Plan is voluntary and is dependent on each eligible employee’s election to participate and his or her determination as to the level of payroll deductions. Accordingly, future purchases by executive officers and other employees under the 1983 Plan are not determinable.

Vote Required and Board Recommendation

The affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting, at which a quorum is present, is required to approve the proposed amendment and restatement of the 1983 Plan to increase the number of shares of our common stock available for issuance under the 1983 Plan.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE “FOR” THE APPROVAL OF THE AMENDEDMENT AND RESTATEMENT OF THE COMPANY’S 1983 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN.

SECURITIES AVAILABLE FOR ISSUANCE UNDER OUR EQUITY COMPENSATION PLANS

The following table provides information with respect to our equity compensation plans as of December 31, 2015, which plans were as follows: the 1983 Employee Stock Purchase Plan; the 1990 Employee Stock Option Plan; the 1996 Non-Employee Director Plan; the 1998 Stock Incentive Plan, the 2001 Equity Incentive Plan and the 2010 Equity Incentive Plan. The 1990 Employee Stock Option Plan, the 1996 Non-Employee Director Plan, the 1998 Stock Incentive Plan and the 2001 Equity Incentive Plan have been terminated, expired or superseded by subsequent plans, and thus no additional awards will be made under such plans.



Plan Category	Number of Securities to be Issued upon Exercise of Outstanding Options, Warrants and Rights (a)		Weighted-average Exercise Price of Outstanding Options, Warrants and Rights (b)			Number of Securities Remaining Available for Future Issuance under Equity Compensation Plans (Excluding Securities Reflected in Column (a)) (c)
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders	4,425,845	(1)(3)	$	17.44	(3)	1,552,255	(2)(3)
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders	—		—			—
Total	4,425,845	(1)(3)	$	17.44	(3)	1,552,255	(2)(3)


(1)	Includes 459,277 restricted stock units granted under our 2010 Plan for which there is no exercise price reflected in column b.


(2)	Includes (i) 118,507 shares of common stock available for issuance under our 1983 Employee Stock Purchase Plan and (ii) 1,433,748 shares of common stock available for issuance, as of December 31, 2015, under our 2010 Plan, pursuant to which incentive stock awards may be granted, including restricted stock.


(3)	As of March 23, 2016, a total of 4,651,008 shares were authorized for issuance under the 2010 Plan, and 665,650 shares remained available for future issuance.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Board Leadership Structure and Risk Oversight

The Board of Directors believes that separate individuals should hold the positions of Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, and that the Chairman should not be an employee of the Company. Under our corporate governance principles, the Chairman of the Board is responsible for coordinating Board activities, including the scheduling of meetings and executive sessions of the non-employee directors and the relevant agenda items in each case (in consultation with the Chief Executive Officer as appropriate). The Board of Directors believes this leadership structure enhances the Board’s oversight of and independence from our management and the ability of the Board to carry out its roles and responsibilities on behalf of our stockholders.

The Company takes a comprehensive approach to risk management. We believe risk can arise in every decision and action taken by the Company, whether strategic or operational. The Company, therefore, seeks to include risk management principles in all of its management processes and in the responsibilities of its employees at every level. Our comprehensive approach is reflected in the reporting processes by which our management provides timely and comprehensive information to the Board of Directors to support the Board’s role in oversight, approval and decision-making.

The Board of Directors closely monitors the information it receives from management and provides oversight and guidance to our management team concerning the assessment and management of risk. The Board approves the Company’s high level operating objectives, goals, strategies and policies to set the tone and direction for appropriate risk taking within the business. The Board and its committees then emphasize this tone and direction in its oversight of management’s implementation of the Company’s operating objectives, goals, strategies and policies.

Our senior executives provide the Board and its committees with regular updates about the Company’s strategies and objectives and the risks inherent within them at Board and committee meetings and in regular reports. Board and committee meetings also provide a venue for directors to discuss issues with management. The Board and committees call special meetings when necessary to address specific issues or take specific actions. In addition, our directors have access to Company management at all levels to discuss any matters of interest, including those related to risk. Those members of management most knowledgeable of the issues often attend Board meetings to provide additional insight into items being discussed, including risk exposures.

The Board of Directors has delegated oversight for matters involving certain specific areas of risk exposure to its three standing committees. Each committee generally reports to the Board of Directors at regularly scheduled Board meetings, and more frequently if appropriate, with respect to matters and risks for which that committee provides oversight. The specific responsibilities of each of our Board committees are more fully described below under the headings “Audit Committee,” “Compensation Committee” and “Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.”

Board of Directors Meetings, Committees of the Board and Related Matters

The Board of Directors currently has standing Audit, Compensation, and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees. The Board of Directors held four meetings, excluding committee meetings, during the year ended December 31, 2015. All directors attended at least 75% of all meetings of the Board of Directors and its committees, if any, upon which the directors served during the year ended December 31, 2015. Dr. Buechler currently serves as Chairman of the Board; he commenced service as Chairman of the Board in August 2015 upon Mark A. Pulido’s resignation from the Board. Information about our directors and our Board Committees in 2015 and 2016 follows.



Director Name	Committee
Director Name	Audit	Compensation	Nominating and Corporate Governance
Thomas D. Brown	ü	Chair
Douglas C. Bryant
Kenneth F. Buechler, Ph.D.			ü
Rod F. Dammeyer(1)	Former Chair
Mary Lake Polan, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H.	ü	ü
Mark A. Pulido(2)			ü
Jack W. Schuler		ü	Chair
Charles P. Slacik(3)	Chair
Kenneth J. Widder, M.D.			ü

Number of Committee Meetings Held in 2015:	6	3	2

ü = Committee Member Chair = Committee Chair


(1)	Mr. Dammeyer is not standing for reelection and will retire from the Board as of the 2016 Annual Meeting on May 17, 2016. In connection with his retirement, Mr. Dammeyer stepped down from the Audit Committee effective as of February 23, 2016.


(2)	Mr. Pulido resigned from the Board of Directors effective as of August 19, 2015.


(3)	Mr. Slacik joined the Board of Directors and was appointed to the Audit Committee on November 16, 2015. Mr. Slacik was appointed Chair of the Audit Committee upon Mr. Dammeyer’s departure from the Audit Committee on February 23, 2016.

Director Independence

Our Board of Directors has determined that each of our directors, with the exception of Mr. Bryant, is independent within the meaning of Nasdaq Marketplace Rule 5605(a)(2) as adopted by The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”), as well as by enhanced independence standards contained in Nasdaq’s rules that relate specifically to audit and compensation committees. Mr. Bryant who serves as our President and Chief Executive Officer is not considered to be independent because of his employment with us.

Audit Committee

The Audit Committee is responsible for assisting the Board of Directors in overseeing our accounting and financial reporting processes and the audits of our financial statements. In addition, the Audit Committee assists the Board of Directors in its oversight of our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. Under the Audit Committee’s written charter, the specific duties of the Audit Committee include, among others: monitoring the integrity of our financial process and systems of internal controls regarding finance, accounting and legal compliance; selecting our independent registered public accounting firm; monitoring the independence and performance of our independent registered public accounting firm; and providing an avenue of communication among our independent registered public accounting firm, our management and our Board of Directors. The Audit Committee has the authority to conduct any investigation appropriate to fulfilling its responsibilities, and it has direct access to all of our employees and to our independent registered public accounting firm. The Audit Committee also has the ability to retain, at our expense and without further approval of the Board of Directors, special legal, accounting or other consultants or experts that it deems necessary in the performance of its duties.

The Audit Committee has been established in accordance with applicable Nasdaq and Securities and Exchange Commission rules and regulations. Our Board of Directors has also determined that each of Mr. Brown and Mr. Slack qualify as “audit committee financial experts” within the meaning of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and regulations. Information about Messrs. Brown and Slacik’s past business and educational experience is included below under the caption “--Director Qualifications” and above under the caption “Election of Directors--Biographical Information.”

Compensation Committee

The Compensation Committee is responsible for assisting the Board of Directors in discharging its responsibilities regarding the compensation of our employees and directors. Under the Compensation Committee’s written charter, the specific duties of the Compensation Committee include, among other matters: reviewing and approving (or recommending to the Board of Directors for approval) corporate goals and objectives relevant to executive compensation; evaluating our executive officers’

performance in light of such goals and objectives; determining (or recommending to the Board of Directors for determination) the compensation levels of our executive officers based on such evaluations; administering our incentive compensation plans, including our equity-based incentive plans; and making recommendations to our Board of Directors regarding our overall compensation structure, policies and programs. The Compensation Committee also has the ability to retain, at our expense and without further approval of the Board of Directors, compensation consultants and advisors that it deems necessary in the performance of its duties.

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for assisting the Board of Directors in identifying qualified individuals to become Board members; recommending the composition of the Board of Directors and its committees; monitoring and assessing the effectiveness of the Board of Directors and its committees; and performing a leadership role in shaping and monitoring our Corporate Governance Guidelines. Under the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s written charter, the specific duties of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee include, among other matters: identifying, reviewing and recruiting candidates for the Board of Directors for election to the Board; reviewing director candidates recommended by our stockholders; monitoring the independence of current directors and nominees; recommending to the Board of Directors candidates for election or re-election to the Board at each annual meeting of stockholders; and overseeing the periodic evaluation of the Board, its committees and each of our incumbent directors.

Meetings of Non-Management Directors

The non-management members of the Board of Directors regularly meet without any members of management present during regularly scheduled and periodic executive sessions of meetings of the Board of Directors as well as in committee meetings.

Director Nominations

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee regularly assesses the appropriate size of the Board of Directors and whether any vacancies on the Board of Directors are expected due to retirement or otherwise. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee utilizes a variety of methods for identifying and evaluating director candidates. Candidates may come to the attention of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee through current directors, professional search firms, stockholders or other persons.

Once the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has identified a prospective nominee, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will evaluate the prospective nominee in the context of the then-current composition of the Board of Directors and will consider a variety of other factors, including the prospective nominee’s business, technology and industry, finance and financial reporting experience, and other attributes that would be expected to contribute to an effective Board of Directors. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee seeks to identify nominees who possess a wide range of experience, skills, and areas of expertise, knowledge and business judgment. Nominees must have the attributes described below under the caption “--Director Qualifications.”

Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider stockholder recommendations for directors. A stockholder may propose a person for consideration by the committee by submitting the individual’s name and qualifications to our Corporate Secretary, Quidel Corporation, 12544 High Bluff Drive, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92130. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider each stockholder-recommended candidate in the same manner and under the same criteria used to evaluate all other candidates. As described in our Corporate Governance Guidelines, in evaluating the suitability of individuals to serve as members of our Board of Directors, the Board of Directors and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee consider a number of factors, including: experience at a policy-making level; strategic thinking; depth of understanding of the Company’s industry, including relevant technology, leadership and objectivity; and a general understanding of marketing, financing and other disciplines relevant to the success of a publicly-traded company and sound principles of corporate governance in today’s business environment. The Board of Directors and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee evaluate each individual in the context of Board functions as a whole and in light of the then-current needs of the Board at that point in time, with the objective of providing independent, diversified and effective representation of the interests of our stockholders.

In addition, stockholders who wish to nominate candidates for election to the Board of Directors at any annual meeting must follow the procedures set forth in our bylaws, including providing timely written notice, in proper form, of the intent to make such a nomination. To be timely, the notice must be received within the time frame discussed below in this Proxy Statement under the heading “Stockholder Proposals.” To be in proper form, the notice must, among other matters, include the

information specified in our bylaws. These requirements are further described below under the heading “Stockholder Proposals” and are detailed in our bylaws.

Director Qualifications

Members of our Board of Directors should possess the highest personal and professional ethics, integrity, judgment and values, and be committed to representing the long-term interests of our stockholders. As described in our Corporate Governance Guidelines, our Board of Directors is particularly interested in maintaining a mix that includes the following attributes:


•	History of superior performance or accomplishments in professional undertakings;


•	Highest personal and professional ethics and values and sound principles of corporate governance in today’s business environment;


•	A depth of understanding of the Company’s industry, including relevant technology, leadership and objectivity and a general understanding of marketing, finance and other disciplines relevant to the success of a publicly-traded company;


•	Diversity of background and personal experience;


•	Fit of abilities and personality with those of current and potential directors in building a Board of Directors that is effective, collegial and responsive to the needs of our business; and


•	Independence and an absence of conflicting time commitments.

We believe our Board members represent a desirable mix of backgrounds, skills and experiences, and they all share the personal attributes of effective directors, which are described above. Below are some of the specific experiences and skills of our current directors:

Thomas D. Brown. Mr. Brown has a strong record of operational success and extensive knowledge of the diagnostics industry and technology utilized by the Company through his various executive leadership positions at Abbott Laboratories. His background as an executive and service on the boards of other public companies qualifies Mr. Brown as an audit committee financial expert.

Douglas C. Bryant. Mr. Bryant is our President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Bryant has a background of strong executive experience in the diagnostics industry in the U.S. and internationally. He brings over 30 years of industry experience in sales and marketing, product development, manufacturing and service and support in the diagnostics and life sciences markets. In addition, as our President and Chief Executive Officer, the Board believes it is appropriate for him to be a member of our Board.

Kenneth F. Buechler, Ph.D. Dr. Buechler has extensive experience in the field of diagnostics as a scientist and through his founding of Biosite, Inc. He also has extensive executive leadership and governance experience through his service on the boards of other companies.

Rod F. Dammeyer. Mr. Dammeyer has a strong financial background as an executive and investment advisor. He is an audit committee financial expert as a result of his prior professional experience as a Certified Public Accountant and experience as an investment advisor and as a member and chairman of the audit committees of other U.S. public companies.

Mary Lake Polan, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H. Dr. Polan is a prominent medical clinician, researcher, and academician. She has extensive experience in the area of women’s health, which is an important area for us. As a medical doctor, Dr. Polan brings an important practicing physician perspective in evaluating and overseeing the Company’s performance and strategic direction.

Jack W. Schuler. Mr. Schuler has more than 40 years of experience as an executive, director and investor in the healthcare industry. Mr. Schuler has extensive knowledge of the diagnostics industry and technology utilized by the Company. He also has extensive executive leadership and governance experience through his service on the boards of other companies.

Charles P. Slacik. Mr. Slacik has a strong financial background as an executive. He is an audit committee financial expert as a result of his prior professional experience as a Certified Public Accountant, experience as a chief financial officer of a large medical device company, and as a member and chair of an audit committee of another U.S. public company.

Kenneth J. Widder, M.D. Dr. Widder has more than 30 years of experience working with biomedical companies. Dr. Widder also has a strong background related to investments in emerging healthcare companies and serves on the boards of several other companies. As a medical doctor, trained in pathology, Dr. Widder provides valuable insight from the perspective of both an executive and that of a physician.

Communications With the Board of Directors

Our stockholders may communicate with our Board of Directors, a committee of our Board of Directors or an individual director by sending a letter addressed to the Board, a committee or a director c/o Corporate Secretary, Quidel Corporation, 12544 High Bluff Drive, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92130. All communications will be compiled by our Corporate Secretary and forwarded to the Board of Directors, the committee or the director accordingly.

Director Attendance at Annual Meetings

Our Board of Directors has adopted a policy that encourages our directors to attend our annual stockholder meetings. All of our then-current directors attended the 2015 annual meeting of stockholders.

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

We have adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that applies to all our officers, directors and employees. If we grant any waiver, including any implicit waiver, to our principal executive, financial or accounting officers (or persons performing similar functions), we will disclose the nature of such amendment or waiver on our website at www.quidel.com or in a report on Form 8-K in accordance with applicable rules and regulations.

Access to Corporate Governance Documentation and Other Information Available on Our Website

Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, the current charters for each of the Audit, Compensation and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees and the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines are accessible via our website at www.quidel.com through the “Investor Relations” link under the heading “Corporate Governance.”

DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

The current compensation and benefit program for non-employee directors is designed to achieve the following goals: compensation should fairly pay directors for work required for a company of our size and scope; compensation should align directors’ interests with the long-term interests of our other stockholders; and the structure of the compensation should be simple, transparent and easy for stockholders to understand. The table below relating to non-employee directors’ compensation includes the following compensation elements:

Annual Cash Retainers

The Chairman of the Board of Directors currently receives an annual cash retainer of $92,400. Each of the other non-employee directors receives an annual cash retainer of $40,150.

The Chair of our Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee receives an additional annual cash retainer of $15,000, $10,000 and $7,500, respectively.

Non-Employee Director Deferred Compensation Program

In December 2010, the Board of Directors adopted a non-employee director deferred compensation program that began in 2011. Participating directors may elect on a yearly basis (for the yearly period between the Company’s annual meetings of stockholders) to receive 50% or 100% of the cash value of the director’s (i) annual retainer fee and (ii) compensation for services as a chairperson of any of the Board’s standing committees (collectively, the “Covered Fees”) in the form of fully vested, restricted stock units plus an additional premium on such percentage of the Covered Fees, also in the form of additional restricted stock units, which are subject to a one-year vesting requirement (the “Premium RSUs”). The additional premium applicable to the Premium RSUs shall be determined based on the length of time of the deferral period (between the date of grant and the date the shares of common stock underlying the RSUs are selected to be issued) selected by the participating director as follows: (i) if one (1) year from the date of grant, a premium of 10% on the amount deferred of the Covered Fees; (ii) if two (2) years from the date of grant, a premium of 20% on the amount deferred of the Covered Fees; or (iii) if four (4) years from the date of grant, a premium of 30% on the amount deferred of the Covered Fees. The RSUs are granted under the Company’s 2010 Plan as of the date of the applicable annual meeting of stockholders, and the number of shares awarded as RSUs is calculated based on the closing price of the Company’s shares on the date of the applicable annual meeting.

The table below illustrates the amount deferred, deferral period and amount of Covered Fees RSUs and Premium RSUs granted to each non-employee director for 2015:



Name	Amount Deferred		Deferral Period	Covered Fees RSUs	Premium RSUs
Thomas D. Brown	100	%	2 years	2,193	438
Kenneth F. Buechler, Ph.D.	100	%	2 years	3,597	719
Rod F. Dammeyer	100	%	2 years	2,412	482
Mary Lake Polan, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H.	100	%	4 years	1,756	527
Mark A. Pulido	N/A		N/A	N/A	N/A
Jack W. Schuler	100	%	4 years	2,084	625
Charles P. Slacik	N/A		N/A	N/A	N/A
Kenneth J. Widder, M.D.	100	%	2 years	1,756	351

Periodic Equity Awards

The Board of Directors periodically assesses potential equity awards to non-employee directors in lieu of an annual automatic grant of stock options, as contemplated under the 2010 Plan. The Board of Directors suspended the automatic grants program in May 2004 on an indefinite basis.

On May 5, 2015, the Board of Directors approved stock option and RSU grants with a total valuation of $115,500 for the Chairman of the Board and $88,000 for the remaining non-employee directors. The award is targeted to approximate a 75/25 valuation split between stock option and RSU grants. Accordingly, grants were made to each of the Company’s non-employee directors as follows: (i) a grant of 9,215 stock options and 1,263 RSU’s to the Chairman of the Board (with a Black-Scholes value of approximately $9.40 per option as of the grant date and a fair value based on the closing price of our common stock per RSU on the date of grant) and (ii) a grant of 7,021 stock options and 962 RSUs to each of the Company’s non-employee directors (with a Black-Scholes value of approximately $9.40 per option as of the grant date and a fair value based on the closing price of our common stock per RSU on the date of grant). Mr. Pulido resigned from the Board of Directors effective

August 17, 2015 and these stock options and RSU grants were canceled on August 17, 2015. The stock options and RSUs vest upon the earlier of (i) immediately prior to the annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders in 2016, or (ii) the one-year anniversary of the grant date. The exercise price for the stock options was equal to the closing price of the Company’s common stock as of the grant date in accordance with the 2010 Plan. The options have a ten-year term.

Effective August 17, 2015, Dr. Buechler was appointed as Chairman of the Board. Dr. Buechler received an additional grant of 1,811 stock options and 242 RSUs upon his appointment as Chairman of the Board (with a Black-Scholes value of approximately $8.54 per option as of the grant date and a fair value based on the closing price of our common stock per RSU on the date of grant). The stock options and RSUs vest upon the earlier of (i) immediately prior to the annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders in 2016, or (ii) the one-year anniversary of the grant date. The exercise price for the stock options was equal to the closing price of the Company’s common stock as of the grant date in accordance with the 2010 Plan. The options have a ten-year term. In addition, Dr. Buechler received additional cash retainer upon his appointment as Chairman of the Board. Dr. Buechler deferred 100% of this additional cash retainer, the Covered Fees and Premium RSUs are included in the table above as part of the Non-Employee Director Deferred Compensation Program section.

Mr. Slacik was appointed to the Company’s Board of Directors in November 2015. As part of Mr. Slacik’s appointment to the Board, the Board of Directors approved a stock option and RSU grant with a total valuation of approximately $44,000. The award is targeted to approximate a 75/25 valuation split between stock option and RSU grants. Accordingly, a grant was made to Mr. Slacik of 4,009 stock options and 528 RSUs (with a Black-Scholes value of approximately $8.23 per option as of the grant date and a fair value based on the closing price of our common stock per RSU on the date of grant). The stock options and RSUs vest on the date of the Company’s annual meeting of stockholders in 2016. The exercise price for the stock options was equal to the closing price of the Company’s common stock as of the grant date in accordance with the 2010 Plan. The options have a ten-year term.

Director Compensation Table



Name	Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($)(1)	Stock Awards ($)(2)	Option Awards ($)(3)	Total ($)
Thomas D. Brown	50,132	32,004	65,997	148,133
Kenneth F. Buechler, Ph.D.	79,316	43,002	81,463	203,781
Rod F. Dammeyer	55,138	33,010	65,997	154,145
Mary Lake Polan, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H.	40,142	34,016	65,997	140,155
Mark A. Pulido(4)	46,200	—	—	46,200
Jack W. Schuler	47,640	36,279	65,997	149,916
Charles P. Slacik	10,038	10,993	32,994	54,025
Kenneth J. Widder, M.D.	50,180	30,015	65,997	146,192


(1)	This column reports the amount of Covered Fees, including cash payments and Covered Fees deferred in return for RSUs (Covered Fees RSUs).

(2)

This column represents the grant date fair value with respect to the Premium RSUs granted in 2015. In accordance with ASC Topic 718, fair value is calculated using the closing price of our common stock on the date of grant. At December 31, 2015, the aggregate number of restricted stock awards, including RSUs and Premium RSUs, held by each Director was: Mr. Brown 24,854; Dr. Buechler 16,225; Mr. Dammeyer 17,615; Dr. Polan 14,278; Mr. Schuler 26,102; Mr. Slacik 528; and Dr. Widder 3,069.

(3)

This column represents the grant date fair value with respect to the stock options granted to the directors in 2015. The fair value was estimated using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model in accordance with ASC Topic 718. The fair value per option granted in 2015 was $9.40 per option, based on assumptions of 6.32 years expected life, expected volatility of 0.39, a risk-free rate of 1.73% and zero dividend yield. The fair value per option granted to Dr. Buechler upon his appointment as Chairman of the Board was $8.54 per option, based on assumptions of 6.42 years expected life, expected volatility of 0.37, a risk-free rate of 1.92% and zero dividend yield. The fair value per option granted to Mr. Slacik upon his appointment to the Board was $8.23 per option, based on assumptions of 6.47 years expected life, expected volatility of 0.36, a risk-free rate of 2.02% and zero dividend yield. At December 31, 2015, the aggregate number of option awards held by each Director was: Mr. Brown 91,679; Dr. Buechler 88,824; Mr. Dammeyer 82,348; Dr. Polan 91,679; Mr. Schuler 24,143; Mr. Slacik 4,009; and Dr. Widder 10,354.


(4)	At December 31, 2015, Mr. Pulido held an aggregate of 53,904 option awards. All of the option awards were vested as of December 31, 2015 and expire on August 17, 2016, the one-year anniversary of Mr. Pulido’s resignation from the Board of Directors.

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

The following table sets forth the number of shares of our common stock beneficially owned as of March 23, 2016 by (i) those known to be the beneficial owners of more than five percent (5%) of our outstanding common stock, (ii) each of the current directors and nominees for director, (iii) each of the Company’s Named Executive Officers (as included in the Summary Compensation Table herein) and (iv) all directors and Named Executive Officers as a group. On March 23, 2016, there were 32,319,587 shares of our common stock outstanding.



	Beneficial Ownership of Common Stock(1)(2)
Name	Number of Shares	Percent of Class
Beneficial Owners
Brown Capital Management, LLC(3)	5,745,829	17.8	%
1201 N. Culver Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
Janus Capital Management LLC(4)	2,817,694	8.7	%
151 Detroit Street
Denver, Colorado 80206
Entities affiliated with Larry N. Feinberg(5)	2,793,784	8.6	%
Oracle Associates LLC
200 Greenwich Avenue, 3rd Floor
Greenwich, Connecticut 06820
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.(6)	2,597,622	8.0	%
100 E. Pratt Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
Vanguard Group(7)	1,986,119	6.1	%
100 Vanguard Blvd.
Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355
Directors and Nominees for Director
Thomas D. Brown(8)	142,387	*
Douglas C. Bryant(9)	1,597,965	4.7	%
Kenneth F. Buechler(10)	116,870	*
Rod F. Dammeyer(11)	141,770	*
Mary Lake Polan(12)	135,286	*
Jack W. Schuler(13)	5,350,363	16.5	%
Charles P . Slacik(14)	4,537	*
Kenneth J. Widder(15)	13,580	*
Named Executive Officers
Randall J. Steward(16)	156,495	*
Robert J. Bujarski(17)	249,107	*
Werner Kroll	—	—
John D. Tamerius(18)	201,457	*
All directors and named executive officers as a group (12 persons)(19)	8,109,817	23.4	%



*	Less than one percent

(1)

Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Unless otherwise noted, and subject to applicable community property laws, each executive officer and director has sole voting and dispositive power with respect to the shares indicated. The address for our directors and executive officers is c/o Quidel Corporation, 12544 High Bluff Drive, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92130.


(2)	Shares of common stock subject to options exercisable on or within 60 days of March 23, 2016 are deemed outstanding for computing the number of shares and the percentage ownership of the person holding such options, but are not deemed outstanding for computing the percentage of any other person.

(3)

Based on information reported in Amendment No. 5 to Schedule 13G filed with the SEC dated February 16, 2016 by Brown Capital Management, LLC and The Brown Capital Management Small Company Fund, a registered investment company, which is managed by Brown Capital Management, LLC, in which Brown Capital Management, LLC reported aggregate beneficial ownership of 5,745,829 shares of common stock with respect to which Brown Capital Management, LLC has sole voting power of 3,307,681 shares and sole dispositive power of 5,745,829 shares as of December 31, 2015.

(4)

Based on information reported in Amendment No. 5 to Schedule 13G filed with the SEC dated February 16, 2016 by Janus Capital Management LLC (“Janus Capital”), an investment adviser as well as a parent holding company, and on behalf of INTECH Investment Management, a registered investment adviser in which Janus Capital has a direct ownership stake of 96.81%; Perkins Investment Management LLC, a registered investment adviser, in which Janus Capital has a direct ownership stake of 100%. Janus Capital reported beneficial ownership of 2,817,694 shares of common stock with respect to which Janus Capital has sole voting and dispositive power of 2,817,094 shares and shared voting and dispositive power of 600 shares as of December 31, 2015.

(5)

Based on information reported in Amendment No. 13 to Schedule 13G filed with the SEC dated February 3, 2016 by Larry N. Feinberg, Oracle Partners, L.P., Oracle Institutional Partners, LP, Oracle Associates, LLC, Oracle Ten Fund Master, LP, Oracle Investment Management, Inc. Employee’s Retirement Plan, Oracle Investment Management, Inc., and the Feinberg Family Foundation in which Mr. Feinberg reported aggregate beneficial ownership of 2,793,784 shares of common stock with respect to which he has shared voting and dispositive power of 2,793,784 shares as of December 31, 2015.

(6)

Based on information reported in Amendment No. 13 to Schedule 13G filed with the SEC dated February 16, 2016 by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. and T. Rowe Price Small-Cap Value Fund, Inc., which T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. reported beneficial ownership of 2,597,622 shares of common stock with respect to which T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. has sole voting power of 629,222 shares and sole dispositive power of 2,597,622 shares as of December 31, 2015.

(7)

Based on information reported in Amendment No. 2 to Schedule 13G filed with the SEC dated February 10, 2016 by The Vanguard Group in which The Vanguard Group reported aggregate beneficial ownership of 1,986,119 shares of common stock with respect to which the filer has sole voting power of 48,052 shares, sole dispositive power of 1,939,967 and shared dispositive power of 46,152 shares as of December 31, 2015.

(8)

Includes 91,679 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of options that are exercisable on or within 60 days of March 23, 2016 and 1,400 shares of common stock underlying an equal number of restricted stock units issuable upon vesting on or within 60 days of March 23, 2016. Also includes 23,454 shares of common stock underlying an equal number of fully vested restricted stock units for which the individual has no voting or dispositive power over such shares.


(9)	Includes 1,285,655 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of options that are exercisable on or within 60 days of March 23, 2016 and 37,326 shares of common stock underlying an equal number of fully vested restricted stock units for which the individual has no voting or dispositive power over such shares.

(10)

Includes 88,824 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of options that are exercisable on or within 60 days of March 23, 2016 and 1,923 shares of common stock underlying an equal number of restricted stock units issuable upon vesting on or within 60 days of March 23, 2016. Also includes 14,302 shares of common stock underlying an equal number of fully vested restricted stock units for which the individual has no voting or dispositive power over such shares.

(11)

Includes 82,348 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of options that are exercisable on or within 60 days of March 23, 2016 and 1,444 shares of common stock underlying an equal number of restricted stock units issuable upon vesting on or within 60 days of March 23, 2016. Also includes 16,171 shares of common stock underlying an equal number of fully vested restricted stock units for which the individual has no voting or dispositive power over such shares. Also includes 41,807 shares of common stock held by The Dammeyer Family Trust. Mr. Dammeyer disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares held by the trust.

(12)

Includes 91,679 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of options that are exercisable on or within 60 days of March 23, 2016 and 1,488 shares of common stock underlying an equal number of restricted stock units issuable upon vesting on or within 60 days of March 23, 2016. Also includes 12,790 shares of common stock underlying an equal number of fully vested restricted stock units for which the individual has no voting or dispositive power over such shares. Also includes 7,000 shares owned by an adult son who resides with Dr. Polan; Dr. Polan disclaims beneficial ownership of these shares.

(13)

Includes 1,197,064 shares that are held indirectly by the Schuler Family Foundation, 683,843 shares that are held indirectly by three family trusts of his adult children and 65,000 shares held indirectly by Mr. Schuler’s spouse. Mr. Schuler disclaims beneficial ownership of the 1,197,064 shares held indirectly by the Schuler Family Foundation, the 683,843 shares that are held indirectly by three family trusts of his adult children and the 65,000 shares held by his

spouse, except to the extent of his pecuniary interest in such shares, if any. Also includes 24,143 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of options that are exercisable on or within 60 days of March 23, 2016 and 1,587 shares of common stock underlying an equal number of restricted stock units issuable upon vesting on or within 60 days of March 23, 2016. Also includes 24,515 shares of common stock underlying an equal number of fully vested restricted stock units for which Mr. Schuler has no voting or dispositive power over such shares.


(14)	Includes 4,009 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of options that are exercisable on or within 60 days of March 23, 2016 and 528 shares of common stock underlying an equal number of restricted stock units issuable upon vesting on or within 60 days of March 23, 2016.

(15)

Includes 10,354 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of options that are exercisable on or within 60 days of March 23, 2016, 1,756 shares of common stock underlying an equal number of fully vested restricted stock units for which the individual has no voting or dispositive power over such shares and 1,313 shares of common stock underlying an equal number of restricted stock units issuable upon vesting on or within 60 days of March 23, 2016.


(16)	Includes 139,811 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of options that are exercisable on or within 60 days of March 23, 2016.


(17)	Includes 178,834 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of options that are exercisable on or within 60 days of March 23, 2016 and 10,377 shares of common stock underlying an equal number of fully vested restricted stock units for which the individual has no voting or dispositive power over such shares.


(18)	Includes 175,917 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of options that are exercisable on or within 60 days of March 23, 2016.

(19)

All directors and executive officers as a group, including 2,173,253 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of options that are exercisable on or within 60 days of March 23, 2016 and an aggregate of 9,683 shares of common stock underlying an equal number of restricted stock units issuable upon vesting on or within 60 days of March 23, 2016 and 140,691 shares of common stock underlying an equal number of fully vested restricted stock units for which the individual has no voting or dispositive power over such shares.

With the exception of information relating to stock options, restricted stock and restricted stock units we issued, all information with respect to beneficial ownership of shares of common stock referred to in this section is based on filings made by the respective beneficial owners with the SEC or information the beneficial owners provided to us.

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

Throughout this proxy statement, the individuals who served as our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer during fiscal 2015, as well as the other individuals listed in the Summary Compensation Table below, are referred to as the “Named Executive Officers.”

Executive Summary

Most of our compensation decisions are determined in the first few months of our fiscal year, after review of our performance and the performance of our Chief Executive Officer and the other executive officers. We believe the compensation of all of our Named Executive Officers for 2015 aligned well with both our performance in 2015 and the objectives of our executive compensation policies. The Company’s 2015 performance highlights included:


•	Increasing total revenues to $196.1 million, a company record for total revenues, reflecting a 7% increase over 2014;


•	Increasing total influenza revenues to $88.4 million, reflecting an 8% increase over 2014, despite a weaker than expected influenza and respiratory virus season in the final weeks of the fourth quarter of 2015;


•	Increasing revenues from new products (consisting of Sofia and molecular product lines) by 52% over 2014 to $57.3 million, which represents 29% of total revenues; and


•	Receiving 510(k) clearance from the FDA for our Solana instrumented molecular system and the Solana Group A Strep molecular assay, our first molecular instrumented system, and launching commercialization of the product.

Overview and Philosophy

The core objectives of our executive compensation program are to (1) support our mission, values and corporate strategies by adopting a “pay for performance” philosophy that provides incentives to our executive officers and employees for support of these core principles; (2) align the interests of management with those of our stockholders; and (3) attract, retain and motivate high quality executives. Towards these objectives, our compensation program is designed with the following principles:


•	Provide an opportunity for the Company to communicate to our executive officers and employees our performance expectations and priorities directly through the selection of performance measures on which compensation is based, and calibrate payouts with achievement of those performance measures;


•	Align pay such that management shares in value created from their efforts, and the Company’s compensation expense is correlated to its profitability and stockholder returns;


•	Balance rewards appropriately between efforts and results;


•	Offer a competitive total compensation opportunity; and


•	Have a significant portion of total compensation paid to our executive officers in equity and dependent upon the achievement of performance goals of the Company.

Our compensation program focuses on both short and long-term results and is composed of three key elements: (1) base salaries, which reflect individual performance and responsibilities; (2) annual cash incentive opportunities, which are a function of the performance of the Company; and (3) longer-term stock-based incentive opportunities under our equity incentive plans, generally in the form of stock options or restricted stock or unit grants, which link the interests of senior management with our other stockholders. Each of our compensation elements is designed to simultaneously fulfill one or more of our core objectives.

When setting compensation for 2016 and in determining compensation policies, the Compensation Committee took into account the results of the stockholder advisory votes on executive compensation that took place in May 2015. In that vote, which was advisory and not binding, our stockholders approved the compensation of our Named Executive Officers as disclosed in the Proxy Statement for the 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders with approximately 99% of votes cast in favor of the compensation of our Named Executive Officers. The Compensation Committee considered the results of the advisory vote and continued to apply the same general compensation principles and philosophy, while making some adjustments. We currently hold annual advisory votes on executive compensation; the next advisory vote on the frequency of say-on-pay votes will take place at or before our 2017 annual meeting of stockholders.

Administration

The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors administers the Company’s executive compensation programs and approves (or recommends to the Board of Directors for approval) salaries of all executive officers, including those of the senior executive officers named in the Summary Compensation Table. The Compensation Committee is responsible for

reporting to the Board of Directors and administering all other elements of executive compensation, including annual cash incentive and equity awards.

Compensation Plan Design and Key Elements Used to Achieve Compensation Objectives

The cash components of salary and annual incentive bonus are targeted to be moderate, yet competitive in relation to salaries and annual incentive bonuses paid to officers in similar positions in comparable companies.

Our 2015 and 2016 long-term equity incentive programs for our Named Executive Officers include incentive stock-based awards in the form of both non-qualified stock options and time-based restricted stock units. The vesting for both the non-qualified stock option awards and the restricted stock units is over a four-year period with 50% vesting on the second anniversary of the grant date and the remainder vesting 25% annually thereafter. The stock options have an exercise price equal to the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant.

The Compensation Committee has previously engaged third party compensation consultants to review competitiveness of base salaries, short-term cash incentives, and both short-term and long-term equity incentive programs. Our executive compensation program design builds on the analysis and direction of these consultants, taking into account data from the annual Radford Global Life Sciences Survey and incorporating review of comparative groups of publicly-traded companies with similar revenue and employee population profiles. The Radford Global Life Sciences Survey provides data from participating companies with respect to their compensation practices in numerous areas and with respect to various positions, including senior management positions. The companies in our public company peer group were selected based on various factors, including industry, market capitalization, revenues and number of employees. The companies in the peer group for 2015 were:



Abaxis, Inc.		Merit Medical Systems, Inc.
Cepheid		Myriad Genetics, Inc.
Genomic Health, Inc.		Natus Medical
Luminex Corporation		Orasure Technologies, Inc.
Meridian Bioscience Inc.

The median peer group non-affiliate market capitalization was $658.6 million, revenues were $275.7 million, and number of employees was 752, based on information reported in peers’ annual reports for fiscal years ending in 2014. The Compensation Committee determined that no changes were required to the peer group, except that Immucor, Inc. was removed because compensation data is no longer publicly available.

Our Compensation Committee utilizes management (and from time to time independent compensation consultants) to gather such market data and provide appropriate analyses. The Compensation Committee does not have a philosophy of setting compensation based on specific formulaic benchmarking comparisons, but it does take into account prior use of compensation consultants and reviews peer group data and Radford Global Life Sciences Survey data in setting moderate, yet competitive compensation. Specifically with regard to long-term equity incentive granting practices, our peer group companies’ equity grants are on average more evenly split between stock options and restricted stock units. Our Compensation Committee has historically chosen to weight the long-term equity incentive grants to relatively more stock options to the Company’s Named Executive Officers to reinforce the alignment with stockholders and emphasize future stock performance. In 2015 and 2016, 75% and 74%, respectively, of the value of the equity incentive awards was provided in the form of non-qualified stock options, which the Committee believes are inherently performance-based and consistent with the Company’s philosophy.

Base Salary

Base salaries are reviewed annually and are targeted to be moderate, yet competitive in relation to salaries paid to officers in similar positions in comparable companies. With the exception of the Chief Executive Officer, whose performance is reviewed directly by the Board of Directors, performance of all other executive officers is reviewed through regular conversations on goals and achievement with the Chief Executive Officer in consultation with the Compensation Committee (and/or the Board of Directors).

In 2015, in connection with the setting of the base salary of our executive officers, the Compensation Committee considered peer group analysis and also examined survey data for executives with similar responsibilities in comparable companies in the medical device/diagnostics and biotechnology industries, using a custom report from the 2015 Radford Global Life Sciences Survey data based on companies with a similar number of employees compared to our company. The base

salaries of each of our executive officers were set taking into account comparable data for salaries relevant for their positions, and then modified to further take into account our executive officers’ experience and skills.

Annual Cash Incentive Awards

Our annual cash incentive program provides the potential for receipt of competitive levels of annual incentive cash compensation and is designed to reward senior management for their contributions to annual corporate objectives. Under our annual cash incentive program, each participating officer is entitled to receive a cash bonus based on achievement of certain corporate goals in the particular fiscal year. Goals and payouts are calibrated to strike the appropriate balance between being reasonably achievable, and thereby motivating executives, while targeting improved performance. The balance is intended to result in the Company receiving an appropriate return on its annual incentive investment. The corporate performance goals are selected to require sustained performance and results from senior management that are not easily achievable without extra effort from each individual. Each eligible executive’s potential annual award under the annual cash incentive program is expressed as a percentage of base salary earned by the individual during the fiscal year.

Under our traditional annual cash incentive compensation program, the target bonus in 2015 for our Chief Executive Officer was 100% of annual base salary, for other executive officers, 60% of annual base salary, and for all other participating non-executive officers, 40% of annual base salary.

In February 2015, the Compensation Committee approved the 2015 Executive Incentive Compensation Plan (the “2015 Cash Incentive Plan”). For 2015, the Compensation Committee determined it was appropriate to continue to provide a broader array of incentive targets rather than simply revenue and EBITDA goals. In setting these targets, the Compensation Committee recognized that fluctuations in the severity of an influenza season affects the Company’s results, yet the severity of an influenza season is otherwise outside the control of our executive officers and management. Similar to the 2014 Cash Incentive Plan, the 2015 Cash Incentive Plan was designed to encourage improved performance in objectives not related to the intensity of any given influenza season and by doing so, was designed to improve long-term performance and results for the Company and its stockholders.

The 2015 Cash Incentive Plan consisted of the following four components: (1) revenue performance on core products; (2) revenue performance on new products; (3) earnings per share (“EPS”); and (4) defined corporate or individual impact goals. Each component of the 2015 Cash Incentive Plan included targets at minimum, plan/target, and maximum payout. The minimum targets served as the threshold upon which the incentive pool would begin to fund for that component. Achievement of the components at plan/target earn the target cash incentive opportunity. Payouts are calculated along a linear continuum from minimum to plan/target and from plan/target to maximum with the maximum target serving as the point at which the management team earns the highest possible cash incentive opportunity. The minimum target must be met in order for a portion of the bonus to be paid relative to any one of the four components and each component is measured separately. The Compensation Committee could adjust the targets to take into account variability in severity of the influenza season (so that management was neither enriched nor penalized for factors outside their control). In addition, the number of shares outstanding upon the adoption of the 2015 Cash Incentive Plan was used for calculating EPS so that, consistent with prior years, changes in the number of shares outstanding do not affect the EPS metric used to calculate that component. The Compensation Committee also retained the right to exercise discretion to award bonuses at a lower amount than the amount funded by the formula provided under the 2015 Cash Incentive Plan.

The following table represents the threshold, target and maximum bonus for each of the Company’s Named Executive Officers as a percent of such employee’s annual base salary for the 2015 Cash Incentive Plan:



Executive Officer	Threshold		Target		Maximum
Douglas C. Bryant	—	%	100	%	150	%
President and CEO
Randall J. Steward	—	%	60	%	90	%
Chief Financial Officer
Robert J. Bujarski	—	%	60	%	90	%
SVP, Business Development and General Counsel
Werner Kroll, Ph.D.	—	%	60	%	90	%
SVP, Research and Development
John D. Tamerius, Ph.D.	—	%	60	%	90	%
SVP, Strategic and External Affairs

Bonus payouts to our executive officers for 2015 were based seventy (70%) percent on achievement of revenue performance and EPS goals and thirty (30%) percent on corporate impact goals.

On February 10, 2016, the Compensation Committee approved payout, effective February 16, 2016, to executive officers under the 2015 Cash Incentive Plan for achievement of financial goals and corporate impact goals at 50.15% of target. Achievement of the financial goals was based on core product revenue and new product revenue compared to plan as well as overall earnings, adjusted for changes in Quidel share of the influenza test market, and was determined to have been achieved at 15.15% of a possible 70% and corporate impact goals dealing with product development, regulatory approvals, and commercialization that were determined to have been over-achieved at 35% of the target of 30%. The bonuses earned by Mr. Bryant, Mr. Steward, Mr. Bujarski, Dr. Kroll and Dr. Tamerius were $272,084, $103,826, $103,826, $102,276 and $94,528, respectively.

In addition, in March 2015, the Compensation Committee approved an additional incentive compensation plan for 2015 (the “ICP+ Plan”) as an added incentive to the Company’s senior management to drive extraordinary performance of certain business goals during the Company’s 2015 fiscal year. The ICP+ Plan consisted of two components: (1) over achievement of certain revenue performance targets for a key product line; and (2) a related and defined impact goal connected with achievement of such performance targets, each as defined by the Compensation Committee. The ICP+ Plan included payouts based on minimum and maximum performance targets. Each component was measured separately. Bonus payout under the plan provided for a cash bonus opportunity of up to 50% of an eligible participant’s annual base salary. On February 10, 2016, the Compensation Committee approved payout, effective February 16, 2016, to executive officers under the ICP+ Plan for achievement of revenue performance targets for the key product line and related impact goals at 16.5% of a possible 50% of annual base salary. The bonuses earned by Mr. Bryant, Mr. Steward, Mr. Bujarski, Dr. Kroll and Dr. Tamerius were $44,760, $28,467, $28,467, $28,042 and $25,917, respectively.

Similar to the 2015 Cash Incentive Plan, the 2016 Executive Incentive Compensation Plan (the “2016 Cash Incentive Plan”) consists of the following four components: (1) revenue performance on core products; (2) revenue performance on new products; (3) earnings per share (“EPS”); and (4) defined corporate or individual impact goals. Each component of the 2016 Cash Incentive Plan includes targets at minimum, plan/target, and maximum payout. The minimum targets serve as the threshold upon which the incentive pool will begin to fund for that component. Achievement of the components at plan/target will earn the target cash incentive opportunity. Payouts will be calculated along a linear continuum from minimum to plan/target and from plan/target to maximum with the maximum target serving as the point at which the management team will earn the highest possible cash incentive opportunity. The minimum target must be met in order for a portion of the bonus to be paid relative to any one of the four components and each component will be measured separately. The Compensation Committee may adjust the targets to take into account acquisitions and the variability in severity of the influenza season (so that management is neither enriched nor penalized for factors outside management’s control). In addition, the number of shares outstanding upon the adoption of the 2016 Cash Incentive Plan will be used for calculating EPS so that changes in the number of shares outstanding do not affect the EPS metric used to calculate that component. The Compensation Committee also retains the right to exercise discretion to award bonuses at the amount funded by the formula provided under the 2016 Cash Incentive Plan.

Under the 2016 Cash Incentive Plan, the target bonus has been increased to 125% of annual base salary for our Chief Executive Officer, 75% of annual base salary for our other executive officers, and 50% of annual base salary for all other participating non-executive officers.



Executive Officer	Threshold		Target		Maximum
Douglas C. Bryant	—	%	125	%	150	%
President and CEO
Randall J. Steward	—	%	75	%	90	%
Chief Financial Officer
Robert J. Bujarski	—	%	75	%	90	%
SVP, Business Development and General Counsel
Werner Kroll, Ph.D.	—	%	75	%	90	%
SVP, Research and Development
John D. Tamerius, Ph.D.	—	%	75	%	90	%
SVP, Strategic and External Affairs

Bonus payouts to our executive officers for the 2016 Cash Incentive Plan will also be based seventy (70%) percent on achievement of revenue performance and EPS goals and thirty (30%) percent on corporate impact goals.

Deferred Bonus Program

Each of the above officers was also eligible to elect to participate in the Company’s 2015 Employee Deferred Bonus Compensation Program (the “2015 Deferred Program”) with respect to any payments received under the 2015 Cash Incentive Plan. Electing officers could elect to receive 50% or 100% of the cash value of his 2015 cash bonus (the “Covered Bonus”) (payable (if applicable) per the terms and conditions of the 2015 Cash Incentive Plan) in the form of fully vested, restricted stock units (the “Converted RSUs”) plus an additional premium on such percentage of the Covered Bonus in the form of additional restricted stock units, which are subject to a one-year vesting requirement (the “Premium RSUs”). The additional premium applicable to the Premium RSUs will be determined based on the length of time of the deferral period (between the date of grant and the date the shares of common stock underlying the Converted RSUs are selected to be issued) selected by the participating employee as follows: (i) if one (1) year from the date of grant, a premium of 10% on the amount deferred of the Covered Bonus; (ii) if two (2) years from the date of grant, a premium of 20% on the amount deferred of the Covered Bonus; or (iii) if four (4) years from the date of grant, a premium of 30% on the amount deferred of the Covered Bonus.

Elections for the 2015 Deferred Program, which are now irrevocable, were made by the following executive officers:



Executive Officer	Amount Deferred		Deferral Period
Douglas C. Bryant	100	%	4 years
President and CEO
Robert J. Bujarski	50	%	4 years
SVP, Business Development and General Counsel

The Converted RSUs will be fully vested on the grant date. The Premium RSUs will be fully vested on the first anniversary of the grant date. Subject to the terms and conditions in the grant award agreement, the issuance of the shares of common stock underlying Converted RSUs will be issued as soon as administratively practicable after the earliest of: (1) the end of the deferral period selected by the participating employee, (2) the participating employee’s separation from service to the Company, and (3) a change in the ownership or effective control of the Company, or in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the Company (a “Change in Control”). The shares of common stock underlying the Premium RSUs will have the same applicable issuance periods as outlined in the foregoing sentence for Converted RSUs with acceleration of the one-year vesting requirement in connection with a Change in Control, provided, however, that if a participating employee’s service is terminated for any reason (outside of a Change in Control) prior to the one-year vesting requirement, the Premium RSUs shall be forfeited and canceled as of the date of such termination of service.

Each of the above executive officers was eligible to elect to participate in a similar Deferred Bonus Compensation Program for 2016 (the “2016 Deferred Program”) with respect to any payments received under the 2016 Cash Incentive Plan.

Elections for the 2016 Deferred Program, which are now irrevocable, were made by the following executive officers:



Executive Officer	Amount Deferred		Deferral Period
Douglas C. Bryant	100	%	4 years
President and CEO
Robert J. Bujarski	50	%	4 years
SVP, Business Development and General Counsel
Werner Kroll, Ph.D.	50	%	4 years
SVP, Research and Development
John D. Tamerius, Ph.D.	50	%	2 years
SVP, Strategic and External Affairs

Longer-Term Equity Incentive Awards

Longer-term equity-based incentive awards in the form of stock options and/or restricted stock units are intended to align the interests of management with those of the Company’s other stockholders and promote retention of our executives by using continued service as a requirement to receive the value of the awards. The number of stock options and/or shares of restricted stock units granted is related to the individual’s level of responsibility and allows executives to share in the value they help create. Generally, the Compensation Committee does not consider an executive’s stock holdings or outstanding equity awards

in determining the number of equity awards to be granted; however, the Compensation Committee does take into consideration the total number of outstanding shares of our common stock, the relative dilution to stockholders, as well as our gross equity burn rate, issued equity overhang and total equity overhang in determining the number of equity awards to be granted. The Compensation Committee believes that the Company’s executive officers should be fairly compensated each year relative to market pay levels of the Company’s peer group. The Compensation Committee views longer-term equity incentives as a primary compensation means for retaining executives.

Our 2015 and 2016 long-term equity incentive program for our Named Executive Officers include incentive stock-based awards in the form of both non-qualified stock options and time-based restricted stock units. The vesting for both the non-qualified stock option awards and the restricted stock units is over a four-year period with 50% vesting on the second anniversary of the grant date and the remainder vesting 25% annually thereafter. The stock options have an exercise price equal to the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant. With both the 2015 and 2016 equity incentive awards, the Compensation Committee determined to more heavily weight the total dollar value of the long-term incentive award toward stock options because the Committee believes stock options are inherently performance-based and consistent with the Company’s philosophy to link pay and performance and utilizes vesting requirements to create an appropriate long-term incentive for our executives. In 2015 and 2016, 75% and 74%, respectively, of the value of the equity incentive awards was provided in the form of non-qualified stock options. The use of time-vested restricted stock units for the remaining portion of the awards is designed to achieve the goal of retaining our executives while providing an additional performance incentive since the ultimate value of the award will vary with our stock price.

In 2015, Mr. Bryant, Mr. Steward, Mr. Bujarski, Dr. Kroll and Dr. Tamerius were awarded non-qualified stock options and shares of time-based restricted stock units as follows:



Executive Officer	Dollar Value of Aggregate Award		Number of Options/Time Based Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
Douglas C. Bryant	$	1,199,992	12,815 RSUs
President and CEO			93,847 Options
Randall Steward	$	499,984	5,339 RSUs
Chief Financial Officer			39,103 Options
Robert J. Bujarski	$	449,976	4,805 RSUs
SVP, Business Development and General Counsel			35,192 Options
Werner Kroll, Ph.D.	$	449,976	4,805 RSUs
SVP, Research and Development			35,192 Options
John D. Tamerius, Ph.D.	$	419,987	4,485 RSUs
SVP, Strategic and External Affairs			32,846 Options

Equity Ownership Guidelines

To further align the interests of our directors and executives with those of our other stockholders, the Board of Directors has adopted share ownership guidelines. Under these guidelines, each non-employee director, the Chief Executive Officer, each Senior Vice President and each Vice President is required to retain and hold 50% of the shares acquired under any equity incentive award granted on or after March 19, 2004 (after subtracting shares sold to pay for option exercise costs, and relevant federal and state taxes which are assumed to be at the highest marginal tax rates). The foregoing share retention rule applies unless such director or officer beneficially owns shares with a value at or in excess of the following share ownership guidelines:


•	Chief Executive Officer — 3 times then-current annual base salary,


•	Senior Vice Presidents — 2 times then-current annual base salary,


•	Vice Presidents — 1 times then-current annual base salary, and


•	Non-employee directors — 2 times then-current annual cash retainer.

The value of an individual’s shares for purposes of the share ownership guidelines is deemed to be the greater of the then-current fair market value of the stock, or the individual’s cost basis in the stock. Shares counted in calculating the share ownership guidelines include shares beneficially owned outright, whether from open market purchases, purchases through the Company’s 1983 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, shares retained after option exercises, shares of restricted stock that have no further restrictions remaining, and vested restricted stock units. In addition, in the case of vested, unexercised, in-the-money stock options, the in-the-money value of the stock options will be included in the share ownership guidelines calculation.

Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, Senior Vice Presidents and Vice Presidents have five years from their election, hire or promotion to satisfy the share ownership guidelines.

Restrictions on Trading Securities (Including Hedging and Pledging)

We have an insider trading policy that prohibits employees and directors from engaging in speculative transactions involving our securities. Accordingly, hedging transactions involving our securities, including, but not limited to purchase of stock on margin, short sales, buying or selling puts or calls, and any other similar transactions or arrangements that have an economic consequence of establishing downside price protection are prohibited. Our insider trading policy also prohibits officers and directors from pledging stock, subject to special Board approval. No special approvals have been provided to allow any current officer or director to pledge stock.

Pay Recoupment Policy

The 2015 and 2016 Cash Incentive Plans contain provisions providing for pay recoupment in compliance with applicable legislation and regulation. The Board expects to enact a pay recoupment policy when the regulations mandated by the Dodd-Frank Act are implemented by the Securities and Exchange Commission. At a minimum, the policy will comply with the Dodd-Frank Act and related regulations.

Employment and Severance Agreements

We have entered into change of control agreements with each of our executive officers in order to foster their objectivity in making decisions with respect to any pending or threatened change in control transaction and to alleviate certain risks and uncertainties with regard to our executive officers’ financial and professional security that might be created by a pending or threatened change in control transaction. The details of the change in control agreements and any employment or severance arrangements entered into with our executive officers are provided under the caption “Employment, Change in Control and Severance Arrangements” below in this Proxy Statement.

Tax Deductibility of Compensation

The Compensation Committee attempts to structure the compensation program to achieve deductibility under Section 162 (m) of the Code, unless the benefit of such deductibility is outweighed by the need for flexibility or the attainment of other corporate objectives. The Compensation Committee will continue to monitor issues concerning the deductibility of executive compensation and will take appropriate action if and when it is warranted. Since corporate objectives may not always be consistent with the requirements for full deductibility, the Compensation Committee is prepared, if it deems appropriate, to enter into compensation arrangements under which payments may not be deductible under Section 162(m) of the Code. Thus, deductibility will not be the sole factor used by the Compensation Committee in ascertaining appropriate levels or modes of compensation.

Stock Option Grant Practices

As described above, the Company uses stock options as part of its overall compensation program. The stock option awards provide individuals with the right to purchase a specified number of shares of the Company’s stock at a specific price. The Company sets the exercise price of the stock options that it awards at or above the closing price of the Company’s stock on the grant date. Accordingly, the option grant will have value to the individual only if he or she continues in our service during the vesting period and then generally only if and to the extent that the market price of the underlying shares of common stock appreciates over the option term.

Awards of equity-based compensation to our executive officers, such as options, are determined and approved by the Board of Directors or the Compensation Committee. Equity grants are typically made at the time of hire for executives and then annually as part of the overall executive compensation review. The specific terms of the awards are determined based on the position of the individual in the organization and as part of the applicable annual equity incentive program.

New hire grants are approved by the Board of Directors or the Compensation Committee when the executive’s hire is approved, with the actual option grant issued on the first date of employment and the exercise price of such options being set at the closing price of the Company’s common stock on that date. Annual performance grants made as part of the overall executive compensation program are generally made as of the date of Board or Compensation Committee approval. This typically occurs prior to the end of the first quarter, with grants effective on the date of Board or Compensation Committee approval and at a price at or above the closing price on the grant date.

Options granted to the Company executives typically vest over a four-year period. Generally, vesting ends when employment ends and the executive has 90 days following the end of employment within which to exercise any vested stock options.

Perquisites and Other Benefits

The Compensation Committee believes that the Named Executive Officers should participate in the same benefit programs as the Company’s other employees and that special executive perquisites should be minimal. Consistent with this philosophy, the Named Executive Officers participate in the Company’s employee benefit plans on the same terms as other employees. These plans include medical and dental insurance, disability coverage, life insurance, the employee stock purchase plan and the 401(k) Plan.

Compensation of the Chief Executive Officer

Our Chief Executive Officer participates in the same executive compensation program provided to our other executive officers and senior management as described above. The Compensation Committee’s approach to setting compensation for the Chief Executive Officer is to be competitive with comparable companies and to have a significant portion of total compensation depend upon the achievement of performance goals for the Company.

In February 2015, the Compensation Committee approved an increase in the annual base salary for Mr. Bryant from $526,738 to $542,540. As described above, the Compensation Committee approved payout, effective February 16, 2016, under the 2015 Cash Incentive Plan for combined achievement of revenue performance and EPS goals and corporate impact goals at 50.15% of target, and accordingly, Mr. Bryant earned a payout of $272,084. In addition, the Compensation Committee approved payout, effective February 16, 2016, of the ICP+ Plan at 16.5% of a possible 50% of annual base salary, and, accordingly, Mr. Bryant earned a payout of $44,760. As discussed above under the caption “Executive Compensation--Compensation Discussion and Analysis--Longer-Term Equity Incentive Awards,” in 2015, Mr. Bryant was also awarded 12,815 time-based restricted stock units and 93,847 non-qualified stock options.

Compensation of the Other Named Executive Officers

In February 2015, the Compensation Committee approved an increase in the base salaries of Mr. Steward, Mr. Bujarski, Dr. Kroll and Dr. Tamerius. Base salaries were approved as follows:



Executive Officer	Prior Base Salary		2015 Base Salary
Randall J. Steward	$	335,000	$	345,050
Chief Financial Officer
Robert J. Bujarski	$	335,000	$	345,050
SVP, Business Development and General Counsel
Werner Kroll, Ph.D.	$	330,000	$	339,900
SVP, Research and Development
John D. Tamerius, Ph.D.	$	305,000	$	314,150
SVP, Strategic and External Affairs

As described above, the Compensation Committee approved payout, effective February 16, 2016, under the 2015 Cash Incentive Plan for combined achievement of revenue performance and EPS goals and corporate impact goals at 50.15% of target, and, accordingly, Mr. Steward, Mr. Bujarski, Dr. Kroll and Dr. Tamerius earned a payout of $103,826, $103,826, $102,276 and $94,528, respectively. In addition, the Compensation Committee approved payout, effective February 16, 2016, of the ICP+ Plan at 16.5% of a possible 50% of annual base salary, and accordingly, Mr. Steward, Mr. Bujarski, Dr. Kroll and Dr. Tamerius earned a payout of $28,467, $28,467, $28,042 and $25,917, respectively.

As discussed above under the caption “Executive Compensation--Compensation Discussion and Analysis--Longer-Term Equity Incentive Awards,” in 2015, Mr. Steward, Mr. Bujarski, Dr. Kroll and Dr. Tamerius were awarded shares of time-based restricted stock units and non-qualified stock options.

Compensation Committee Report

The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors has reviewed the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” and discussed that analysis with management. Based on its review and discussions with management, the Compensation Committee recommended to our Board of Directors that the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” section be included in the

Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 and this Proxy Statement. This report is provided by the following independent directors, who comprise the Compensation Committee:

Compensation Committee

Thomas D. Brown (Chairman)

Mary Lake Polan, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H.

Jack W. Schuler

This Compensation Committee Report does not constitute soliciting material and should not be deemed filed or incorporated by reference into any Company filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or the Exchange Act, except to the extent the Company specifically incorporates this report.

Summary Compensation Table

The following table sets forth information relating to fiscal years 2015, 2014 and 2013 compensation of our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and three other most highly paid persons serving as executive officers as of December 31, 2015.



Name and Principal Position	Year	Salary ($)(1)	Stock Awards ($)(2)	Option Awards ($)(3)	Non- Equity Incentive Plan Compensation ($)(4)	All Other Compensation ($)(5)	Total ($)
Douglas C. Bryant	2015	542,540	379,026	899,993	316,844	9,714	2,148,117
President and CEO	2014	524,378	225,766	1,052,998	244,406	9,714	2,057,262
President and CEO	2013	509,105	567,442	877,499	286,382	9,714	2,250,142
Randall J. Steward	2015	345,050	124,986	374,998	132,293	12,402	989,729
Chief Financial Officer	2014	331,923	66,643	431,994	97,150	12,378	940,088
Chief Financial Officer	2013	313,154	48,798	359,994	88,200	10,624	820,770
Robert J. Bujarski	2015	345,050	128,045	337,491	132,293	8,730	951,609
SVP, Business Development and General Counsel	2014	334,299	75,729	323,990	97,150	8,730	839,898
SVP, Business Development and General Counsel	2013	328,959	192,953	269,998	92,523	8,728	893,161
Werner Kroll, Ph.D.	2015	339,900	112,485	337,491	130,318	10,746	930,940
SVP, Research and Development	2014	195,462	649,968	250,000	57,158	241,197	1,393,785
SVP, Research and Development	2013	—	—	—	—	—	—
John D. Tamerius, Ph.D.	2015	314,150	125,664	314,993	120,445	105,073	980,325
SVP, Strategic and External Affairs	2014	304,059	56,972	238,490	88,450	106,556	794,527
SVP, Strategic and External Affairs	2013	297,544	152,584	179,992	83,687	107,011	820,818


(1)	The amounts shown include cash compensation the executive officers earned or which was deferred pursuant to our 401(k) Plan.

(2)

This column represents the grant date fair value of service-based restricted stock awards granted during fiscal years 2015, 2014 and 2013 as well as (i) for 2013, the Premium RSUs associated with the 2013 Employee Deferred Bonus Compensation Program; (ii) for 2014, the Premium RSUs associated with the 2014 Employee Deferred Bonus Compensation Program; and (iii) for 2015, the Premium RSUs associated with the 2015 Employee Deferred Bonus Compensation Program as described in Note (1) in the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation table. Restricted stock awards are valued based on the closing share price on the date of grant. For additional information with respect to the 2015 grants, refer to Note 5 of our financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. See the “Grants of Plan-Based Awards in Fiscal Year 2015” table for information on stock awards granted in 2015 and the 2015 Employee Deferred Bonus Compensation Program.

(3)

This column represents the grant date fair value of stock options granted during fiscal years 2015, 2014 and 2013. The grant date fair value of option awards is determined using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. For additional information on the valuation assumptions with respect to the 2015 grants, refer to Note 5 of our financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015. See the “Grants of Plan-Based Awards in Fiscal Year 2015” Table for information on options granted in 2015.

(4)

This column represents the approved awards to each executive officer under the 2015 Cash Incentive Plan, the 2015 ICP+ Plan, 2014 Cash Incentive Plan and the 2013 Cash Incentive Plan. Each executive officer could also elect to participate in the 2015 Employee Deferred Bonus Compensation Program, 2014 Employee Deferred Bonus Compensation Program and the 2013 Employee Deferred Bonus Compensation Program with respect to any payments received under the 2015 Cash Incentive Plan, 2014 Cash Incentive Plan and the 2013 Cash Incentive Plan, respectively. The cash components of the bonus under the 2015 Cash Incentive Plan and the 2015 ICP+ Plan were paid in early 2016. The cash component of the bonus under the 2014 Cash Incentive Plan was paid in early 2015. The cash component of the bonus under the 2013 Cash Incentive Plan was paid in early 2014. The amounts shown are inclusive of the cash component and deferred Covered Bonus component of the electing officers’ award, but do not include the Premium RSUs component which is included as a component of the amounts in the “Stock Awards” column. See the “Grants of Plan-Based Awards in Fiscal Year 2015” Table for information on the 2015 Employee Deferred Bonus Compensation Program.

(5)

During the year ended December 31, 2015, (a) we made contributions under our 401(k) Plan for Mr. Bryant, Mr. Steward, Mr. Bujarski, Dr. Kroll and Dr. Tamerius and (b) we funded a group term life insurance plan providing life insurance in an amount equal to two times the executive officer’s annual salary, a benefit that is provided to all employees. Dr. Tamerius received compensation of $91,000 associated with reimbursement for commuting and housing costs while he continues to reside in Northern California but primarily works in San Diego. Amounts related to contributions under our 401(k) Plan, life insurance and other compensation for Mr. Bryant, Mr. Steward, Mr. Bujarski, Dr. Kroll and Dr. Tamerius were as follows:

Components of All Other Compensation



	401(k) Contributions ($)	Group Term Life Insurance Premiums Compensation ($)	Other ($)
Douglas C. Bryant	7,650	2,064	—
Randall J. Steward	7,650	4,752	—
Robert J. Bujarski	7,650	1,080	—
Werner Kroll, Ph.D.	7,650	3,096	—
John D. Tamerius, Ph.D.	6,493	7,580	91,000

Grants of Plan-Based Awards in Fiscal Year 2015

The following table sets forth all plan-based awards granted to our Named Executive Officers during fiscal year 2015.



Name and Principal Position	Grant Date	Estimated Future Payouts Under Non-Equity Incentive Plan Awards			All Other Stock Awards: Number of Shares of Stock (#)(3)	All Other Option Awards: Number of Securities Underlying Options: (#)(4)	Exercise or Base Price of Option Awards ($/sh)(5)	Grant Date Fair Value of Stock and Option Awards ($)(6)
Name and Principal Position	Grant Date	Threshold ($)	Target ($)	Maximum ($)	All Other Stock Awards: Number of Shares of Stock (#)(3)		Exercise or Base Price of Option Awards ($/sh)(5)	Grant Date Fair Value of Stock and Option Awards ($)(6)
Douglas C. Bryant	2/5/2015	—	—	—	12,815	93,847	23.41	1,199,992
President and CEO	2/5/2015(1)	1	542,540	813,810	—	—	—	—
President and CEO	3/18/2015(2)	1	271,270	271,270	—	—	—	—
	12/31/2015	—	—	—	22,562	—	—	342,491
Randall J. Steward	2/5/2015	—	—	—	5,339	39,103	23.41	499,984
Chief Financial Officer	2/5/2015(1)	1	207,030	310,545	—	—	—	—
Chief Financial Officer	3/18/2015(2)	1	172,525	172,525	—	—	—	—
Robert J. Bujarski	2/5/2015	—	—	—	4,805	35,192	23.41	449,976
SVP, Business Development and General Counsel	2/5/2015(1)	1	207,030	310,545	—	—	—	—
SVP, Business Development and General Counsel	3/18/2015(2)	1	172,525	172,525	—	—	—	—
	12/31/2015	—	—	—	4,444	—	—	67,460
Werner Kroll, Ph.D.	2/5/2015	—	—	—	4,805	35,192	23.41	449,976
SVP, Research and Development	2/5/2015(1)	1	203,940	305,910	—	—	—	—
	3/18/2015(2)	1	169,950	169,950	—	—	—	—
John D. Tamerius, Ph.D.	2/5/2015	—	—	—	4,485	32,846	23.41	419,987
SVP, Strategic and External Affairs	2/5/2015(1)	1	188,490	282,735	—	—	—	—
SVP, Strategic and External Affairs	3/18/2015(2)	1	157,075	157,075
	11/20/2015	—	—	—	1,000	—	—	20,670

(1)

This row shows the potential value of the payout under the “Estimated Future Payouts” column for each Named Executive Officer under the 2015 Cash Incentive Plan program if the threshold, target and maximum goals were satisfied for all performance measures. The business measurements, performance goals and salary and bonus multiples for determining the payout are described in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” section. The performance

measurements were achieved in fiscal year 2015 in the aggregate at the 50.15% level and payouts were made as described under the heading “—Annual Cash Incentive Awards” in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” section and in Note (4) to the “Summary Compensation Table.”

(2)

This row shows the potential value of the payout under the “Estimated Future Payouts” column for each Named Executive Officer under the 2015 ICP+ Plan program if the threshold, target and maximum goals were satisfied for all performance measures. The business measurements, performance goals and salary and bonus multiples for determining the payout are described in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” section. The performance measurements were achieved in fiscal year 2015 in the aggregate at 16.5% of the target amount and payouts were made as described under the heading “—Annual Cash Incentive Awards” in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” section and in Note (4) to the “Summary Compensation Table.”

(3)

This column shows the number of time-based restricted stock units granted in 2015 to the Named Executive Officers. The time-based restricted stock units for Mr. Bryant, Mr. Steward, Mr. Bujarski, Dr. Kroll and Dr. Tamerius were granted on February 5, 2015 and vest over four years, with one half of the award vesting on the two-year anniversary of the grant date and the remaining vesting annually thereafter through the remaining four-year vesting period. The stock award granted to Dr. Tamerius on November 20, 2015 vests on the fourth anniversary of the grant date. This column also includes the number of restricted stock units granted in 2015 under the 2015 Employee Deferred Bonus Compensation Program. For the restricted stock units under the 2015 Employee Deferred Bonus Compensation Program the fair value is equal to (i) the amount of his bonus deferred under the Program divided by the market closing price for the Company’s common stock on February 16, 2016, multiplied by (ii) either 1.2 or 1.3, as a premium. For Mr. Bryant and Mr. Bujarski, $272,084 and $51,900 (included in the Grant Date Fair Value column), respectively, represents compensation deferred and is included in the Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation column of the Summary Compensation Table.


(4)	This column shows the number of stock options granted in 2015 to the Named Executive Officers. These options vest and become exercisable ratably over four years, with one half of the award vesting on the two-year anniversary of the grant date and the remaining vesting annually thereafter through the remaining four-year vesting period.


(5)	This column shows the exercise price for the stock options granted, which was the closing price of our common stock on the date of grant.

(6)

This column shows the full grant date fair value under ASC Topic 718 of time-based restricted stock units, restricted stock units granted under the 2015 Employee Deferred Bonus Compensation Program and stock options granted to the Named Executive Officers in 2015. For the time-based restricted stock units, fair value is calculated using the closing price of our common stock on the grant date. The grant date fair value is the amount that the Company would expense in its financial statements over the award’s vesting schedule, unless the named executive leaves the Company. For the restricted stock units under the 2015 Employee Deferred Bonus Compensation Program the fair value is equal to (i) the amount of his Covered Bonus deferred under the program divided by the market closing price for the Company’s common stock on February 16, 2016, multiplied by (ii) either 1.2 or 1.3, as a premium. For stock options, fair value is calculated using the Black-Scholes value on the grant date and is the amount that the Company will expense in its financial statements over the award’s vesting schedule, unless the named executive leaves the Company. For additional information on the valuation assumptions, refer to Note 5 of our financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015.

Outstanding Equity Awards at 2015 Fiscal Year-End

The following table provides information on the holdings of stock options, restricted stock awards and restricted stock units by the Named Executive Officers as of December 31, 2015. This table includes unexercised and unvested stock options and unvested restricted stock awards or restricted stock units. Each equity grant is shown separately for each Named Executive Officer. The vesting schedule for each grant is shown following this table, based on the option or stock award grant date. The market value of the stock awards is based on the closing market price of our common stock as of December 31, 2015, which was $21.20. For additional information about the option awards and stock awards, see the description of “Longer-Term Equity Incentive Awards” in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” section.



	Option Grant Date	Option Awards(1)				Stock Awards
Name	Option Grant Date	Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options — Exercisable (#)	Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options — Unexercisable (#)	Option Exercise Price($)	Option Expiration Date	Stock Award Grant Date		Number of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested (#)	Market Value of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested ($)
Douglas C. Bryant	2/2/2009	700,000	—	12.36	2/2/2019
President and CEO	4/10/2009	205,212	—	8.50	4/10/2019
	1/18/2010	55,458	—	15.28	1/18/2020
	3/2/2011	85,918	—	12.63	3/2/2021
	3/2/2012	90,295	30,098	15.19	3/2/2022
	2/25/2013	48,109	48,108	22.21	2/25/2023	2/25/2013	(2)	2,194	46,513
	2/24/2014	—	93,021	27.57	2/24/2024	2/24/2014	(2)	4,243	89,952
						12/31/2014	(3)	1,571	33,305
	2/5/2015	—	93,847	23.41	2/5/2025	2/5/2015	(2)	12,815	271,678
						12/31/2015	(4)	5,206	110,367
Randall J. Steward	10/24/2011	60,000	—	16.60	10/24/2021
Chief Financial Officer	3/2/2012	23,344	7,781	15.19	3/2/2022
Chief Financial Officer	2/25/2013	19,737	19,736	22.21	2/25/2023	2/25/2013	(2)	900	19,080
	2/24/2014	—	38,162	27.57	2/24/2024	2/24/2014	(2)	1,741	36,909
	2/5/2015	—	39,103	23.41	2/5/2025	2/5/2015	(2)	5,339	113,187
Robert J. Bujarski	6/9/2008	50,000	—	17.38	6/9/2018
SVP, Business Development and General Counsel	1/18/2010	20,282	—	15.28	1/18/2020
	3/2/2011	30,000	—	12.63	3/2/2021
	3/2/2012	31,528	10,510	15.19	3/2/2022
	2/25/2013	14,803	14,802	22.21	2/25/2023	2/25/2013	(2)	675	14,310
	2/24/2014	—	28,621	27.57	2/24/2024	2/24/2014	(2)	1,305	27,666
						12/31/2014	(3)	624	13,229
	2/5/2015	—	35,192	23.41	2/5/2025	2/5/2015	(2)	4,805	101,866
						12/31/2015	(4)	1,025	21,730
Werner Kroll, Ph.D.	5/27/2014	—	26,483	22.85	5/27/2024	5/27/2014	(5)	10,940	231,928
SVP, Research and Development						5/27/2014	(5)	17,505	371,106
SVP, Research and Development	2/5/2015	—	35,192	23.41	2/5/2025	2/5/2015	(2)	4,805	101,866
John D. Tamerius, Ph.D.	4/7/2008	26,633	—	16.77	4/7/2018
SVP, Strategic and External Affairs	11/10/2008	22,783	—	15.71	11/10/2018
	11/10/2008	26,512	—	15.71	11/10/2018
	4/10/2009	20,292	—	8.50	4/10/2019
	1/18/2010	4,630	—	15.28	1/18/2020
	3/2/2011	9,700	—	12.63	3/2/2021
	11/21/2011	5,000	—	16.61	11/21/2021
	3/2/2012	26,273	8,758	15.19	3/2/2022
	2/25/2013	9,868	9,868	22.21	2/25/2023	2/25/2013	(2)	450	9,540
	2/24/2014	—	21,068	27.57	2/24/2024	2/24/2014	(2)	961	20,373
	2/5/2015	—	32,846	23.41	2/5/2025	2/5/2015	(2)	4,485	95,082
						11/20/2015	(6)	1,000	21,200


(1)	Stock options are service-based and vest over four years. For stock options that were not exercisable at December 31, 2015 and are presented in the table above, the first 50% vest on the second anniversary of the grant date and the remaining options vest 25% annually thereafter through the remaining four-year vesting period.


(2)	Represents restricted stock granted to the Named Executive Officers. The first 50% of the award vests on the second anniversary of the grant date and the remaining award vests 25% annually thereafter through the remaining four-year vesting period.


(3)	Represents the Premium RSUs component related to the 2014 Employee Deferred Bonus Compensation Program as detailed in the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation table, which vest in February 2016.


(4)	Represents the Premium RSUs component related to the 2015 Employee Deferred Bonus Compensation Program as detailed in the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation table, which vest in February 2017.


(5)	Represents restricted stock units granted to Dr. Kroll upon his appointment as the Company’s Senior Vice President, Research and Development. The first award of 10,940 shares vests on the fourth anniversary of the grant date and the second award of 17,505 shares vests annually over four years, beginning on May 27, 2019.


(6)	Represents restricted stock units granted to Dr. Tamerius upon his appointment as the Company’s Senior Vice President, Strategic and External Affairs. The stock award vests on the fourth anniversary of the grant date.

Option Exercises and Stock Vested in Fiscal Year 2015

The following table sets forth stock options that were exercised by, and restricted stock that vested for, the Named Executive Officers during fiscal year 2015.



	Option Awards		Stock Awards
Name	Number of Shares Acquired on Exercise (#)	Value Realized on Exercise ($) (5)	Number of Shares Acquired on Vesting (#)		Value Realized on Vesting ($)(6)
Douglas C. Bryant	—	—	5,618	(1)	148,371
President and CEO			2,195	(2)	56,368
			1,533	(3)	39,367
Randall J. Steward	—	—	1,452	(1)	38,347
Chief Financial Officer			901	(2)	23,138
			314	(3)	8,064
			15,000	(4)	269,550
Robert J. Bujarski