CDTX Cidara Therapeutics Inc

Exhibit 10.1

February 14, 2025

Preetam Shah, PhD, MBA

VIA EMAIL/DOCUSIGN

Dear Preetam:

This letter sets forth the substance of the separation agreement (the “Agreement”) that Cidara Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) is offering to you to aid in your employment transition.

1. Separation. Your last day of work with the Company and your employment termination date will be February 24, 2025 (the “Separation Date”).

2. Final Pay. On the Separation Date, the Company will pay you all accrued salary and all accrued and unused paid time off earned through the Separation Date, subject to standard payroll deductions and withholdings. You will receive your accrued but unpaid compensation regardless of whether you sign this Agreement.

3. Severance Payment. Although the Company has no obligation to do so, if you: (i) sign and return this Agreement to the Company on or within twenty-one (21) calendar days after the Separation Date; (ii) allow the releases contained herein to become effective; and (iii) comply with all of your legal and contractual obligations to the Company (collectively, the “Severance Preconditions”), then the Company will pay you, as severance, an amount equivalent (a) to nine (9) months of your current base salary, subject to standard payroll deductions and withholdings and (b) your annual bonus for fiscal year 2024 as determined by the compensation committee, subject to standard payroll deductions and withholdings (in the total amount of $553,600) (the “Severance Payment”). The Severance Payment will be paid in a lump sum within fifteen (15) calendar days after the Effective Date (as defined below) or the Separation Date, whichever is later.

4. Health Insurance. Unless you follow the procedures set forth in this section, your participation in the Company’s group health insurance plan will end on the last day of the month in which the Separation Date occurs. To the extent provided by the federal COBRA law or, if applicable, state insurance laws, and by the Company’s current group health insurance policies, you will be eligible to continue your group health insurance benefits at your own expense following the Separation Date. Later, you may be able to convert to an individual policy through the provider of the Company’s health insurance, if you wish. You will be provided with a separate notice describing your rights and obligations under COBRA and a form for electing COBRA coverage. As an additional severance benefit, subject to your satisfaction of the Severance Preconditions, and provided that you timely elect continued coverage under COBRA, the Company will pay directly for your COBRA premiums to continue your health insurance coverage (including coverage for eligible dependents, if applicable) (“COBRA Premiums”) through the period (the “COBRA Premium Period”) starting on the Separation Date and ending

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on the earliest to occur of: (i) fifteen (15) months following the Separation Date; (ii) the date you become eligible for group health insurance coverage through a new employer; or (iii) the date you cease to be eligible for COBRA continuation coverage for any reason. In the event you become covered under another employer’s group health plan or otherwise cease to be eligible for COBRA during the COBRA Premium Period, you must immediately notify the Company of such event. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company determines, in its sole discretion, that it cannot pay the COBRA Premiums without a substantial risk of violating applicable law (including, without limitation, Section 2716 of the Public Health Service Act), the Company instead shall pay you, on the first day of each calendar month, a fully taxable cash payment equal to the applicable COBRA premiums for that month for the remainder of the COBRA Premium Period, which you may (but are not obligated to) use toward the cost of COBRA premiums.

5. Consulting Services. During the period from the Separation Date until the last day of the month that includes the date that is six (6) months after the Separation Date (the “Consulting Period”), you agree to provide periodic consulting services to the Company, as requested. The sole consideration for the provision of such consulting services shall be the continued vesting during the Consulting Period of any granted but unvested equity interests.

6. Equity Interests. Under the terms of your stock option agreement(s), restricted stock unit agreement(s), and the applicable plan documents, vesting of your granted stock option(s) and restricted stock unit(s) will cease as of the end of the Consulting Period. Your right to exercise any vested shares, and all other rights and obligations with respect to your stock option(s), will be as set forth in your stock option agreement(s), grant notice(s) and applicable plan documents.

7. No Other Compensation Or Benefits. You acknowledge and agree that the benefits offered to you herein satisfy fully and exceed any and all of the obligations the Company would have had to pay you as severance benefits in connection with your employment termination, whether pursuant to your employment agreement, dated August 19, 2021 (the “Employment Agreement”), offer letter, or any other agreement, plan or policy. By executing this Agreement, you agree and acknowledge that the Company’s obligations to provide you any and all severance benefits (including without limitation under the Employment Agreement), compensation or other benefits, other than as set forth in this Agreement, are hereby extinguished. You further acknowledge that, except as expressly provided in this Agreement, you have not earned and will not receive from the Company any additional compensation (including base salary, bonus, incentive compensation, or equity), severance, or benefits before or after the Separation Date, with the exception of any vested right you may have under the express terms of a written ERISA-qualified e.g., 401(k) account) or any vested stock options.

8. Expense Reimbursements. You agree that, within five (5) calendar days after the Separation Date, you will submit your final documented expense reimbursement statement reflecting all business expenses you incurred through the Separation Date, if any, for which you seek reimbursement. The Company will reimburse you for these expenses pursuant to its regular business practice.

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9. Release Of Claims

(a) General Release of Claims. In exchange for the consideration provided to you under this Agreement to which you would not otherwise be entitled, you hereby generally and completely release the Company, and its affiliated, related, parent and subsidiary entities, and its and their current and former directors, officers, employees, shareholders, partners, agents, attorneys, predecessors, successors, insurers, affiliates, and assigns (the “Released Parties”) from any and all claims, liabilities, demands, causes of action, and obligations, both known and unknown, arising from or in any way related to events, acts, conduct, or omissions occurring at any time prior to and including the date you sign this Agreement.

(b) Scope of Release. This general release includes, but is not limited to: (a) all claims arising from or in any way related to your employment with the Company or the termination of that employment; (b) all claims related to your compensation or benefits from the Company, including salary, bonuses, commissions, vacation pay, expense reimbursements, severance pay, fringe benefits, stock, stock options, or any other ownership, equity, or profits interests in the Company; (c) all claims for breach of contract, wrongful termination, and breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing; (d) all tort claims, including claims for fraud, defamation, emotional distress, and discharge in violation of public policy; and (e) all federal, state, and local statutory claims, including claims for discrimination, harassment, retaliation, attorneys’ fees, or other claims arising under the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 (as amended), the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the California Labor Code (as amended), the California Family Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (“ADEA”) and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (as amended). You acknowledge that you have been advised, as required by California Government Code Section 12964.5(b)(4), that you have the right to consult an attorney regarding this Agreement and that you were given a reasonable time period of not less than five business days in which to do so. You further acknowledge and agree that, in the event you sign this Agreement prior to the end of the reasonable time period provided by the Company, your decision to accept such shortening of time is knowing and voluntary and is not induced by the Company through fraud, misrepresentation, or a threat to withdraw or alter the offer prior to the expiration of the reasonable time period, or by providing different terms to employees who sign such an agreement prior to the expiration of the time period.

(c) ADEA Release. You acknowledge that you are knowingly and voluntarily waiving and releasing any rights you have under the ADEA, and that the consideration given for the waiver and releases you have given in this Agreement is in addition to anything of value to which you were already entitled. You further acknowledge that you have been advised, as required by the ADEA, that: (a) your waiver and release does not apply to any rights or claims arising after the date you sign this Agreement; (b) you should consult with an attorney prior to signing this Agreement (although you may choose voluntarily not to do so); (c) you have twenty-one (21) days to consider this Agreement (although you may choose voluntarily to sign it sooner); (d) you have seven (7) days following the date you sign this Agreement to revoke this Agreement (in a written revocation sent to the Company); and (e) this Agreement will not be effective until the date upon which the revocation period has expired, which will be the eighth day after you sign this Agreement provided that you do not revoke it (the “Effective Date”).

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(d) Section 1542 Waiver. In giving the release herein, which includes claims which may be unknown to you at present, you acknowledge that you have read and understand Section 1542 of the California Civil Code, which reads as follows:

“A general release does not extend to claims that the creditor or releasing party does not know or suspect to exist in his or her favor at the time of executing the release and that, if known by him or her, would have materially affected his or her settlement with the debtor or released party.”

You hereby expressly waive and relinquish all rights and benefits under that section and any law of any other jurisdiction of similar effect with respect to your release of claims herein, including but not limited to your release of unknown claims.

(e) Exceptions. Notwithstanding the foregoing, you are not releasing the Company hereby from: (i) any obligation to indemnify you pursuant to the Articles and Bylaws of the Company, any valid fully executed indemnification agreement with the Company, applicable law, or applicable directors and officers liability insurance; (ii) any claims that cannot be waived by law; or (iii) any claims for breach of this Agreement.

(f) Protected Rights. You understand that nothing in this Agreement limits your ability to file a charge or complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Labor, the National Labor Relations Board, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the California Civil Rights Department, the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission or any other federal, state or local governmental agency or commission (“Government Agencies”). You further understand this Agreement does not limit your ability to communicate with any Government Agencies or otherwise participate in any investigation or proceeding that may be conducted by any Government Agency, including providing documents or other information, without notice to the Company. While this Agreement does not limit your right to receive a government-issued award for information provided to any Government Agency in connection with a government whistleblower program or protected whistleblower activity, you understand and agree that, to maximum extent permitted by law, you are otherwise waiving any and all rights you may have to individual relief based on any claims that you have released and any rights you have waived by signing this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement prevents you from discussing or disclosing information about unlawful acts in the workplace, such as harassment or discrimination or any other conduct that you have reason to believe is unlawful.

10. Return of Company Property. You agree that, by the Separation Date, you will return to the Company all Company documents (and all copies thereof) and other Company property in your possession or control, including, but not limited to, Company files, notes, drawings, records, plans, forecasts, reports, studies, analyses, proposals, agreements, drafts, financial and operational information, research and development information, sales and

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marketing information, customer lists, prospect information, pipeline reports, sales reports, personnel information, specifications, code, software, databases, computer-recorded information, tangible property and equipment (including, but not limited to, computing and electronic devices, mobile telephones, servers), credit cards, entry cards, identification badges, and keys; and any materials of any kind which contain or embody any proprietary or confidential information of the Company (and all reproductions or embodiments thereof in whole or in part). You agree that you will make a diligent search to locate any such documents, property, and information by the close of business on the Separation Date or as soon as possible thereafter. If you have used any personally owned computer or other electronic device, server, or e-mail system to receive, store, review, prepare, or transmit any Company confidential or proprietary data, materials or information, by the Separation Date, you shall provide the Company with a computer-useable copy of such information and then permanently delete and expunge such Company confidential or proprietary information from those systems; and you agree to provide the Company access to your system as requested to verify that the necessary copying and/or deletion is completed. You agree that, as of the Separation Date, you are no longer authorized to access Company confidential information and systems, including, without limitation, Company email and software programs, and you will not attempt to access or gain entry to such information or systems. Your compliance with this section, including your timely return of Company property, is a Severance Precondition and therefore, a condition to your receipt of the severance benefits provided under this Agreement.

11. Confidential Information Obligations. You acknowledge and reaffirm your continuing obligations under your Employee Confidential Information and Inventions Assignment Agreement, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit A and incorporated herein by reference.

12. Confidentiality. The provisions of this Agreement will be held in strictest confidence by you and will not be publicized or disclosed by you in any manner whatsoever; provided, however, that: (a) you may disclose this Agreement in confidence to your immediate family and to your attorneys, accountants, tax preparers and financial advisors; (b) you may disclose this Agreement insofar as such disclosure may be necessary to enforce its terms or as otherwise required by law; and (c) you may make such statements and disclosures as set forth in the section of this Agreement entitled “Protected Rights” or in furtherance of your rights under Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act. In particular, and without limitation, you agree not to disclose the terms of this Agreement to any current or former Company employee or independent contractor.

13. Non-disparagement. Except to the extent permitted by the “Protected Rights” section above, you agree to refrain from any disparaging statements about the Company or any of the other Releasees, including, without limitation, the business, products, intellectual property, financial standing, future, or employment/compensation/benefit practices of the Company or any of the other Releasees; provided that you may respond accurately and fully to any request for information if required by legal process or in connection with a governmental investigation. In addition, nothing in this provision or this Agreement prohibits or restrains you from making disclosures protected under the whistleblower provisions of federal or state law or from

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exercising your rights to engage in protected speech under Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act, if applicable. You affirm that you have not disparaged the Releasees from the date you receive this Agreement through the date you sign this Agreement. You further agree that, by no later than the Effective Date, you shall delete or otherwise remove any and all disparaging public comments or statements that you made prior to the Effective Date about or relating to the Releasees, including, but not limited to, comments in online forums or on websites (including, but not limited to, Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), Glassdoor, Yelp, and LinkedIn), except those comments or statements permitted by the “Protected Rights” section. You shall direct any inquiries by potential future employers to the Company’s human resources department, which shall use its best efforts to provide only your last position and dates of employment. You agree to revise and update publicly available information, including professional and social networking websites such as LinkedIn and Facebook, within one (1) week of the Separation Date to remove any indication that you are employed by the Company. Your violation of this section shall be a material breach of this Agreement.

14. No Voluntary Adverse Action. You agree that you will not voluntarily (except in response to legal compulsion or as permitted under the section of this Agreement entitled “Protected Rights”) assist any person in bringing or pursuing any proposed or pending litigation, arbitration, administrative claim or other formal proceeding against the Company, its parent or subsidiary entities, affiliates, officers, directors, employees or agents.

15. Cooperation. You agree to cooperate fully with the Company in connection with its actual or contemplated defense, prosecution, or investigation of any claims or demands by or against third parties, or other matters arising from events, acts, or failures to act that occurred during the period of your employment by the Company. Such cooperation includes, without limitation, making yourself available to the Company upon reasonable notice, without subpoena, to provide complete, truthful and accurate information in witness interviews, depositions, and trial testimony.

16. No Admissions. You understand and agree that the promises and payments in consideration of this Agreement shall not be construed to be an admission of any liability or obligation by the Company to you or to any other person, and that the Company makes no such admission.

17. Representations. You hereby represent that you have: been paid all compensation owed and for all hours worked; received all leave and leave benefits and protections for which you are eligible pursuant to the Family and Medical Leave Act, the California Family Rights Act, or otherwise; and not suffered any on-the-job injury for which you have not already filed a workers’ compensation claim. In addition, you hereby represent that, prior to your execution of this Agreement, you have not engaged in any knowing or intentional wrongful or fraudulent conduct which resulted in, or was reasonably likely to result in, material harm to the Company, and you agree that you will not engage in such conduct following your execution of this Agreement.

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18. Dispute Resolution. You and the Company agree that any and all disputes, claims, or controversies of any nature whatsoever arising from, or relating to, this Agreement or its interpretation, enforcement, breach, performance or execution, your employment or the termination of such employment (including, but not limited to, any statutory claims) (collectively, “Claims”, each a “Claim”), shall be resolved, pursuant to the Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. §1-16, and to the fullest extent permitted by law, by final, binding and confidential arbitration in San Diego, California (or another mutually acceptable location) conducted before a single neutral arbitrator by JAMS, Inc. (“JAMS”) or its successor, under the then applicable JAMS Arbitration Rules and Procedures for Employment Disputes (available at http://www.jamsadr.com/rules-employment-arbitration/). By agreeing to this arbitration procedure, both you and the Company waive the right to have any Claim resolved through a trial by jury or judge. You will have the right to be represented by legal counsel at any arbitration proceeding, at your own expense. This section shall not apply to any action or claim that cannot be subject to mandatory arbitration as a matter of law to the extent such claims are not permitted by applicable law to be submitted to mandatory arbitration and the applicable law(s) are not preempted by the Federal Arbitration Act or otherwise invalid (collectively, the “Excluded Claims”). In the event you intend to bring multiple claims, including one of the Excluded Claims listed above, the Excluded Claims may be publicly filed with a court, while any other claims will remain subject to mandatory arbitration. The arbitrator shall have sole authority for determining if a Claim is subject to arbitration, and any other procedural questions related to the dispute and bearing on the final disposition. In addition, the arbitrator shall: (a) have the authority to compel adequate discovery for the resolution of the dispute and to award such relief as would otherwise be available under applicable law in a court proceeding; and (b) issue a written statement signed by the arbitrator regarding the disposition of each claim and the relief, if any, awarded as to each claim, the reasons for the award, and the arbitrator’s essential findings and conclusions on which the award is based. The Company shall pay all JAMS arbitration administrative fees in excess of the administrative fees that you would be required to pay if the dispute were decided in a court of law. Nothing in this Agreement shall prevent you or the Company from obtaining injunctive relief in court to prevent irreparable harm pending the conclusion of any arbitration. Any awards or orders in such arbitrations may be entered and enforced as judgments in the federal and state courts of any competent jurisdiction.

19. Miscellaneous. This Agreement, including its exhibits (if any), constitutes the complete, final, and exclusive embodiment of the entire agreement between you and the Company with regard to its subject matter, and supersedes and replaces any and all prior agreements and understandings concerning the subject matter of this Agreement and your relationship with the Company, including under any applicable offer letter or employment agreement, provided, however, that nothing in this Agreement modifies, supersedes, voids, or otherwise alters your Confidentiality Agreement or other documents specifically identified in this agreement (except as expressly modified herein), or any other continuing obligations you owe the Company which survive the termination of your employment. It is entered into without reliance on any promise or representation, written or oral, other than those expressly contained herein, and it supersedes any other such promises, warranties, or representations. This Agreement may not be modified or amended except in a writing signed by both you and a duly authorized officer of the Company. This Agreement will bind the heirs, personal representatives,

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successors and assigns of both you and the Company, and inure to the benefit of both you and the Company, their heirs, successors and assigns. If any provision of this Agreement is determined to be invalid or unenforceable, in whole or in part, this determination will not affect any other provision of this Agreement and the provision in question will be modified by the court so as to be rendered enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law, consistent with the intent of the parties. This Agreement will be deemed to have been entered into and will be construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of California without regard to conflict of laws principles. Any ambiguity in this Agreement shall not be construed against either party as the drafter. Any waiver of a breach of this Agreement shall be in writing and shall not be deemed to be a waiver of any successive breach. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts and electronic or facsimile signatures will suffice as original signatures. You acknowledge that you have been advised that you should consult with an attorney prior to signing this Agreement (although you may choose voluntarily not to do so).

If this Agreement is acceptable to you, please sign below on or before twenty-one (21) days after your receipt of this Agreement. The Company’s offer contained herein will automatically expire if we do not receive the fully signed Agreement within this timeframe.

We wish you the best in your future endeavors.

I have read, understand and agree fully to the foregoing Agreement: