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Table of Contents UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON , D.C. 20549 ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 ( d ) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31 , 2020 OR TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 ( d ) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 FORM 10 - K COMMISSION FILE NUMBER : 001-36279 CARA THERAPEUTICS , INC . ( Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter ) Delaware ( State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization ) 4 Stamford Plaza 107 Elm Street , 9th Floor Stamford , Connecticut ( Address of registrant's principal executive offices ) Title of each class Common Stock , par value $ 0.001 per share 75-3175693 ( I.R.S. Employer Identification No. ) Registrant's telephone number , including area code : ( 203 ) 406-3700 Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 ( b ) of the Act : Trading Symbol CARA 06902 ( Zip Code ) Name of each exchange on which registered The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 ( g ) of the Act : None No Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well - known seasoned issuer , as defined in Rule 405 of the Act . Yes No ☐ Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15 ( d ) of the Act . Yes Indicate by check mark whether the registrant ( 1 ) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15 ( d ) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months ( or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports ) , and ( 2 ) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days . Yes No Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S - T ( § 232.405 of this chapter ) during the preceding 12 months ( or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files ) . Yes = No □ Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer , an accelerated filer , a non - accelerated filer , smaller reporting company , or an emerging growth company . See the definitions of " large accelerated filer ” , “ accelerated filer ” , “ smaller reporting company ” , and “ emerging growth company " in Rule 12b - 2 of the Exchange Act . Large accelerated filer Accelerated filer Smaller Reporting Company Emerging growth company 000 Non - accelerated filer If an emerging growth company , indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13 ( a ) of the Exchange Act . O Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management's assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404 ( b ) of the Sarbanes - Oxley Act ( 15 U.S.C. 7262 ( b ) ) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report . Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company ( as defined in Rule 12b - 2 of the Act ) . Yes No The aggregate market value of the registrant's Common Stock ( the only common equity of the registrant ) held by non - affiliates , based on the closing sales price of the stock on the Nasdaq Global Market for the last business day of the registrant's most recently completed second fiscal quarter , was $ 726,180,228 . For purposes of this calculation , shares of common stock held by directors and officers and their affiliated entities at June 30 , 2020 were excluded . Exclusion of shares held by any person should not be construed to indicate that the person possesses the power , direct or indirect , to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of the registrant , or that the person is controlled by or under common control with the registrant . The number of shares outstanding of the registrant's Common Stock , par value $ 0.001 per share , as of February 22 , 2021 was 49,876,763 . Documents Incorporated By Reference Portions of the registrant's Proxy Statement for its 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders , to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission no later than 120 days after December 31 , 2020 , are incorporated by reference in Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10 - K .