Unilife (NSDQ:UNIS), which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this month, reportedly asked a Delaware bankruptcy court yesterday to approve a “key employee retention plan” that would provide 4 top executives with nearly $1 million in bonuses, contingent upon a successful sale of the company. Unilife added it has already approved the plan with its debtor-in-possession lender.

The cash-strapped company owes more than $22 million to Sanofi, Kahle Automation, Morgan Stanley, Hikma Pharmaceuticals and MECO Inc., according to documents that Unilife filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.

Unilife reported just weeks ago that it plans to pursue a balance sheet restructuring of its debt and equity and a going concern sale of its assets in an attempt to address its capital structure.

“Unilife’s current capital structure was put in place to support our business model as a diffuse drug delivery system company, and our business has evolved significantly as we have focused on our wearable injector technology.  Now, in light of the terms of the company’s debt obligations and its inability to continue to finance the business outside of bankruptcy, we need to restructure the company’s debt and equity or sell the assets as a going concern,” CEO John Ryan said, after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Earlier in April, the company reportedly laid off 51 employees.