8-K

================================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                       Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
                       the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):
                                November 18, 2003

                               TRANSGENOMIC, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

            Delaware                                      000-30975
      (State of Formation)                         (Commission File Number)

                                    911789357
                      (IRS Employer Identification Number)

           12325 Emmet Street
               Omaha, NE                                     68164
(Address of principal executive offices)                   (Zip Code)

                                 (402) 452-5400
              (Registrants' telephone number, including area code)

                                 Not applicable
          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)




Item 5. Other Events and Regulation FD Disclosure.

      On November 18, 2003, the Company issued a press release announcing it has
signed a contract with Austrian vaccine developer Intercell AG to develop a
manufacturing process for production of an immune stimulating oligonucleotide,
which will be used as a component of one or more of Intercell's novel vaccine
candidates. The Company is attaching the press release as Exhibit 99.1 to this
Current Report on Form 8-K.

Item 7. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(c) Exhibits

99.1  Press Release, dated November 18, 2003, announcing Transgenomic has signed
      a contract with Austrian vaccine developer Intercell AG to develop a
      manufacturing process for production of an immune stimulating
      oligonucleotide, which will be used as a component of one or more of
      Intercell's novel vaccine candidates.


                                       2


                                    SIGNATURE

      Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                   TRANSGENOMIC, INC.

                                   By /s/ Michael J. Draper
                                      ------------------------------------------
                                      Michael J. Draper, Chief Financial Officer

November 18, 2003


                                       2

EX-99.1

                                                                    Exhibit 99.1

Tuesday, November 18, 2003

COMPANY PRESS RELEASE

 Transgenomic Inc. Selected by Intercell AG to Develop Manufacturing Process for
                       Immune Stimulating Oligonucleotide

   Partnering with Austrian-based Vaccine Developer to Advance Drug Candidate

OMAHA, Neb., Nov. 18, 2003 -- Transgenomic Inc. (Nasdaq:TBIO) announced today
that it has signed a contract with Austrian vaccine developer Intercell AG to
develop a manufacturing process for production of an immune stimulating
oligonucleotide, which will be used as a component of one or more of Intercell's
novel vaccine candidates. The contract also calls for the development of
analytical methods, investigational new drug supporting studies, stability
studies and manufacture of pre-clinical material. The extensive development work
and subsequent oligonucleotide manufacture will be done at the Company's
facility in Boulder, Colo. Phosphoramidites, the building blocks used to make
synthetic nucleic acids, will be supplied by Transgenomic's plant in Glasgow,
Scotland.

The oligonucleotide under development is one of two synthetic components of
Intercell's proprietary adjuvant ("Immunizer"), IC31. Intercell's IC31
constitutes a combination of a synthetic peptide and a synthetic
oligonucleotide. When delivered as part of a vaccine formulation, Immunizer IC31
increases vaccine efficacy by stimulating multiple arms of the immune system.
IC31 has been shown to stimulate immune responses mediated by both B cells and T
cells.

"Intercell is the type of customer we had in mind when we began assembling and
staffing our nucleic acid synthesis unit in 2002," said Collin D'Silva,
Transgenomic CEO. "We offer companies seeking to commercialize nucleic
acid-based therapeutic and diagnostic products a comprehensive menu of services,
including nucleic acid chemistry R&D, process development, analytical methods
development, cGMP manufacturing, quality control and regulatory support."
D'Silva added, "These product and service offerings represent a complete
solution for support of the transition of a nucleic acid-based drug candidate
from bench-scale research to production-scale cGMP manufacturing."

Robert Zak, Intercell's head of production and quality, explains that the
know-how Transgenomic offers is hard to find. Zak stated, "There is currently a
limited pool of industry expertise to take oligonucleotide pharmaceuticals
rapidly from R&D into the clinic. With Transgenomic as a partner, companies such
as ours can access the needed expertise to develop such substances without
having to commit to the significant long-term fixed costs associated with having
similar resources within our organization. We feel that Transgenomic has the
capability to develop very efficient manufacturing processes that will yield
low-cost product." Zak concluded by pointing out another favorable aspect of
partnering with Transgenomic: "Transgenomic's manufacturing facilities are
capable of producing material in quantities that will see us through each of the
clinical stages with our drug candidate."

About Transgenomic

Transgenomic provides versatile and innovative research tools and related
consumable products to the life sciences industry for the synthesis, separation,
analysis and purification of nucleic acids and a wide variety of nucleic
acid-based specialty chemicals. Through its nucleic acids business segment,
Transgenomic provides specialty chemicals, including advanced nucleic acid
building blocks and associated reagents, used in applications such as genetic
diagnostics and therapeutics. Manufacturing operations include a cGMP facility
for the synthesis of oligonucleotides.

Transgenomic's biosystems segment offers its WAVE(R) Systems and associated
consumables. These systems are specifically designed for use in genetic
variation detection and single- and double-strand DNA/RNA analysis and
purification. WAVE Systems have broad applicability to genetic research and
molecular diagnostics. To date there have been approximately one thousand
systems installed in over 30 countries around the world.

For more information about the innovative genomics research tools developed and
marketed by Transgenomic, please visit the Company's Web site at
www.transgenomic.com.

About Intercell

Intercell is a biotechnology company focused on the development of vaccines
against infectious diseases and cancer. Intercell's lead products are a
therapeutic hepatitis C vaccine, which has entered Phase II clinical testing in
November 2002, and a vaccine against Japanese encephalitis, which has
successfully undergone a Phase II clinical study. A Phase III clinical study is
planned for 2004.

The work of Intercell is based on two technological programs: antigen
identification and novel adjuvants ("Immunizers"). The constantly growing
portfolio of Intercell's proprietary patents and patent applications is flanked
by an aggressive in- and out-licensing strategy to strengthen the company's
business objectives.

For further information on Intercell AG, visit www.intercell.com.

Forward-Looking Statement

Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements"
within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995,
which involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may
cause our actual results to be materially different from any future results,
performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements.
Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those with respect
to the development of efficient, low-cost manufacturing processes for the
manufacture of complex nucleic acid molecules. The known risks, uncertainties
and other factors affecting these forward-looking statements are described from
time to time in Transgenomic's reports to the Securities and Exchange
Commission. Any change in such factors, risks and uncertainties may cause the
actual results, events and performance to differ materially from those referred
to in such statements. Accordingly, Transgenomic claims the protection of the
safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995 with respect to all statements contained in this
press release. All information in this press release is as of the date of the
release, and Transgenomic undertakes no duty to update this information,
including any forward-looking statement, unless required by law.

                                      # # #

For confirmation of release or further information, please contact:

     Mitchell L. Murphy
     Transgenomic, Inc.
     402-452-5437
     mmurphy@transgenomic.com

     Robert J. Pogulis, Ph.D.
     Transgenomic, Inc.
     845-782-9617
     rpogulis@transgenomic.com