UNITED STATES
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): September 25, 2015
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 000-23186 | 62-1413174 |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) |
(Commission File Number) | (IRS Employer Identification No.) |
| 4505 Emperor Blvd., Suite 200 Durham, North Carolina |
27703 |
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) |
Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (919) 859-1302
________________________________________________________________________________
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
| [ ] | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) | |
| [ ] | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) | |
| [ ] | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) | |
| [ ] | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
On September 25, 2015, the Board of Directors (the "Board") of BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the "Company") voted to increase the size of the Board from eight directors to nine directors and elected Sanj K. Patel to fill the vacancy created by the enlargement of the Board. The Company issued a news release reporting this matter on September 29, 2015, and a copy of the news release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 hereto and is incorporated herein by reference.
The Company's Board of Directors also appointed Mr. Patel to serve on the Finance Committee effective upon his election to the Board of Directors.
Pursuant to the Company's Stock Incentive Plan, Mr. Patel will receive an automatic grant of 16,667 stock options upon joining the Board of Directors, and will be entitled to a grant of 15,000 stock options after each annual stockholders' meeting. Mr. Patel will receive compensation consistent with the Company's director compensation policy as described in the Company's proxy statement for its 2015 annual meeting of stockholders.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits
Exhibit No.
Description
99.1
Press Release dated September 29, 2015 entitled "Sanj K. Patel Appointed to BioCryst's Board of Directors"
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.
| BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
(Registrant) |
||
| September 29, 2015
(Date) |
/s/ ALANE BARNES
Alane Barnes Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary |
EXHIBIT INDEX
| Exhibit No. | Description |
| 99.1 | Press Release dated September 29, 2015 entitled "Sanj K. Patel Appointed to BioCryst's Board of Directors" |
EXHIBIT 99.1
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Sept. 29, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (NASDAQ:BCRX) today announced that Sanj K. Patel was elected to the Company's Board of Directors.
"On behalf of the Board of Directors and Leadership Team of BioCryst, I am delighted to welcome Sanj Patel to the Company's Board," said George B. Abercrombie, Chairman of the Board of BioCryst. "Mr. Patel has a proven track record of successfully developing and commercializing new products for rare diseases, and a deep interest in providing breakthrough treatments for these patients. He has leveraged his broad experience base in R&D, marketing and sales to grow and build companies that benefit patients and generate extraordinary value for all stakeholders."
Sanj Patel formed Synageva in June 2008 and was its President & Chief Executive Officer through the company's $8.4 billion acquisition by Alexion Pharmaceuticals in June 2015. While at Genzyme Corporation from 1999 through June 2008, Sanj held leadership roles of increasing responsibility, including Vice President, Head of Sales, Marketing & Commercial Operations. He is the Chairman and CEO of Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals, a privately-held biotechnology company.
"In recent years, I have gotten to know the BioCryst team, and we share a passion for developing and commercializing novel treatments for rare diseases. With results from two clinical trials for the prevention of hereditary angioedema attacks expected in 2015, it is an exciting time to join the BioCryst Board of Directors," said Mr. Sanj Patel. "I look forward to working with the Board and the BioCryst Leadership Team as the Company advances toward commercialization of oral treatments for rare disease."
About BioCryst Pharmaceuticals
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals designs, optimizes and develops novel small molecule drugs that block key enzymes involved in rare diseases. BioCryst's ongoing development programs include oral plasma kallikrein inhibitors for hereditary angioedema; Avoralstat, BCX7353 and other second generation compounds, and BCX4430, a broad spectrum viral RNA polymerase inhibitor. For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.BioCryst.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding future results and achievements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Please refer to the documents BioCryst files periodically with the SEC and located at http://investor.shareholder.com/biocryst/sec.cfm.
BCRXW
CONTACT: Robert Bennett
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals
+1-919-859-7910
(investors & media)