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 12, 2007
NEKTAR
THERAPEUTICS
(Exact
name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
|
Delaware
(State
or other jurisdiction
of
incorporation)
|
0-24006
(Commission
File
Number)
|
94-3134940
(IRS
Employer
Identification
No.)
|
201
Industrial Road
San
Carlos, California 94070
(Address
of principal executive offices and Zip Code)
Registrant’s
telephone number, including area code: (650) 631-3100
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:
o Written
communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR
230.425)
o
Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the
Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
o
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule
14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
o
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 18, 2007, the company announced that David Johnston, Ph.D., Senior
Vice President of Research and Development, will be leaving the company in
connection with the creation of New PEGylation and Pulmonary Research Units
effective on September 12, 2007. The company expects to enter into a transition
and
separation agreement with Mr. Johnston, the terms of which have not yet
been finalized.
Item
7.01. Regulation FD Disclosure.
On
September 18, 2007, the company announced via press release certain
organizational changes. The company hereby incorporates by reference into this
Item 7.01 the information set forth in such press release, a copy of which
is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report. Pursuant to the rules
and regulations of the SEC, such exhibit and the information set forth therein
and herein are deemed to be furnished and shall not be deemed to be “filed”
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
Item 9.01
Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d)
Exhibits:
|
Exhibit No.
|
|
Description
|
|
99.1
|
|
Press
release titled “Nektar Therapeutics Creates New PEGylation and Pulmonary
Research Units to Drive Innovative Technology-Based Product Pipeline,”
issued on September 18, 2007.
|
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirement of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has
duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto
duly authorized.
|
By:
|
/s/
Gil M. Labrucherie
|
|
|
Gil
M. Labrucherie
General
Counsel and Secretary
|
||
|
Date:
|
September
18, 2007
|
Nektar
Therapeutics Creates New PEGylation and Pulmonary
Research
Units to Drive Innovative Technology-Based Product
Pipeline
San
Carlos, Calif., September 18, 2007 -- Nektar Therapeutics (Nasdaq:NKTR)
announced today that it has created two new Research Units to drive the
company's research initiatives under Nektar's PEGylation and Pulmonary Business
Unit Heads. The new structure aligns Nektar's research activities with its
strategic business objectives, and will allow for better decision-making and
portfolio prioritization. The company has also appointed two Vice Presidents
to
head its new Research Units.
Tim
Riley, Ph.D., is being promoted to serve as Vice President of the PEGylation
Research Unit reporting to Hoyoung Huh, M.D., Ph.D., Nektar's Chief Operating
Officer and Head of Nektar's PEGylation Business Unit. Riley will head research
activities for all product candidates using Nektar's proprietary PEGylation
technology platform, including Nektar PEG small molecule products in the areas
of oncology and CNS/pain.
John
"Jay" M. Sisco, Ph.D., is being promoted to serve as Vice President of the
Pulmonary Research Unit reporting to Nevan Elam, Senior Vice President and
Head
of Nektar's Pulmonary Business Unit. In his new role, Sisco will lead the
company's research activities for all product candidates that leverage Nektar's
proprietary Pulmonary technology platform, including the company's inhaled
antibiotic programs.
"We
continue to implement change at Nektar that emphasizes strong management and
efficient decision-making," said Howard W. Robin, Nektar President and Chief
Executive Officer. "The new PEGylation and Pulmonary Research Units will allow
us to focus our research initiatives, and strengthen our ability to bring
high-value product candidates into the clinic. Both Tim and Jay bring deep
backgrounds in pharmaceutical research, as well as strong leadership skills,
to
their new roles."
As
part
of the organizational change, the company also announced that David Johnston,
Ph.D., Nektar's former Senior Vice President of Research and Development, will
be leaving the company to pursue other interests.
"I
would
like to thank David for his contribution to advancing Nektar's partnered and
proprietary pipelines over the last three years," Robin said. "We wish him
success in the future."
Tim
Riley
is an accomplished scientist with diverse experience in drug discovery,
intellectual property development, medicinal chemistry and process scale-up.
He
has played a key role in Nektar's PEGylation programs and intellectual property
portfolio. Riley also has expertise in nucleotide technology and oligonucleotide
chemistry related to siRNA. Prior to joining Nektar, he held leadership roles
with a variety of companies including Chimerix Inc., Oasis Biosciences
(co-founder), Genta Incorporated, JBL Scientific, Inc. (now Promega
Biosciences), and ICN Pharmaceuticals (now Valeant). Riley holds a Ph.D. in
Organic Chemistry from Brigham Young University.
Jay
Sisco
is a respected expert in pharmaceutical research and development, manufacturing
and intellectual property creation. Sisco brings to Nektar strong pharmaceutical
experience including leadership and research roles with Pfizer Global Research
and Development, Oread/CytRx Corporation, GLAXO Research Institute, Boehringer
Ingelheim and Schering-Plough. He is a former President of the American
Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists and continues to serve in a leadership
role with the Association. He holds a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from
the
University of Kansas.
About
Nektar
Nektar
Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company with a mission to develop and enable
differentiated therapeutics with its industry-leading pulmonary and PEGylation
technology platforms. Nektar pulmonary and PEGylation technology, expertise,
manufacturing capabilities and know-how have enabled nine approved products
for
partners, which include the world's leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology
companies. Nektar also develops its own products by applying its pulmonary
and
PEGylation technology platforms to existing medicines with the objective to
enhance performance, such as improving efficacy, safety and compliance.
This
press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect the company's
current views and expectations regarding the potential impact of organizational
changes on the company's business. These forward-looking statements involve
risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to, the company's ability
to
effectively capitalize on the organizational changes to realize anticipated
business efficiencies. Other important risks and uncertainties are detailed
in
the company's reports and other filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission; including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q. Actual results could differ materially from the
forward-looking statements contained in this press release. The company
undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements, whether as a
result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Contacts:
Tim
Warner (650) 283-4915 or twarner@nektar.com; Stephan Herrera (415) 488-7699
or
sherrera@nektar.com; Jennifer Ruddock (650) 631-4954 or
jruddock@nektar.com
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