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 18, 2017
NEKTAR THERAPEUTICS
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
| Delaware | 0-24006 | 94-3134940 | ||
|
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation) |
(Commission File Number) |
(IRS Employer Identification No.) |
455 Mission Bay Boulevard South
San Francisco, California 94158
(Address of Principal Executive Offices and Zip Code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (415) 482-5300
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)) |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company o
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
Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers
(d) On September 18, 2017, Jeff Ajer was appointed to the board of directors of Nektar Therapeutics, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), as a Class II Director whose initial term will end at our 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Our board has determined that Mr. Ajer is an independent director as that term is defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. The board has not yet determined on which board committees Mr. Ajer will serve.
Mr. Ajer, age 55, currently serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc., a global biotechnology company that develops and commercializes innovative therapies for people with serious and life-threatening rare disorders. From October 2012 to January 2014, Mr. Ajer served as Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ: BMRN) (“BioMarin”). From April 2009 to October 2012, Mr. Ajer served as BioMarin’s Vice President, Commercial Operations, The Americas, where he had responsibility for commercial operations throughout the Americas and led product marketing, reimbursement, and sales operations for BioMarin. Prior to joining BioMarin, Mr. Ajer served in various roles at Genzyme Corporation (“Genzyme”) beginning in November 2003, most recently as Vice President, Global Transplant Operations from December 2004 to August 2005. Mr. Ajer’s experience prior to Genzyme includes roles in sales, marketing and operations at SangStat Medical Corporation and ICN Pharmaceuticals. Mr. Ajer received both a B.S. in chemistry and an M.B.A. from the University of California, Irvine.
There are no arrangements or understandings between Mr. Ajer and any other persons pursuant to which he was selected as a director of the Company. There are no current or proposed transactions between the Company and Mr. Ajer or his immediate family members that would require disclosure under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Mr. Ajer will participate in the Company’s Amended and Restated Compensation Plan for Non-Employee Directors (the “Plan”), previously filed on March 1, 2016, with the Securities and Exchange Commission as Exhibit 10.7 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015. Our non-employee directors are eligible to participate in the Plan.
Item 7.01. Regulation FD Disclosure
On September 21, 2017, the Company issued a press release announcing the appointment of Mr. Ajer to the board of directors, a copy of which is furnished herewith as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report. The information in this Item 7.01, including Exhibit 99.1, is being furnished and shall not be deemed filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liability of that section, nor shall such information be deemed to be incorporated by reference in any registration statement or other document filed under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as otherwise stated in such filing.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits
(d) Exhibits:
|
Exhibit No. |
Description | |
| 99.1 | Press release issued by Nektar Therapeutics on September 21, 2017 titled “Nektar Therapeutics Appoints Biotechnology Executive Jeff Ajer as New Board Member.” | |
SIGNATURES
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 thereunto duly authorized.
| Nektar Therapeutics | ||
| Date: September 21, 2017 | By: | /s/ Mark A. Wilson |
| Mark A. Wilson | ||
| General Counsel and Secretary | ||
EXHIBIT INDEX
|
Exhibit No. |
Description | |
| 99.1 | Press release issued by Nektar Therapeutics on September 21, 2017 titled “Nektar Therapeutics Appoints Biotechnology Executive Jeff Ajer as New Board Member.” | |
Exhibit 99.1
Nektar Therapeutics Appoints Biotechnology Executive Jeff Ajer as New Board Member
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Nektar Therapeutics (Nasdaq: NKTR) today announced that Jeff Ajer, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of BioMarin, has been appointed as an independent director to Nektar's Board of Directors. Mr. Ajer has more than 25 years of biotechnology industry experience within rare disease and specialty medicine.
"We are extremely pleased to welcome Jeff Ajer as a new Board member," said Howard W. Robin, President and CEO of Nektar Therapeutics. "Jeff's extensive leadership experience within rapidly growing biotechnology companies is a great addition to our Board as we continue to build Nektar's wholly-owned pipeline of innovative drug candidates. This appointment adds to the existing expertise of our highly-respected Board members as they guide Nektar toward continued growth and success."
Mr. Ajer has more than 25 years of experience driving commercial operations within rare diseases and specialty medicines. Mr. Ajer has been integral in establishing BioMarin's global footprint and commercial infrastructure and has played a leadership role in the launches and growth strategies for BioMarin's commercial brands including Brineura™, Vimizim®, Kuvan® and Naglazyme®.
Since joining BioMarin in 2005, he has held roles of increasing responsibility including Vice President, Commercial Operations, The Americas; Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer; and Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer.
"I am honored to join Nektar's Board during an exciting time in the Company's evolution and growth," said Mr. Ajer. "Over the course of my career, I have had the great pleasure of shaping the growth strategies for various commercial brands across a variety of disease states, and I look forward to leveraging these experiences for Nektar as a new Board member."
Prior to BioMarin, Mr. Ajer served as Vice President, Global Transplant Operations at Genzyme Corporation. His experience prior to Genzyme includes roles in sales, marketing and operations at SangStat Medical Corporation and ICN Pharmaceuticals. Mr. Ajer received both a B.S. in chemistry and a M.B.A. from the University of California, Irvine.
About Nektar
Nektar Therapeutics is a research-based development stage biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover and develop innovative medicines to address the unmet medical needs of patients. Our R&D pipeline of new investigational medicines includes treatments for cancer, auto-immune disease and chronic pain. We leverage Nektar's proprietary and proven chemistry platform in the discovery and design of our new therapeutic candidates. Nektar is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with additional operations in Huntsville, Alabama and Hyderabad, India. Further information about the company and its drug development programs and capabilities may be found online at http://www.nektar.com.
Contact:
For
Investors:
Jennifer Ruddock of Nektar Therapeutics
415-482-5585
Jodi
Sievers of Nektar Therapeutics
415-482-5593
For
Media:
Jennifer Paganelli
347-658-8290
jpaganelli@purecommunications.com