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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 and Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): April 19, 2006
REGENERON PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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New York
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000-19034
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133444607 |
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(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation)
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(Commission File Number)
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(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number) |
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777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York
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10591-6707 |
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(Address of principal executive offices)
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(Zip Code) |
(914) 347-7000
(Registrants telephone number, including area code)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy
the filing obligation of 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))
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Item 8.01 Other Events
On April 19, 2006, the Company issued a press release announcing that it has
completed enrollment of a pivotal trial in its phase 3 program for the treatment of
CIAS1-Associated Periodic Syndrome (CAPS), a spectrum of very rare genetic
disorders.
The press release includes a reference to Amgens interleukin-1 receptor antagonist
and describes it as an antibody instead of a recombinant form of a naturally
occurring IL-1 receptor antagonist. A corrected version of the press release is
included as Exhibit 99(a) to this Current Report on Form 8-K.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits
(c) Exhibits
99(a) Press Release of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. dated April 19, 2006.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has
duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
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REGENERON PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
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Dated: April 19, 2006 |
By: |
/s/ Stuart Kolinski
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Stuart Kolinski |
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Vice President and General Counsel |
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Exhibit Index
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Description |
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99(a)
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Press Release of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. dated April 19, 2006. |
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exv99wa
Exhibit 99(a)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
REGENERON COMPLETES ENROLLMENT FOR IL-1 TRAP
PHASE 3 TRIAL IN AUTOINFLAMMATORY DISEASE
Efficacy Phase of Trial on Target for Completion in 2006
Tarrytown, NY (April 19, 2006) Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
(Nasdaq: REGN) announced today that it has completed enrollment for a
pivotal trial in its phase 3 program for the treatment of
CIAS1-Associated Periodic Syndrome (CAPS), a spectrum of very rare
genetic disorders. This orphan drug program is assessing the
efficacy and safety of the Interleukin-1 (IL-1) Trap in adult
patients with these autoinflammatory diseases. The efficacy phase of
this trial is expected to be completed by the end of 2006.
Were very pleased by the enthusiastic response from physicians and
patients who are participating in this clinical trial, noted George
Yancopoulos, Regenerons Executive Vice President, Chief Scientific
Officer, and President, Regeneron Research Laboratories. Treatment
with the IL-1 Trap in the phase 2 study led to immediate and
sustained improvements in CAPS patients as assessed by both clinical
and laboratory measurements. We are hoping the encouraging results
we saw in the phase 2 study will be replicated in this larger trial.
The information we derive from this trial will be critical to
evaluating the IL-1 Trap in other serious inflammatory conditions in
which IL-1 may be a key factor.
Objectives and Study Design
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The pivotal trial is designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of
the IL-1 Trap, a long-acting IL-1 inhibitor, in adult patients with
CAPS, a spectrum of rare diseases characterized by spontaneous
systemic inflammation. The trial will include a six-month,
placebo-controlled efficacy phase and be followed by a six-month,
open label extension phase, which will help to characterize the
safety of the IL-1 Trap.
CAPS is a family of rare autoinflammatory diseases. The CAPS
syndromes included in our program include patients with Familial Cold
Autoinflammatory Syndrome (FCAS) and Muckle Wells Syndrome (MWS).
CAPS is caused by mutations in the CIAS1 gene and is associated with
elevated levels of IL-1. CAPS patients suffer from fever, rash,
chills, arthralgia, myalgia, and fatigue. In 2005, we reported
positive preliminary results for four patients with CAPS in an
on-going phase 2 study being conducted with the National Institutes
of Health, testing once weekly dosing of the IL-1 Trap. These
patients had an immediate, significant response to treatment with the
IL-1 Trap and have been able to maintain their response to treatment
in the extension phase of the trial. There are currently no approved
therapies for CAPS.
About the IL-1 Trap
IL-1 is a soluble protein secreted by certain cells in the body. In
many cases, IL-1 acts as a messenger to help regulate immune and
inflammatory responses by attaching to cell-surface receptors in
cells that participate in the bodys immune system. In excess, it
can be harmful and has been linked to a variety of inflammatory
diseases. Blocking IL-1 is a proven therapeutic approach in
rheumatoid arthritis, as shown by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) approval for that indication of Amgens
Kineret®, which is a recombinant form of a naturally
occurring IL-1 receptor antagonist that must be given by daily
injection. IL-1
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represents an important target for pharmaceutical development in other inflammatory conditions.
The IL-1 Trap is designed to attach to and neutralize IL-1 in the
blood stream before it can attach to cell-surface receptors and
generate signals that can trigger disease in body tissue. Once
attached to the Trap, IL-1 cannot bind to the cell surface receptors
and, together with the Trap, is eliminated from the body. The IL-1
Trap has a long duration in the blood stream and can be delivered by
weekly injection. The FDA has granted orphan drug designation for
the IL-1 Trap for the treatment of CIAS1-Associated Periodic Syndrome
(CAPS).
About Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
Regeneron is a biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops,
and intends to commercialize therapeutic medicines for the treatment
of serious medical conditions. Regeneron has therapeutic candidates
in clinical trials for the potential treatment of cancer, eye
diseases, and inflammatory diseases, and has preclinical programs in
other diseases and disorders.
This news release discusses historical information and includes
forward-looking statements about Regeneron and its products,
programs, finances, and business, all of which involve a number of
risks and uncertainties, such as risks associated with preclinical
and clinical development of our drug candidates, determinations by
regulatory and administrative governmental authorities which delay or
restrict our ability to continue to develop or commercialize our drug
candidates, competing drugs that are superior to our product
candidates, unanticipated expenses, the availability and cost of
capital, the costs of developing, producing, and selling products,
the potential for any collaboration agreement, including our
agreement with the sanofi-aventis Group, to be canceled or to
terminate without any product success, risks associated with third
party intellectual property, and other material risks. A more
complete description of these and other material risks can be found
in Regenerons filings with the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC), including its Form 10-K for the year ended December
31, 2005. Regeneron does not undertake any obligation to update
publicly any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new
information, future events, or otherwise unless required by law.
This news release includes certain financial measures that are
calculated in a manner different from generally accepted accounting
principles (GAAP) and are considered non-GAAP financial measures
under SEC rules. Non-GAAP financial measures for the year ended
December 31, 2005 included in this news release are: (1)
pro forma net loss and pro forma net loss per share (basic and
diluted), exclusive of Stock Option Expense
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and (2) research and development expenses, general and administrative expenses, and
contract manufacturing expenses, all exclusive of Stock Option
Expense. As required, we have provided reconciliations of non-GAAP
amounts to GAAP amounts in tables shown above. Additional required
information is located in the Form 8-K filed with the SEC in
connection with this news release.
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Contacts: |
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Investors:
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Media: |
Charles Poole
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Lauren Tortorete |
914.345.7640
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212.845.5609 |
charles.poole@regeneron.com
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ltortorete@biosector2.com |
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