SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
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FORM 8-K
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CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): July 12, 2001
ATHEROGENICS, INC.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
Georgia 0-31261 58-210832
(State or Other (Commission (IRS Employer
Jurisdiction File Number) Identification No.)
of Incorporation)
8995 Westside Parkway
Alpharetta, GA 30004
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code (678) 336-2500
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Item 5. Other Events
On July 12, 2001, AtheroGenics, Inc. issued the following
press release:
ATHEROGENICS ENRICHES DRUG DISCOVERY PIPELINE
WITH ACQUISITION OF NEW TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM
Renowned Scientists in the Field of Inflammation to Collaborate
in Drug Discovery
ATLANTA, Georgia, July 12, 2001 -- AtheroGenics, Inc. (Nasdaq:
AGIX), an emerging pharmaceutical company focused on the
treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases, today announced that
it has entered into an exclusive license agreement with National
Jewish Medical and Research Center (National Jewish) of Denver,
Colo. to discover and develop novel therapeutics based on MEK
kinases (MEKKs) and related technology for the treatment of
inflammation. Other licensed technology focuses on naturally
occurring substances including interleukins and peptide
neurotransmitters and their application as a potential treatment
for asthma. AtheroGenics is adding these technologies to the
Company's already robust v-protectant platform to expand its
research and development pipeline targeting diseases
characterized by chronic inflammation.
Concurrently, AtheroGenics has named Erwin W. Gelfand, M.D.,
Chairman, Department of Pediatrics at National Jewish, and Gary
L. Johnson, Ph.D., Professor of Pharmacology at the University of
Colorado Health Sciences Center, to the Company's Scientific
Advisory Board. These principal inventors of the licensed
technology will play active roles in the exploitation of this
intellectual property.
"The National Jewish suite of patents and related technology
complement our v-protectant technology pipeline and strengthen
our portfolio of programs focused on critical medical solutions
for diseases of chronic inflammation, including asthma and
rheumatoid arthritis," said Russell M. Medford, M.D., Ph.D.,
President and Chief Executive Officer of AtheroGenics. "We now
have a second broad platform for the discovery and development of
a new class of anti-inflammatory drugs and our discovery group is
delighted to be working with world-renowned scientists, Drs.
Gelfand and Johnson."
"National Jewish selected AtheroGenics as an ideal partner in
this collaboration based on the Company's proven ability to
design and execute research and development programs that rapidly
translate cutting edge scientific discoveries into novel drug
candidates, which could significantly improve a patients' quality
of life," said James Crapo, M.D., Executive Vice President for
Academic Affairs at National Jewish. "In addition, the Company's
expertise in the regulation of intracellular signaling pathways,
as evidenced by the current progress of lead candidate, AGI-1067,
is extremely synergistic with the underlying MEKK technology."
Dr. Gelfand, also Professor of Pediatrics and Immunology and Vice
Chairman of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado Health
Sciences Center, is a member of the American Academy of Allergy,
Asthma and Immunology, the American Association of Immunologists,
the Clinical Immunology Society, the Society for Pediatric
Research, the American Academy for the Advancement of Science and
the American Society for Clinical Investigation. Widely
published, Dr. Gelfand is an Associate Editor of the American
Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology, the Journal of
Allergy and Clinical Immunology and International Archives of
Allergy and Immunology. He received his medical degree from
McGill University in Montreal, Quebec.
Dr. Johnson's research has been published in prominent journals
such as Current Opinions in Cell Biology, the Journal of
Biological Chemistry, the Journal of Virology, Cell Science,
Molecular and Cellular Biology and Cell Immunology. He is a
member of the American Cancer Society, the American Heart
Association, the American Society for Pharmacology and
Experimental Therapeutics and the American Society of
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He holds a doctorate in
pharmacology from the University of Colorado Health Sciences
Center.
About AtheroGenics
AtheroGenics is focused on the discovery, development and
commercialization of novel drugs for the treatment of chronic
inflammatory diseases such as heart disease (atherosclerosis),
rheumatoid arthritis and asthma. In May, the Company announced
results from its Phase II clinical study with its lead compound,
AGI-1067, a novel oral agent being developed in collaboration
with Schering-Plough Corporation for the treatment of post-
angioplasty restenosis. The Company recently commenced a Phase I
clinical study with AGIX-4207, AtheroGenics' second v-protectant
clinical candidate, a novel oral agent being developed for the
treatment of the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. For
more information about AtheroGenics, please visit
www.atherogenics.com.
About National Jewish Medical and Research Center
Recognized by U.S. News and World Report as the No. 1 respiratory
hospital in the United States for the third straight year,
National Jewish is the only medical and research center in the
United States devoted entirely to respiratory, allergic and
immune system diseases, including asthma, tuberculosis,
emphysema, severe allergies, AIDS, cancer and autoimmune
diseases, such as lupus. Founded in 1899 as a nonsectarian,
nonprofit hospital for tuberculosis (TB) patients, National
Jewish enters the 21st century dedicated to enhancing prevention,
treatment and cures through research, and developing and
providing innovative clinical programs.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements made
pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are subject to
certain factors, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual
results, events and performance to differ materially from those
referred to in such statements. These risks include statements
which address operating performance, events or developments that
we expect or anticipate will occur in the future, such as
projections about our future results of operations or our
financial condition, our collaborative efforts with Schering-
Plough Corporation, the development of our product candidates,
anticipated trends in our business, and other risks that could
cause actual results to differ materially. These risks are
discussed in AtheroGenics Securities and Exchange Commission
filings, including the Company's registration statements on Form
S-1, Registration Nos. 333-31140 and 333-64228, filed with the
SEC, and including but not limited to the risks discussed in
AtheroGenics' Form 10-K for fiscal 2000, and our most recent
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31,
2001, all of which are incorporated by reference into this press
release. These documents may also be examined at public
reference facilities maintained by the SEC or, to the extent
filed via EDGAR, accessed through the SEC's web site
(http://www.sec.gov).
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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, hereunto duly authorized.
ATHEROGENICS, INC.
Date: July 13, 2001 By: /s/MARK P. COLONNESE
MARK P. COLONNESE
Vice President of Finance and
Administration and Chief
Financial Officer