UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 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): July 30, 2014
Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 001-14895 | 93-0797222 | ||
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) |
(Commission File Number) |
(IRS Employer Identification No.) |
215 First Street
Suite 415
Cambridge, MA 02142
(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)
(617) 274-4000
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
(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 (see General Instruction A.2. below):
| ¨ | 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 8.01 | Other Events |
On July 30, 2014, William Goolsbee resigned as Chairman of the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”). The Board accepted Mr. Goolsbee’s resignation and appointed one of its existing directors, John C. Hodgman, as Interim Chairman of the Board effective July 30, 2014. Mr. Goolsbee will remain as a director on the Board of the Company and his membership on Board committees is unchanged. A press release relating to the resignation of Mr. Gooblsee as Chairman of the Board and the appointment of Mr. Hodgman as Interim Chairman is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.
| Item 9.01 | Financial Statements and Exhibits. |
(d) Exhibits.
| Exhibit |
Description | |
| 99.1 | Press release dated July 31, 2014. | |
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.
| Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc. | ||
| By: |
/s/ Christopher Garabedian | |
| Christopher Garabedian President and Chief Executive Officer | ||
Date: July 31, 2014
Exhibit 99.1
Sarepta Therapeutics Announces Appointment of John Hodgman As Interim Chairman
- Board of Directors Emphasizes its Full Support of CEO Chris Garabedian –
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.—July 31, 2014 – Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: SRPT), a developer of innovative RNA-based therapeutics, announced today that John Hodgman, a member of Sarepta’s board of directors, has been named interim chairman, effective July 30, 2014. William Goolsbee, chairman of the company’s board of directors, has resigned as chairman and will continue to serve on the Sarepta board as an independent director. The company’s board of directors also announced that it fully supports Sarepta president and chief executive officer Chris Garabedian to lead the company as it advances its lead program eteplirsen for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
“John brings a wealth of operational expertise to his role as interim chairman of Sarepta, drawing upon his experience as chief financial officer of Intermune and many years of serving in senior leadership positions, including as Chairman and CEO of public companies, within the industry,” said Chris Garabedian, president and chief executive officer of Sarepta Therapeutics. “John will be a great asset to Sarepta as we prepare for the submission of a New Drug Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for eteplirsen for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy and its potential launch to the patients and families in need of new treatment options.”
“The company’s primary goal is the submission of the eteplirsen New Drug Application by the end of this year. We have full confidence in Chris Garabedian to continue to provide strategic and operational leadership, including driving Sarepta’s clinical trial strategy as well as management of our interactions with the FDA,” commented Mr. Hodgman. “I’m pleased to serve as interim chairman and provide guidance to the Sarepta team during the critical months ahead. I would like to thank Bill for his leadership and contributions to the company’s significant growth and accomplishments throughout the past several years.”
About Sarepta Therapeutics
Sarepta Therapeutics is focused on developing first-in-class RNA-based therapeutics to improve and save the lives of people affected by serious and life-threatening rare and infectious diseases. The Company’s diverse pipeline includes its lead program eteplirsen, for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, as well as potential treatments for some of the world’s most lethal infectious diseases. Sarepta aims to build a leading, independent biotech company dedicated to translating its RNA-based science into transformational therapeutics for patients who face significant unmet medical needs. For more information, please visit us at www.sarepta.com.
Forward-Looking Statements and Information
This press release contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of words such as “believes or belief,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “expects,” “will,” “intends,” “potential,” “possible,” “advance” and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements include statements about the benefits of appointing John C. Hodgman as Interim Chairman of the Board; the scope of Mr. Garabedian’s ongoing responsibilities and the Company’s plans to file an NDA by end of year.
Each forward-looking statement contained in this press release is subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statement. Applicable risks
and uncertainties include, among others: the Company and its leadership may not be able to execute their business plans for a variety of reasons, including regulatory and administrative decisions and the Company may not be able to file a New Drug Application for Eteplirsen by end of year for a variety of reasons including that Company may not be able to comply with all FDA requests and the results of the Company’s ongoing Phase IIb study may not be consistent with past study results; and those risks identified under the heading “Risk Factors” in Sarepta’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2014, and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and Sarepta’s other filings with the SEC.
Any of the foregoing risks could materially and adversely affect Sarepta’s business, results of operations and the trading price of Sarepta’s common stock. For a detailed description of risks and uncertainties Sarepta faces, you are encouraged to review the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We caution investors not to place considerable reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this presentation. Sarepta does not undertake any obligation to publicly update its forward-looking statements based on events or circumstances after the date hereof.
Sarepta Investor Contact:
Stephanie Ascher, 212-362-1200
stephanie@sternir.com
or
Sarepta Media Contact:
Tony Plohoros, 908-591-2839
tplohoros@6degreespr.com