UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
FORM 6-K
REPORT
OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER
PURSUANT
TO RULE 13A-16 OR 15D-16 UNDER THE
SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Dated
February
8, 2018
Commission
File Number 001-36421
AURINIA PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
(Exact
name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
N/A
(Translation of Registrant’s Name)
#1203-4464 Markham Street
Victoria, British Columbia
V8Z7X8
(250)
708-4272
(Address and telephone number of registrant’s
principal executive offices)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form 20-F ⃞ Form 40-F ⊠
Indicate by
check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as
permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1): ⃞
Indicate by
check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as
permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7): ⃞
Indicate by check mark whether by furnishing the information contained in this Form, the registrant is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Yes ⃞ No ⊠
If “Yes” is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): Not applicable.
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.
|
Dated: |
February 8, 2018 |
|||
|
Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc. |
||||
|
|
||||
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Celia Economides |
|
|
|
Name: |
Celia Economides |
||
|
|
|
Title: |
VP, Corporate & Public Affairs |
|
EXHIBIT INDEX
|
Exhibit |
Description of Exhibit |
|
3
Exhibit 99.1
Aurinia Enhances Commercial and Business Development Expertise with the Appointment of Joseph P. Hagan to its Board of Directors
VICTORIA, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--February 8, 2018--Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:AUPH / TSX:AUP) (“Aurinia” or the “Company”), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the global immunology market, today announced the appointment of Joseph P. “Jay” Hagan. to its board of directors. Mr. Hagan is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of Regulus Therapeutics.
“Jay brings a wealth of business development and commercial experience to our Board,” said Richard M. Glickman, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Aurinia. “He has made significant contributions to the biotechnology industry during his career, and his strategic expertise will prove extremely valuable in the board room.”
Mr. Hagan joined Regulus in January 2016 as Chief Operating Officer, Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer and was appointed to President and Chief Executive Officer in May 2017. Mr. Hagan’s career includes roles as the Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Business Officer of Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc., Managing Director of Amgen Ventures and head of corporate development for Amgen Inc. Mr. Hagan has led numerous strategic and financing transactions including the acquisitions of Immunex and Tularik and the spinout of Novantrone and Relyspa, as well as many other business development efforts totaling over $15 billion in value. Before joining Amgen, Mr. Hagan spent five years in the bioengineering labs at Genzyme and Advanced Tissue Sciences. Mr. Hagan currently serves on the board of directors of Zosano Pharma, a publicly traded biotechnology company. He received an M.B.A. from Northeastern University and a B.S. in Physiology and Neuroscience from the University of California, San Diego.
"Aurinia’s commitment to addressing the significant unmet medical need in lupus nephritis with the promising results in Phase II clinical studies of voclosporin is highly encouraging for patients suffering from this debilitating disease,” added Jay Hagan. “I look forward to working together with the other board directors alongside this exceptional management team as we pursue a successful future for the company.”
About Aurinia
Aurinia is a clinical stage
biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing
therapies to treat targeted patient populations that are suffering from
serious diseases with a high unmet medical need. The company is
currently developing voclosporin, an investigational drug, for the
treatment of LN, FSGS, MCD and DES. The company is headquartered in
Victoria, BC and focuses its development efforts globally. For further
information, see our website at www.auriniapharma.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains
forward-looking statements, including statements related to
voclosporin’s promising results in Phase II clinical studies , Aurinia’s
corporate strategy and Mr. Hagan’s expected impact on Aurinia’s
progress. It is possible that such results or conclusions may change
based on further analyses of these data. Words such as "plans,"
"intends," “may,” "will," "believe," and similar expressions are
intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking
statements are based upon Aurinia’s current expectations.
Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Aurinia’s
actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from
those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of
these risks and uncertainties, which include, without limitation, the
risk that Aurinia’s analyses, assessment and conclusions of the results
of its clinical studies may change based on further analyses, the risk
that Aurinia will not successfully complete its clinical programs and
the risk that Aurinia’s clinical studies for voclosporin may not lead to
regulatory approval. These and other risk factors are discussed under
"Risk Factors" and elsewhere in Aurinia’s Annual Information Form for
the year ended December 31, 2016 filed with Canadian securities
authorities and available at www.sedar.com and on Form 40-F with
the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission and available at www.sec.gov,
each as updated by subsequent filings, including filings on Form 6-K.
Aurinia expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release
publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements
contained herein to reflect any change in Aurinia's expectations with
regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on
which any such statements are based, except as required by law.
We seek safe harbor.
CONTACT:
Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Investor:
Celia
Economides
VP, Corporate & Public Affairs
IR@auriniapharma.com
or
Media:
Christopher
Hippolyte, 212-364-0458
Christopher.hippolyte@inventivhealth.com