-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE----- Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov Originator-Key-Asymmetric: MFgwCgYEVQgBAQICAf8DSgAwRwJAW2sNKK9AVtBzYZmr6aGjlWyK3XmZv3dTINen TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA, S+4Kd6rN4zWCBAu1yTfh3Y+2Cq7T9W9kgTt06x9s8lp4IBHuJmq8aXXwqzTo3k2x J29TLTbo/fj/dH8l3VJ0mQ== 0000950127-02-001258.txt : 20021220 0000950127-02-001258.hdr.sgml : 20021220 20021220113452 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0000950127-02-001258 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: 8-K PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 2 CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT: 20021220 ITEM INFORMATION: Other events ITEM INFORMATION: Financial statements and exhibits FILED AS OF DATE: 20021220 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: APHTON CORP CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000840319 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS (NO DIAGNOSTIC SUBSTANCES) [2836] IRS NUMBER: 953640931 STATE OF INCORPORATION: DE FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: 8-K SEC ACT: 1934 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 000-19122 FILM NUMBER: 02864136 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: PO BOX 1049 STREET 2: STE 51-507 CITY: WOODLAND STATE: CA ZIP: 95776 BUSINESS PHONE: 5306616077 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: PO BOX 1049 STREET 2: STE 51-507 CITY: WOODLAND STATE: CA ZIP: 95776 8-K 1 form8k.txt FORM 8-K-CURRENT REPORT 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): December 19, 2002 Aphton Corporation - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) Delaware 0-19122 95-3640931 - -------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------- (State or Other (Commission (I.R.S. Employer Jurisdiction of File Number) Identification Incorporation) Number) 80 SW Eighth Street, Suite 2160, Miami, Florida 33130 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Address of principal executive offices) (zip code) (305) 374-7338 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Registrant's telephone number, including area code) - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Former name or former address, if changed since last report) ITEM 5. OTHER EVENTS. On December 19, 2002, Aphton Corporation (the "Company") announced that it received official notice from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), the regulatory authority in Australia equivalent to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, granting its anti-gastrin G17DT Immunogen Orphan-Drug status for treatment of both gastric (stomach) cancer and pancreatic cancer. Unlike in the United States, the Australian orphan-drug designation automatically confers priority evaluation for the drug ahead of other evaluations. It is estimated that there are approximately 570,000 patients with gastric cancer in the US, Europe and Japan, alone. The prognosis for the overwhelming majority of these patients is very poor. Patients diagnosed with metastatic disease have five-year survival rates of only about three percent. Surgery and chemotherapy are the primary treatment options currently, but have shown only very limited benefit. Aphton believes that its anti-gastrin targeted immunotherapy approach has the potential to extend patient survival significantly, without adding toxicity. It is estimated that approximately 88,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer will be diagnosed in the US and Europe this year. The prognosis for most of these patients is very poor. The great majority of patients have advanced disease at the time of diagnosis and are considered incurable, with a very short survival time. Surgery, when possible, and chemotherapy are the primary treatment options currently available, but have shown only very limited benefit. Aphton believes that its anti-gastrin targeted immunotherapy approach has the potential to extend patient survival significantly, without adding toxicity. Aphton is conducting one Phase III and three Phase II clinical trials. Aphton's anti-gastrin targeted therapy induces antibodies in patients that bind to both gastrin 17 and gly-gastrin and remove them from circulation before they can bind to the cancer cell and initiate cell growth. (Aphton believes this is the optimum method for achieving "growth factor inhibition.") Gastrin 17 and gly-gastrin are believed to be central growth factors, or the initiating signals, for cell growth, cell proliferation and metastasis (spread) in gastric, i.e. stomach, pancreatic, esophageal, colorectal and other gastrointestinal (GI) system cancers. This signaling program is accomplished by gastrin binding to the large numbers of gastrin receptors which appear, de novo, in the great majority of cases, on tumor cell surfaces throughout the gastrointestinal system. Interrupting this process by immunizing the patient with Aphton's anti-gastrin immunogen is a precisely "targeted" immunotherapy. This specificity of targeting only cancer cells occurs because gastrin is not normally secreted and gastrin receptors are not normally found on "healthy" cells in the GI system, unless they are malignant, or on the path to malignancy (except for cells involved with normal acid secretion). Recent findings have shown that inhibiting gastrin not only inhibits cell growth, proliferation and metastasis directly, but also "unblocks" a central pathway leading to cell-suicide (apoptosis). This tilts the balance, from cell growth, to cell suicide. This effect is amplified synergistically when Aphton's drug is given together with a chemotherapeutic. Gastrin also stimulates the secretion and expression of other important growth factors and receptors within and on the surfaces of the cancer cells involved in tumor growth. Hence, inhibiting gastrin inhibits all of the foregoing factors contributing to tumor growth and spread, while simultaneously opening a central pathway to cell suicide. Aphton's anti-gastrin targeted therapy adds a biological dimension to the treatment of gastrointestinal cancers. Aphton Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company developing products using its innovative targeted immunotherapy technology for neutralizing hormones that participate in gastrointestinal system and reproductive system cancer and non-cancer diseases; and the prevention of pregnancy. Aphton has strategic alliances with Aventis (NYSE: AVE) for treating gastrointestinal system and other cancers with G17DT in North America and Europe; GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) for reproductive system cancer and non-cancer diseases worldwide; and others. ITEM 7. EXHIBITS. (c) Exhibits. 99.1 Text of Press Release of the Company dated December 19, 2002. -2- SIGNATURE 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. APHTON CORPORATION (Registrant) By: /s/ Frederick W. Jacobs -------------------------------- Name: Frederick W. Jacobs Title: Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Chief Accounting Officer Dated: December 20, 2002 EX-99.1 3 exh99_1.txt NEWS RELEASE Exhibit 99.1 N E W S R E L E A S E APHTON ANNOUNCES AUSTRALIA GRANTS ORPHAN-DRUG DESIGNATION FOR ITS ANTI-GASTRIN IMMUNOGEN G17DT FOR TREATMENT OF BOTH GASTRIC CANCER AND PANCREATIC CANCER December 19, 2002 Miami, FL - Aphton Corporation (NASDAQ: APHT) - Aphton announced today that it received official notice from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), the regulatory authority in Australia equivalent to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, granting its anti-gastrin G17DT Immunogen Orphan-Drug status for treatment of both gastric (stomach) cancer and pancreatic cancer. Unlike in the United States, the Australian orphan-drug designation automatically confers priority evaluation for the drug ahead of other evaluations. It is estimated that there are approximately 570,000 patients with gastric cancer in the US, Europe and Japan, alone. The prognosis for the overwhelming majority of these patients is very poor. Patients diagnosed with metastatic disease have five-year survival rates of only about three percent. Surgery and chemotherapy are the primary treatment options currently, but have shown only very limited benefit. Aphton believes that its anti-gastrin targeted immunotherapy approach has the potential to extend patient survival significantly, without adding toxicity. It is estimated that approximately 88,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer will be diagnosed in the US and Europe this year. The prognosis for most of these patients is very poor. The great majority of patients have advanced disease at the time of diagnosis and are considered incurable, with a very short survival time. Surgery, when possible, and chemotherapy are the primary treatment options currently available, but have shown only very limited benefit. Aphton believes that its anti-gastrin targeted immunotherapy approach has the potential to extend patient survival significantly, without adding toxicity. Aphton is conducting one Phase III and three Phase II clinical trials. Aphton's anti-gastrin targeted therapy induces antibodies in patients that bind to both gastrin 17 and gly-gastrin and remove them from circulation before they can bind to the cancer cell and initiate cell growth. (Aphton believes this is the optimum method for achieving "growth factor inhibition.") Gastrin 17 and gly-gastrin are believed to be central growth factors, or the initiating signals, for cell growth, cell proliferation and metastasis (spread) in gastric, i.e. stomach, pancreatic, esophageal, colorectal and other gastrointestinal (GI) system cancers. This signaling program is accomplished by gastrin binding to the large numbers of gastrin receptors which appear, de novo, in the great majority of cases, on tumor cell surfaces throughout the gastrointestinal system. Interrupting this process by immunizing the patient with Aphton's anti-gastrin immunogen is a precisely "targeted" immunotherapy. This specificity of targeting only cancer cells occurs because gastrin is not normally secreted and gastrin receptors are not normally found on "healthy" cells in the GI system, unless they are malignant, or on the path to malignancy (except for cells involved with normal acid secretion). Recent findings have shown that inhibiting gastrin not only inhibits cell growth, proliferation and metastasis directly, but also "unblocks" a central pathway leading to cell-suicide (apoptosis). This tilts the balance, from cell growth, to cell suicide. This effect is amplified synergistically when Aphton's drug is given together with a chemotherapeutic. Gastrin also stimulates the secretion and expression of other important growth factors and receptors within and on the surfaces of the cancer cells involved in tumor growth. Hence, inhibiting gastrin inhibits all of the foregoing factors contributing to tumor growth and spread, while simultaneously opening a central pathway to cell suicide. Aphton's anti-gastrin targeted therapy adds a biological dimension to the treatment of gastrointestinal cancers. Aphton Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company developing products using its innovative targeted immunotherapy technology for neutralizing hormones that participate in gastrointestinal system and reproductive system cancer and non-cancer diseases; and the prevention of pregnancy. Aphton has strategic alliances with Aventis (NYSE: AVE) for treating gastrointestinal system and other cancers with G17DT in North America and Europe; GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) for reproductive system cancer and non-cancer diseases worldwide; and others. Except for the historical information herein, the matters discussed herein are forward-looking statements that involve a number or risks and uncertainties and are not a guarantee of future performance. Future results may vary significantly based on a number of factors including, but not limited to, intellectual property risks, risks in regulatory and market acceptance of new products and continuing demand for same, the impact of competitive products and pricing, changing economic conditions and other risk factors that are inherent in the drug development process and the company's business including those set forth in Aphton's most recent 10-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. It is not possible to predict or identify all such risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from expected or historical results. The company's actual results could differ from these forward-looking statements and the company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement, except as may be required under applicable securities law. Contact: Aphton Corporation; Investor Relations, J.L. Whitmore, 305-374-7338. -2- -----END PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE-----