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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): February 22, 2000
LJL BIOSYSTEMS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
000-23647
(Commission File Number)
DELAWARE 77-0360183
(State or other jurisdiction (I.R.S. Employer
of incorporation) Identification No.)
405 TASMAN DRIVE
SUNNYVALE, CA 94089
(Address of principal executive offices, with zip code)
(408) 541-8787
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
N/A
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
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ITEM 5. OTHER EVENTS.
On February 22, 2000, LJL BioSystems, Inc. announced that SmithKline
Beecham is using LJL BioSystems' first FLARe system to screen difficult
compounds. Further details regarding this announcement are contained in the
company's news release dated February 22, 2000 attached as an exhibit hereto
and incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 7. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, PRO FORMA FINANCIAL INFORMATION AND EXHIBITS
(a) Exhibits:
99.13 LJL BioSystems, Inc. News Release dated February 22, 2000
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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.
LJL BIOSYSTEMS, INC.
Date: February 22, 2000 By: /s/ Lev J. Leytes
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Lev J. Leytes
President and CEO
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Exhibit 99.13
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACTS:
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LJL BIOSYSTEMS, INC.: MEDIA RELATIONS:
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LARRY TANNENBAUM FRIESTEDT INTERNATIONAL
CFO AND SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT SUSANNE FRIESTEDT
408-548-0542 619-223-8844
[email protected] [email protected]
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SMITHKLINE BEECHAM USING LJL BIOSYSTEMS' FIRST FLARe
SYSTEM TO SCREEN DIFFICULT COMPOUnds
- SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF ANOTHER MAJOR COLLABORATION MILESTONE
SUNNYVALE, CA - FEBRUARY 22, 2000 - LJL BioSystems, Inc. (NASDAQ: LJLB) today
announced the successful completion of another milestone in their
collaboration with SmithKline Beecham (NYSE: SB) with the acceptance and
delivery of the first system utilizing LJL's FLARe-TM- (Fluorescence Lifetime
Assay Repertoire) technology. The system is already in use for screening
compounds that are difficult to screen by other fluorescence methodologies.
LJL's collaboration with SmithKline Beecham involves early access to LJL's
advanced proprietary technologies for High Throughput Screening (HTS) and
FLARe. FLARe is LJL's patented and patent pending instrumentation and reagent
platform for addressing next generation solutions for critical drug discovery
and genomics challenges.
"We are very impressed with the performance and functionality of the FLARe
system and excited about the potential new applications that FLARe technology
makes possible. We are looking forward to a continued, fruitful collaboration
with LJL," commented Thomas D. Meek, PhD, Vice President for Molecular
Screening Technologies, SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals.
Lev J. Leytes, LJL's Chairman and CEO stated, "We are very pleased to achieve
this key milestone in collaboration with SmithKline. FLARe technology, one of
the cornerstones of LJL's technological leadership, could significantly
improve our customers' probability of identifying important new drugs."
"Through a combination of advanced biophysics and electronics, FLARe
significantly reduces false readings thereby improving screening results and
reducing the cost of post-screening processing. We believe that the continued
successful development and commercialization of
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FLARe technology is an essential element to providing the life science
industry with the infrastructure tools they require to compete in this new,
genomics-driven era," continued Leytes.
ABOUT LJL BIOSYSTEMS, INC.
LJL BioSystems supplies infrastructure tools to pharmaceutical and biotech
companies engaged in the highly competitive search for new medicines in the
genomics era. LJL's family of proprietary products, marketed as
CRITERION-TM-, consists of instruments, consumables, and services. The
Company intends to establish CRITERION as the gold standard for addressing
many of the key bottlenecks in drug discovery. In August 1999, LJL launched
its Genomics Science Group to further commercialize the Company's technology
in SNP genotyping. Since then, several leading genomics customers have
adopted the LJL HEFP-SNP genotyping platform. LJL's worldwide customers
include, among others, AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly and
Company, Johnson and Johnson, Merck and Co., Tularik, Inc., Millennium
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Pharmacia & Upjohn, DuPont Pharmaceuticals Company,
Amgen, Inc., Monsanto Company and SmithKline Beecham. LJL is headquartered in
Sunnyvale, California and has a subsidiary in the United Kingdom. Additional
information on LJL and CRITERION technology can be found at www.ljlbio.com.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed
in this news release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of
Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act, including statements regarding
LJL's "expectations", "goals", "beliefs", "hopes", "designs", "intentions",
"strategies" or the like. Such statements are subject to risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including
such factors, among others, as the impact of competitive products and
pricing, the timely development and market acceptance of new products, the
ability to raise capital, concentration of HTS and Ultra-HTS markets, market
conditions, the mix between domestic and international sales, manufacturing
and cost of LJL's products, dependence on collaborative partners, the
enforcement of intellectual property rights, and uncertainties relating to
sole source suppliers, technological approaches, FDA and other regulatory
approvals. These and other risk factors are discussed in LJL's Report on Form
10-K, filed February 16, 2000, and its Registration Statement on Form S-3
filed on February 16, 2000 (see, in particular, Risk Factors and Management's
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations).
LJL disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking
statements. As a result of these and other factors, LJL expects to experience
significant fluctuations in operating results, and there can be no assurance
that LJL will become or remain consistently profitable in the future.
For information on LJL BioSystems, Inc., contact Larry Tannenbaum, Chief
Financial Officer, at 408-548-0542 or [email protected].
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