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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
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Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
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DATE OF REPORT: MARCH 5, 1998
(Date of earliest event reported)
PHOTOGEN TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
NEVADA 0-23553 36-4010347
(State or other jurisdiction of (Commission File Number) (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization) Identification No.)
7327 OAK RIDGE HIGHWAY, SUITE B
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE 37931
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
(423) 769-4011
(Registrant's telephone number including area code)
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ITEM 5. OTHER EVENTS.
As set forth in the press release of Photogen Technologies, Inc. (the
"Company") dated March 5, 1998 filed as Exhibit 99 hereto and incorporated
herein by reference, the Company has announced that Dr. Eric Wachter will be
presenting the preliminary results of the Company's current animal studies.
ITEM 7. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.
(c) The following exhibit is filed with this report:
99. Press release of the Company, dated March 5, 1998, relating to Dr. Eric
Wachter's presentation of the preliminary results of the Company's current
animal studies.
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.
Photogen Technologies, Inc.
By: /s/ JOHN SMOLIK
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Date: March 5, 1998 John Smolik, President
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EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit
No. Description
99 Press Release of the Company dated March 5, 1998, relating to Dr. Eric
Wachter's presentation of the preliminary results of the Company's
current animal studies.
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PHOTOGEN TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
7327 OAK RIDGE HIGHWAY, SUITE B
KNOXVILLE, TN 37931
PHONE: 423/769-4012
FAX: 423/769-4013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
KNOXVILLE, TN
MARCH 5, 1998
Photogen Technologies, Inc. (stock symbol PHGN) announced today that Dr. Eric
Wachter, one of its principal scientists, will be presenting the preliminary
results of the Company's current animal studies at the Spring Topical Meeting
of the Optical Society of America, to be held on March 9, 1998 in Orlando,
Florida.
The studies are being conducted under contracts with the University of
Tennessee School of Veterinary Medicine and the Thompson Cancer Survival
Center. These studies demonstrate controlled, simultaneous two-photon
activation of PHOTOFRIN-Registered Trademark- using light at 730 nm, in the
livers of laboratory mice (PHOTOFRIN-Registered Trademark- is a photoactive
agent produced by QLT PhotoTherapeutics, Inc.). The Company believes this is
the first demonstration of in vivo activation of a photoactive agent using a
two-photon activation process.
Results obtained to date confirm the noninvasive activation of
PHOTOFRIN-Registered Trademark- by observation of lesions formed on the
livers of PHOTOFRIN-Registered Trademark- treated laboratory mice. Lesions
were formed by focusing a 730 nm beam through the skin of the mouse, onto the
mouse liver. Lesions were well defined, with cell necrosis limited to the
focal region of the activation beam. Microscopic examination of tissues
confirmed localization of necrosis to the beam focus, and a notable absence
of collateral damage. In contrast, substantial collateral damage was clearly
observed in control animals treated with PHOTOFRIN-Registered Trademark- and
activated using a single photon activation process with light at 630 nm.
Additional experiments, designed to measure the increase in tissue
temperature during exposure to laser irradiation, showed that light at 730 nm
caused substantially less heating than light at 630 nm. Furthermore, tissue
treated with 730 nm light alone (without PHOTOFRIN-Registered Trademark-)
showed no detectable adverse effect. These results were made possible using
Photogen's proprietary simultaneous two-photon activation process, which
allows use of activation wavelengths that more easily penetrate tissue.
Photogen's activation process further enables three dimensional control over
the activation site.
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Photogen's two-photon activation process is expected to substantially
increase the effective treatment depth of existing photoactive agents,
enabling noninvasive therapies. The Company's two-photon activation process
may also enable the use of phototoxic agents previously thought to be
ineffective for deep tissue treatment due to activation at wavelengths below
600 nm (light in this region has not been known to penetrate tissue deeply).
However, additional testing will be necessary to confirm these possibilities.
Dr. Wachter and his colleagues at Photogen intend to continue to study
activation of other existing photodynamic agents, and to determine the
maximum effective treatment depth obtainable with two-photon activation.
The Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary Photogen, Inc., is a
development stage company focused on creating photodynamic-related health
care products based on its proprietary simultaneous two-photon activation
technology. The Company has discovered new methods for using laser generated
light to activate photoactive agents within deep tissue sufficient to produce
a range of beneficial therapeutic and diagnostic outcomes. The technologies
involve methods, materials, and devices that may be used to produce light and
photoactive agents that will destroy diseased cells, remove tissue, or
identify and diagnose disease.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks
and uncertainties. A full discussion of the Company's operations and
financial condition, including factors that may affect the Company's business
and future prospects, is contained in documents the Company files with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, such as the Company's Form 10-SB and the
Company's reports on Form 10-QSB and Form 10-KSB. These documents identify
important factors that could cause the Company's actual performance to differ
from current expectations.
For further information, please contact John Smolik, Photogen's President and
Chief Executive Officer, at (423) 769-4012.
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