<PAGE>
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: December 15, 1999
(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 (Commission File Number) (I.R.S. Employer
of incorporation or Identification No.)
organization)
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.
Photogen Technologies, Inc. (the "Company") issued a press release
announcing that the Company was issued a notice of allowance for two patent
applications related to its advanced phototherapies. The Press Release, dated
December 15, 1999, is attached as Exhibit 99 hereto.
ITEM 7. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.
(c) The following exhibit is filed with this report:
99 Press release of the Company, dated December 15, 1999, announcing
that the Company was issued a notice of allowance for two patent
applications related to its advanced phototherapies.
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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.
Photogen Technologies, Inc.
By: /s/ John Smolik
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John Smolik, President
Date: December 16, 1999
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EXHIBIT INDEX
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Exhibit Description
No.
<S> <C>
99 Press release of the Company, dated December 15, 1999,
announcing that the Company was issued a notice of allowance
for two patent applications related to its advanced
phototherapies.
</TABLE>
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Exhibit 99
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PHOTOGEN ISSUED NOTICE OF ALLOWANCE FOR TWO PATENT
APPLICATIONS RELATED TO ITS ADVANCED PHOTOTHERAPIES
KNOXVILLE, TENN., DEC. 15, 1999 -- Photogen Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: PHGN)
today announced that the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a
notice of allowance to Photogen for two patents that disclose methods for
improved selectivity in photo-activation of molecular agents.
The two allowed applications augment a previously awarded patent (U.S.
5,829,448). A notice of allowance is issued by the Patent and Trademark
Office when the claims of the application are allowed.
Photogen's minimally invasive diagnostics and therapies involve the use of
naturally occurring, photoactive agents -- the Company's own, certain
naturally occurring agents, or those manufactured by third parties --combined
with its proprietary light- and laser-based technologies.
One of the allowed applications covers apparatus useful in conjunction with
U.S. 5,829,448, which protects Photogen's proprietary two-photon excitation
(TPE) therapeutic method, a technique that uses ultra-short, pulsed bursts of
long-wavelength light to destroy tumors. The other is directed toward methods
for producing a photoactivated molecular agent in a particular volume of
material using Photogen's proprietary TPE method.
"These patents are a natural extension of our original patents that covered
general methods for therapeutic use of TPE in medicine, extending our basic
coverage to include methods for producing activated agents, and details of
devices used for effecting TPE in medicine," said John Smolik, president and
CEO of Photogen. "These third and fourth patents round out our patent
strategy for the use of our two-photon excitation technology in a variety of
applications.
"Using our own photoactive agents or those from other drug manufacturers, we
believe we offer an attractive therapeutic package to physicians and the
medical marketplace in general to treat cancer and other diseases," added
Smolik.
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Walter G. Fisher, Ph.D., Eric A. Wachter, Ph.D., and Craig Dees, Ph.D, all
senior scientists at Photogen, developed the inventions.
ABOUT PHOTOGEN
Photogen Technologies, Inc. is a development-stage company focused on
creating therapeutic and diagnostic products based on its proprietary
multi-photon excitation and other related technologies. The company has
discovered new methods for using energy from lasers, x-rays or other sources
to activate photoactive agents within tissue sufficient to produce a range of
beneficial therapeutic and diagnostic outcomes. These technologies involve
methods, materials and devices that may be used to produce light or other
energy and photoactive agents and to destroy diseased cells, remove tissue or
identify and diagnose disease. Photogen has U.S. patents and additional
pending applications in the U.S. and worldwide for certain of its proprietary
technology. The company has no products or operating revenue at this time.
Statements in this release that are not strictly historical are
"forward-looking" statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor
provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, which may cause
the company's actual results in the future to differ materially from expected
results. These risks and uncertainties include: the ability of the company to
develop a product and obtain regulatory approval for its use; the ability of
the company to successfully market and sell any products and equipment; the
company's ability to manufacture products in sufficient quantities; the
company's ability to maintain intellectual property protection for its
proprietary products, to defend its existing intellectual property rights
from challenges by third parties, and to avoid infringing intellectual
property rights of third parties; unforeseen operating risks; the company's
ability to secure collaborative agreements with third parties for various
research, development, manufacturing, marketing and other functions;
competition; risks associated with the dependence on manufacturers of the
company's proposed products; the availability of capital to finance planned
activities; and the extent to which the clinicians performing the procedures
are able to obtain third-party reimbursement. These risks are qualified in
their entirety by cautionary language and risk factors set forth in the
company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Media Contacts: Hilary Kaye or Joan Murray at Hilary Kaye Associates
(714) 426-0444 (PST) or [email protected].
Investor Relations Contact: Jonathan Fassberg at The Trout Group
(212) 477-9007 (EST) or [email protected].
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