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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: September 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 (Commission File Number) (I.R.S. Employer
jurisdiction Identification No.)
of incorporation or
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
the results of the Company's research which showed that 90 percent of tumor
cells where killed in lab mice within 48 hours of treatment with a
combination of low-voltage radiation and the drug PH-10. The Press Release,
dated September 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 September 15, 1999, announcing
the results of the Company's research which showed that 90 percent of
tumor cells where killed in lab mice within 48 hours of treatment with a
combination of low-voltage radiation and the drug PH-10.
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: September 15, 1999
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EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit Description
No.
99 Press release of the Company, dated September 15, 1999, announcing
the results of the Company's research which showed that 90 percent of
tumor cells where killed in lab mice within 48 hours of treatment with
a combination of low-voltage radiation and the drug PH-10.
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Exhibit 99
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PHOTOGEN TECHNOLOGIES' RESEARCH SHOWS
90 PERCENT OF TUMOR CELLS IN LAB MICE
KILLED WITHIN 48 HOURS
MEDICAL DIRECTOR DR. GERALD WOLF PRESENTS FINDINGS OF POTENTIAL
NEW CANCER TREATMENT AT CONTRAST MEDIA RESEARCH CONFERENCE
(Knoxville, Tenn., Sept. 15, 1999) - Gerald Wolf, Ph.D., M.D., medical
director of Photogen Technologies, Inc. (OTC BB: PHGN), today announced
research results showing a 90 percent "kill" rate of cancerous tumor cells in
laboratory mice within 48 hours of treatment with a combination of
low-voltage radiation and the drug PH-10.
Dr. Wolf, who delivered his findings yesterday at the Contrast Media Research
(CMR) meeting in Woodstock, Vermont (Sept. 12-17), found that direct
injection of PH-10 into a tumor, followed by exposure to low-voltage X-rays,
dramatically reduced tumor cells, opening the door to a new, non-invasive
treatment of cancerous tumors in deep tissue. These findings resulted from
Dr. Wolf's interest and research into non-invasive treatment of cancer and
Photogen's work in Photodynamic Therapy (PDT).
"Teaming PH-10 with low-level radiation may give us a new therapeutic tool
with the potential to treat cancer anywhere in the body. This new tool would
offer treatment that avoids invasive surgery, and reduces the amount and
duration of systemic chemotherapy and radiation," said Dr. Wolf. "Our
studies have demonstrated that even if a cancer is deep, we can safely use
lower levels of X-ray to go anywhere in the body."
"Dr. Wolf's groundbreaking studies make it even more apparent that PH-10
possesses the unique ability to work both as a light activated and radiation
activated photodynamic therapy agent, said John Smolik, president and CEO of
Photogen. "Photogen now has a solid technology platform that will support
non-invasive treatment of disease both in deep tissue and at the tissue
surface."
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At the same meeting, Dr. Wolf, who holds joint faculty appointments at
Harvard University and Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine,
received the prestigious Harry Fischer Award for advancements in contrast
media agents.
The invitation-only meeting brings together the world's top 50 researchers in
contrast media, materials that clearly differentiate areas when viewing the
inside of a body with light or X-ray and key representatives from the
contrast media industry. Meeting every two to five years, attendees discuss
the latest research and developments. Each academician is required to submit
an abstract outlining his or her latest research, which is published for
attendees the following year.
In his former position as director for the Center of Imaging and
Pharmaceutical Research at Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr. Wolf, with
sponsorship by Photogen, demonstrated that PH-10, the Company's name for the
photodynamic therapy compound, could be activated with radiation. Dr. Wolf
showed that PH-10 had the ability to selectively bind with tumor tissue and
remain visible in a tumor for several days after the injection.
Photogen has applied for patents covering the use of the PH-10 compound to
diagnose and treat disease in combination with X-rays and other light energy.
Photogen and Dr. Wolf revealed earlier results in April of this year showing
that 70 percent of tumor cells in mice were killed in a 24-hour time frame
using the same combination of PH-10 and low radiation voltage. Dr. Wolf's
most recent studies were an extension of his earlier laboratory work.
Dr. Wolf's current results revealed that the combination of the injected
PH-10 drug with a single dose of low-voltage radiation yields a 90 percent
kill rate in tumor cells in a 48-hour time frame. Use of the drug without
radiation yields a 40 percent kill rate in the same time frame and
application of just radiation produces no destruction of the tumor. All of
these studies are in the pre-clinical stages.
Photogen is continuing this work toward developing non-invasive treatments
for prostate and breast cancer.
Dr. Wolf is a leading investigator whose research utilizes modern imaging
technology, such as computed tomography (CT), ultrasound or magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI) along with enhancing agents, such as photoactive
drugs, to guide minimally invasive treatments of cancer.
In addition to his position as medical director at Photogen, Dr. Wolf is
professor emeritus at Harvard University and a research professor at Tufts
University School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Wolf holds an M.D. degree from
Harvard Medical School and a Ph.D. in pharmacology and physiology from the
University of Nebraska.
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Photogen Technologies, Inc. is a development-stage company focused on
creating photodynamic-related healthcare products based on its proprietary
multi-photon excitation and other related technologies. The company has
discovered new methods for using light energy from lasers and X-rays to
activate photoactive agents within deep 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 and
photoactive agents that will destroy diseased cells, remove tissue or
identify and diagnose disease. Photogen's proprietary technology is covered
under existing U.S. patents and additional pending applications in the U.S.
and worldwide. The company has no products or operating revenues 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 CONTACT: HILARY KAYE OR JOAN MURRAY AT HILARY KAYE ASSOCIATES (714)
426-0444 (PST) OR [email protected]
INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT: CRAIG DICKSON FINANCIAL RELATIONS BOARD (312)
266-7800 (CST)
