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FORM 8-K
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):
September 22, 1998
ROBERTS PHARMACEUTICAL CORPORTATION
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(exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
New Jersey 1-1-432 22-2429994
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(State or other (Commission (IRS Employer
jurisdiction of File Number) Identification
incorporation) Number)
Meridian Center II
4 Industrial Way West
Eatontown, New Jersey 07724
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(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code: 732-389-1182
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(Former name or former address, if changed from last report)
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Item 5. Other Events
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Roberts Pharmaceutical Corporation announced today that its
founder and Executive Chairman, Dr. Robert A. Vukovich, has elected to retire
from active employment with the Company. He will continue to serve as Chairman
of the Company's Board of Directors and as a consultant for drug development
and strategic planning. John T. Spitznagel, who was appointed to succeed Dr.
Vukovich in September 1997 will continue to manage the Company as President and
Chief Executive Officer.
Dr. Vukovich said, "Having established the right management
team to lead the Company, now is the appropriate time for me to pursue other
business and personal interests. I have full confidence that John and his team
will continue to build upon the foundation that I established over 15 years
ago."
Dr. Vukovich has almost thirty years of drug development
experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Before founding Roberts over 15
years ago, Dr. Vukovich developed more than 40 new drug therapies for Warner
Lambert, Bristol Myers Squibb, and the Revlon Health Care Group. He is the
author of over 140 scientific publications and has received many awards and
honors during his career. These include: "Entrepreneur of the Year" for
biotechnology, "Man of the Year" awards from the Crohns and Colitis Foundation
and Cancer Care NJ, and the Mass Mutual Blue Chip Enterprise Award. In
addition, he serves on the Board of Trustees of Allegheny College and the
Entrepreneur of the Year Institute, among other Board positions.
With today's announcement, Roberts' Board of Directors will
consist of six non-employee members and three corporate officers.
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.
ROBERTS PHARMACEUTICAL CORPORATION
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(Registrant)
Date: September 23, 1998 By: /s/ Anthony A. Rascio
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Anthony A. Rascio
Vice President
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FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements included in Item 5 of this form 8-K are intended to be,
and are hereby identified as, forward looking statements for purposes of the
safe harbor provided by Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The
Registrant cautions readers that forward looking statements, including, without
limitation, those relating to the Registrant's future business prospects,
revenues, cost of sales, intangible dispositions and write-offs, continuing
operations and discontinued operations, and liquidity and capital resources, are
subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, the
ability of the Registrant to secure regulatory approval in the United States and
in foreign jurisdictions for the Registrant's developmental pipeline drugs, the
efforts of the Registrant's competitors and the introduction of rival
pharmaceutical products which may prove to be more effective than the
Registrant's products, general market conditions, the availability of capital,
and the uncertainty over the future direction of the healthcare industry, that
could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the
forward looking statements.
