PREMIER LASER SYSTEMS INC
8-K, 1999-11-30
ELECTROMEDICAL & ELECTROTHERAPEUTIC APPARATUS
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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) November 16, 1999



                           PREMIER LASER SYSTEMS, INC.
                           ---------------------------
              (Exact name of registrant a specified in its Charter)

         California                       0-25242                33-0472684
- ----------------------------     ------------------------    -------------------
(State or other jurisdiction     (Commission File Number)       (IRS Employer
      of incorporation)                                      Identification No.)


                 3 Morgan, Irvine, California              92618
               ---------------------------------------------------
               (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code      (949) 859-0656
                                                       ----------------


                                 Not Applicable
          -------------------------------------------------------------
          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)


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ITEM 5.  OTHER EVENTS

         (a)      Extension of Term of Warrants.
                  ------------------------------

                  On November 16, 1999, the Company announced that it extended
the expiration date of its outstanding Class B Warrants (the "Warrants") to
January 31, 2000. All other terms of the Warrants remain unchanged. A copy of
the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1, and is incorporated herein
by reference.

         (b)      Change in Chief Executive Officer.
                  ----------------------------------

                  On November 29, 1999, Premier Laser Systems, Inc. (the
"Company") issued a press release announcing that the Company has appointed
Michael J. Quinn as its new President and Chief Executive Officer. A copy of the
press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.2, and is incorporated herein by
reference.


ITEM 7.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

         (c)      Exhibits.
                  ---------

                    99.1 Press Release of Premier Laser Systems, Inc., dated
                         November 16, 1999.

                    99.2 Press Release of Premier Laser Systems, Inc., dated
                         November 29, 1999.


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<PAGE>

                                    SIGNATURE


         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.

Date: November 29, 1999         PREMIER LASER SYSTEMS, INC.


                                By: /S/ Robert V. Mahoney
                                    ------------------------------------------
                                    Robert V. Mahoney, Chief Financial Officer


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                                  EXHIBIT 99.1


          Premier Laser Systems Extends Expiration of Class B Warrants

IRVINE, Calif.-(BUSINESS WIRE)-Nov. 16, 1999-Premier Laser Systems Inc.
(Nasdaq:PLSIA) Tuesday announced that it has extended the expiration date of its
Class B Redeemable Warrants (Nasdaq:PLSIZ).

The Class B Redeemable Warrants are now exercisable at any time until 5:00 p.m.
(New York time) on Jan. 31, 2000 (the former expiration was Nov. 30, 1999),
provided that at that time a current prospectus relating to the Common Stock
underlying the warrants is in effect and the Common Stock is qualified for sale
or exempt from qualification under applicable state securities laws.

Premier Laser Systems develops, manufactures and markets diagnostic and
therapeutic products for the eyecare, dentistry and surgical markets including
lasers, fiber optic delivery systems and associated products for a variety of
applications.

CONTACT: Allen & Caron Inc
Cathy Allen (media), 714/957-8440
or
Premier Laser Systems
Robert Mahoney (Investors), 949/859-0656


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                                  EXHIBIT 99.2


           Premier Laser Systems Names Michael J. Quinn President and
                            Chief Executive Officer

IRVINE, Calif.-(BW Health Wire)-- Nov. 29, 1999-Premier Laser Systems, Inc.
(Nasdaq:PLSIA) announced today that it has hired health care industry veteran
Michael J. Quinn, 54, as its new president and chief executive officer.

The hiring of Quinn marks the successful conclusion of the CEO succession plan
previously announced by the Company. Quinn brings to Premier a 30-year track
record of improving operations, returning companies to profitability and
managing rapid sales growth in health care related products. According to the
announcement by Colette Cozean, Ph.D., who will remain chairman of the board and
chief technology officer, Quinn has "the track record, operating background, and
demeanor to make a significant near- and long-term impact on Premier's business.
He brings us real and needed strength in the marketing and sales of medical
devices that will drive the Company towards realizing the full potential of its
regulatory expertise and well-developed line of dental and ophthalmic products."

Quinn comes to Premier Laser from Irvine-based Imagyn Medical Technologies where
he was retained earlier this year as president and chief operating officer to
manage the orderly stewardship of that company through receivership. Imagyn
successfully emerged from receivership in October of this year and is now
operating as a private company.

Prior to Imagyn, Quinn served as president and chief operating officer at
Pittsburgh-based Fisher Scientific Co. (NYSE:FSH) from 1995 to 1998. At Fisher,
Quinn led that company through its most significant growth phase in its 100-year
history, growing both sales and earnings by more than 40 percent in a two-year
period. During his tenure at Fisher, he introduced a company-wide
performance-based compensation program and led the acquisition and integration
into Fisher of Curtin Matheson Scientific, a health care products company with
annual sales of $650 million. He also reengineered both logistics and systems
platforms at Fisher and significantly improved top and bottom line performance
during a period in which the market value of Fisher stock almost doubled.

Prior to Fisher, Quinn was senior vice president for 18 months at Orange,
Calif.-based Bergen Brunswig Corp. (NYSE:BBC), a distributor of pharmaceuticals
and surgical products. At Bergen Brunswig, Quinn was in charge of sales,
marketing and supplier operations within the U.S. He was responsible for the
reorganization of the Company's sales and marketing groups, which resulted in
significant improvements in the productivity and cost effectiveness of these
operations.

From 1991 through 1994, Quinn was with South Plainfield, N.J.-based OCP America,
a wholesale pharmaceutical company. He joined OCP as president and chief
operating officer and was promoted to chief executive officer in 1993 after
having completed a successful fiscal turnaround of the Company, returning to it
profitability after eight consecutive years of operating losses.

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Before OCP, Quinn held several other senior executive posts, including president
and chief operating officer of the Cardinal Health Group, the operating business
of Dublin, Ohio-based Cardinal Distribution, Inc. (NYSE:CAH), one of the largest
pharmaceutical distributors in the world; and 13 years of increasing management
responsibility within American Hospital Supply, including vice president and
general manager of V. Mueller and president of Scientific Products.

Cozean commented, "Michael Quinn's keen understanding of the medical products
market place should serve Premier Laser, its employees and its shareholders well
into the future. His style of management has been aggressive and effective in
improving sales and operations.

"Having stabilized operations," Cozean continued, "I feel that it is time to
pass the operational baton to Michael's capable hands and focus on the
technical, scientific, and regulatory matters that were the genesis of our
formation and results to date."

Quinn earned a B.A. from the University of Buffalo-SUNY, and has completed
executive development and executive financial programs at Northwestern
University's Kellogg School of Business and University of Pennsylvania's Wharton
Business School, respectively. He has relocated with his family to Orange
County, Calif. from Naples, Fla.

Premier Laser Systems develops, manufactures and markets diagnostic and
therapeutic products for the eyecare, dentistry and surgical markets including
lasers, fiber optic delivery systems and associated products for a variety of
applications.

The statements in this release that relate to future events or performance,
statements about growth, future regulatory clearances, levels of sales and
market size and future manufacturing capacity and efficiencies are
forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including risks
associated with uncertainties related to the development of markets for and
commercial acceptance of the company's products and services, the availability
of components, competitors' product introductions and other risks identified in
the company's SEC filings. Actual results may differ from those described in
these forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue
reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date
hereof.

CONTACT: Premier Laser Systems
Robert Mahoney, 949/859-0656
or
Allen & Caron, Inc.
Owen Daley, 949/474-4300


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