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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
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FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 or 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
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Date of report (Date of earliest event reported) July 21, 1999
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ALTEON INC.
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(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
Delaware 0-19529 13-3304550
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(State or Other Juris- (Commission (I.R.S. Employer
diction of Incorporation) File Number) Identification No.)
170 Williams Drive, Ramsey, New Jersey 07446
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(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code (201) 934-5000
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(Former Name or Former Address, If Changed Since Last Report)
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Item 5. Other Events.
On July 21, 1999, Alteon Inc. issued the following press
release:
"ALTEON APPOINTS TWO NEW BOARD MEMBERS
"RAMSEY, N.J., July 21 -- Alteon Inc. (Nasdaq: ALTN) announced the
appointment of Edwin D. Bransome, Jr., M.D., and George M. Naimark,
Ph.D. to the Alteon Board of Directors. The appointments bring the
total number of Board members to eight.
"Dr. Bransome is Professor of Medicine and
Physiology/Endocrinology, Interim Chief, Section of Endocrinology
and Metabolism, Department of Medicine at the Medical College of
Georgia. He was recently named President of the United States
Pharmacopeial Convention, Inc., succeeding Jane E. Henney, M.D.,
who resigned to head the Food and Drug Administration. Dr. Bransome
has had over 35 years of medical experience and affiliations with
professional organizations. He has served on the Board of Directors
of the American Diabetes Association, as well as the ADA's Chairman
of the Committee on Government Relations and as its liaison with
the United States Pharmacopeial Convention.
"Dr. Naimark is President of Naimark & Barba, Inc., a management
consultancy, and Naimark & Associates, Inc., a private healthcare
consulting organization. He has more than 30 years of experience in
the pharmaceutical, diagnostic and medical device industries. His
experience includes management positions in research and
development, new product development and quality control. In
addition, Dr. Naimark was the editor of a medical journal and has
authored books on patent law and communications, as well as many
articles that have appeared in general business, marketing,
scientific and medical journals.
"'We are extremely pleased to appoint two such highly qualified
individuals to the Alteon Board of Directors,' said Mark Novitch,
M.D., Chairman of Alteon. 'Dr. Bransome has been a prominent and
well respected leader in the endocrinology field, with years of
medical and professional experience. Dr. Naimark has had vast
pharmaceutical business experience and is widely recognized in the
industry. Together they add considerable diversity and strength to
our Board.'
"Alteon is a leader in the discovery and development of
pharmaceutical products for the treatment of the complications of
diabetes and age-related diseases. Alteon's proprietary technology
focuses on Advanced Glycosylation End-products, or A.G.E.s, formed
as a result of circulating blood glucose reacting with proteins.
A.G.E.s have been shown to be a causative factor in many of the
complications of diabetes and age-related diseases, including
kidney disease, nerve damage, atherosclerosis and retinopathy.
Alteon's approach is to inhibit or break A.G.E.s or their chemical
crosslinks, thereby potentially impacting such disease states. The
company is seeking a corporate partner to help fund the continued
development of its A.G.E.-formation inhibitor, pimagedine, based on
the results of the Phase III trial of pimagedine in Type 1 diabetic
patients with progressive kidney disease. Alteon's lead A.G.E.
crosslink breaker, ALT-711, has completed a series of Phase I human
clinical trials and is currently in dose-escalating trials in
preparation for a Phase II program. Alteon is also pursuing the
development of a novel series of glucose lowering agent (GLA)
compounds.
"# # #
"Any statements contained in this press release that relate to
future plans, events or performance are forward-looking statements
that involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to,
those relating to technology and product development, regulatory
approval processes, intellectual property rights and litigation,
competitive products, ability to obtain financing, and other risks
identified in Alteon's filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. Actual results, events or performances may differ
materially. Alteon undertakes no obligation to publicly release the
result of any revision to these forward-looking statements that may
be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or
to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
"This press release is also available at
http://www.alteonpharma.com"
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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.
Alteon Inc.
By: /s/ Kenneth I. Moch
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Kenneth I. Moch
President and
Chief Executive Officer
Date: July 23, 1999
