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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 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) July 16, 1997
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BOSTON LIFE SCIENCES, INC.
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(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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<CAPTION>
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Delaware 0-6533 87-0277826
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(State or other jurisdiction of (Commission (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
incorporation or organization) File No.)
31 Newbury Street, Suite 300
Boston, Massachusetts 02116
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(Address of principal executive offices) Zip Code
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Registrant's telephone number, including area code (617) 425-0200
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Item 5. Other Events.
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Boston Life Sciences, Inc. announced that its anti-angiogenic product, Troponin
I, apparently caused regression of blood vessels in a rat model of corneal
neovascularization, and that the Company has therefore initiated its full-scale
preclinical development program for ophthalmic indications. In this model, the
corneas of rats were damaged in order to simulate a clinical ulcer or injury,
and the animals were then treated with topical eye drops containing Troponin I.
After four weeks, the treated animals had substantially less vascularization of
their corneas as compared to control animals.
The Company indicated that in this relatively severe physiologic model of
corneal damage, Troponin eye drops seemed to produce regression of new blood
vessels. As a result, the Company expects to expand its preclinical development
program to include potential ophthalmic indications for this product. BLSI will
now look at additional animal models of corneal and retinal neovascularization
to work on clarifying dosing and formulation issues. The Company believes that
the potential market for an effective anti-angiogenic compound to treat corneal
and diabetic retinal diseases is substantial.
BLSI is engaged in the research and development of novel treatments for cancer,
autoimmune diseases, and central nervous system disorders.
Item 7. Exhibits.
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The following Exhibits are filed as part of this report on Form 8-K:
99.1 Press Release, dated July 16, 1997.
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SIGNATURES
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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 authorized.
BOSTON LIFE SCIENCES, INC.
Dated: July 22, 1997 By:/s/ Joseph Hernon
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Joseph Hernon
Chief Financial Officer
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BOSTON LIFE SCIENCES, INC.
CURRENT REPORT ON FORM 8-K
EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit No. Page
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99.1 Press Release, dated July 16, 1997 5
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Exhibit 99.1
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BOSTON LIFE SCIENCES INITIATES DEVELOPMENT OF ITS ANTI-ANGIOGENIC
PRODUCT FOR OPHTHALMIC INDICATIONS
BOSTON, MA--JULY 16, 1997. BOSTON LIFE SCIENCES, INC. (NASDAQ: BLSI) announced
today that its anti-angiogenic product, Troponin I, apparently caused regression
of blood vessels in a rat model of corneal neovascularization, and that the
Company has therefore initiated its full-scale preclinical development program
for ophthalmic indications. In this model, the corneas of rats were damaged in
order to simulate a clinical ulcer or injury, and the animals were then treated
with topical eye drops containing Troponin I. After four weeks, the treated
animals had substantially less vascularization of their corneas as compared to
control animals.
"This is a relatively severe physiologic model of corneal damage. The fact that
Troponin eye drops seemed to produce regression of new blood vessels in this
model is quite encouraging, and allows us to expand our preclinical development
program to include potential ophthalmic indications for this product. We will
now look at additional animal models of corneal and retinal neovascularization
to work on clarifying dosing and formulation issues", stated Marc Lanser, MD,
Chief Scientific Officer of BLSI. "We believe that the potential market for an
effective anti-angiogenic compound to treat corneal and diabetic retinal
diseases is substantial, and we are therefore very excited about the prospect of
developing Troponin for these indications in addition to cancer", added Dr.
Lanser.
BLSI is engaged in the research and development of novel treatments for cancer,
autoimmune diseases, and central nervous system disorders. BLSI's products in
clinical trials or in pre-clinical development include Altropane for the
diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease; the above-mentioned anti-angiogenesis factor
for the treatment of solid tumors; Axogenesis Factor 1 (AF-1) for the treatment
of stroke and spinal cord injuries; THERAFECTIN/(R)/ for the treatment of
Rheumatoid Arthritis; and transcription factors to control the expression of
molecules associated with autoimmune disease and allergies.
For additional information contact:
Marc E. Lanser, MD
Chief Scientific Officer
617-425-0200
