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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) March 9, 1998
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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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<S> <C> <C>
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 it had licensed from Harvard University the
rights to a recently discovered gene that controls apoptosis, or programmed cell
death, in T-cells. The discovery of this gene, termed BCLx-gamma, was published
in the journal Immunity. According to the article, when BCLx-gamma is turned on
following T-cell activation, the T-cells undergo clonal expansion and survive to
fulfill their immune function. If however, BCLx-gamma is not turned on
following T-cell activation, the T-cells apoptose, and no immune reaction
occurs. Thus, it appears that activation of BCLx-gamma is necessary for an
effective and prolonged T-cell response.
The Company believes that the discovery is of great significance in the
understanding of T-cell mediated diseases, particularly autoimmune disease, and
hopes to develop a screen to identify compounds that work to inhibit BCLx-gamma
and therefore eliminate the T-cells that are activated in autoimmune diseases.
In addition to the licensing of this technology, the Company also provided the
following product development update:
The results of the recently completed Phase III trial of Therafectin has been
submitted to a peer review journal for possible publication. The Company plans
to file an amendment to the current Therafectin NDA in the near future seeking
marketing approval for the drug. Discussions concerning the manufacture,
marketing and distribution of Therafectin have been initiated with a number of
large pharmaceutical firms;
The Company is currently able to produce sufficient quantities of active
recombinant Troponin under GMP conditions to enable the initiation of human
clinical trials. The Company is presently conducting more extensive preclinical
efficacy studies to support the filing of an Investigational New Drug
Application (IND) for the treatment of solid tumors. Studies are also being
conducted at the Scheppens Eye Institute and Yale University pertaining to
ophthalmic indications;
Discussions are underway with a number of pharmaceutical companies regarding the
establishment of an R&D collaboration to identify compounds that inhibit C-Maf,
the Company's T-cell switch factor. Such compounds could have therapeutic
applications in allergies and asthma;
The Company expects four articles to be published in the upcoming issue of the
neurological journal Synapse, pertaining to the Company's Parkinson's Disease
diagnostic agent, Altropane.
BLSI is developing 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 March 9, 1998.
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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: March 11, 1998 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(s)
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99.1 Press Release, dated March 9, 1998 5-6
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Exhibit 99.1
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BOSTON LIFE SCIENCES ANNOUNCES THE LICENSING OF T-CELL APOPTOSIS GENE AND
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT UPDATE
BOSTON, MA--MARCH 9, 1998. BOSTON LIFE SCIENCES, INC. (NASDAQ: BLSI) announced
that it has licensed from Harvard University the rights to a recently discovered
gene that controls apoptosis, or programmed cell death, in T cells. The
discovery of this gene, termed BCLx-gamma was published in the journal Immunity
(Vol. 7, pp 629-639, 1997). The senior author of the article is Harvey Cantor,
Professor of Immunology, Harvard Medical School. According to the article, when
BCLx-gamma is turned on following T-cell activation, the T-cells undergo clonal
expansion and survive to fulfill their immune function. If however, BCLx-gamma
is not turned on following T-cell activation, the T-cells apoptose, and no
immune reaction occurs. Thus, it appears that activation of BCLx-gamma is
necessary for an effective and prolonged T-cell response.
"We believe that this discovery is of great significance in the understanding of
T-cell mediated diseases, particularly autoimmune disease", said Marc Lanser,
MD, Chief Scientific Officer of BLSI. "By inhibiting BCLx-gamma, or by
interfering with its interaction with other proteins, we hope to eliminate the
T-cells that are activated in autoimmune diseases. This approach could be of
substantial therapeutic benefit in these conditions. We hope to develop a
screen to identify compounds that work by such a mechanism", added Dr. Lanser.
In addition to the licensing of this technology, the Company also provided the
following product development update:
- -The results of the recently completed Phase III trial of Therafectin has been
submitted to a peer review journal for consideration for publication. In
addition, the Company plans to file an amendment to the current Therafectin NDA
in the near future seeking marketing approval for the drug, though there can be
no assurance that such approval will be obtained. Discussions concerning the
manufacture, marketing and distribution of Therafectin have been initiated with
a number of large pharmaceutical firms, though there can be no assurance that an
agreement will be reached.
- -The Company is currently able to produce sufficient quantities of active
recombinant Troponin under GMP conditions to enable the initiation of human
clinical trials. Consequently, the Company is presently engaged in conducting
more extensive preclinical efficacy studies to support the filing of an
Investigational New Drug Application (IND) for the treatment of solid tumors.
In parallel, studies using Troponin are being conducted at the Scheppens Eye
Institute and Yale University pertaining to ophthalmic indications. Preliminary
results look promising, the Company said.
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- -Discussions are underway with a number of pharmaceutical companies regarding
the establishment of an R&D collaboration to identify compounds that inhibit C-
Maf, the Company's T-cell switch factor. Such compounds could have therapeutic
applications in allergies and asthma.
- -The Company expects four articles to be published in the upcoming issue of the
neurological journal Synapse, pertaining to the Company's Parkinson's Disease
diagnostic agent, Altropane.
The foregoing contains certain forward-looking statements with regard to
projected or estimated dates for submission of certain regulatory filings and
completion of certain stages of product development which may not be realized
due to the uncertainties inherent in the research and development and regulatory
processes.
For additional information contact:
Marc E. Lanser, MD
Chief Scientific Officer
617-425-0200
