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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) November 29, 1999
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BOSTON LIFE SCIENCES, INC.
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(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware 0-6533 87-0277826
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(State or other jurisdiction of (Commission (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization) File No.) Identification No.)
137 Newbury Street
8th Floor
Boston, Massachusetts 02116
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(Address of principal executive offices) Zip Code
Registrant's telephone number, including area code (617) 425-0200
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Item 5. Other Events.
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On November 29, 1999, the Company announced that its second nerve growth factor,
AF-1, was able to regenerate axons in the corticospinal tract of the spinal cord
following experimental transection in an animal model. The axon-regenerative
ability of AF-1 was similar to that achieved using Inosine, which was the
subject of a recently published paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy
of Sciences (PNAS) and an extensive press release by Children's Hospital, Boston
dated November 11, 1999. The activity reported for Inosine was the first
published instance of substantial regeneration of the corticospinal tract after
injury. The corticospinal tract is extremely important, as it controls all motor
function in humans and higher primates. The Company has licensed both Inosine
and AF-1 from Children's Hospital. Dr. Larry Benowitz, Director of the
Laboratories for Neuroscience Research in Neurosurgery at Children's Hospital,
led the team working on both growth factors.
The experimental study using AF-1 was identical to the study published in PNAS,
except that highly purified AF-1 was substituted for Inosine. Following
corticospinal tract hemi-transection, AF-1 was administered directly to that
section of the motor cortex of the brain that gives rise to axons descending in
the uninjured side of the corticospinal tract. Following 10 days of treatment,
numerous axons were seen to cross from the uninjured side of the corticospinal
tract to the injured side below the level of the transection. These axons then
descended down the injured side, thereby effectively reconstituting the
transected corticospinal tract.
The Company believes that these results strengthen its position as one of the
leaders in the field of CNS regeneration, and expects to determine which growth
factor will be its lead clinical development compound in the coming months.
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 November 29, 1999.
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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 authorized.
BOSTON LIFE SCIENCES, INC.
Dated: November 30, 1999 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
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<CAPTION>
Exhibit No. Pages
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<S> <C>
99.1 Press Release, dated November 29, 1999 4
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Exhibit 99.1
BOSTON LIFE SCIENCES' SECOND NATIVE GROWTH FACTOR (AF-1)
REGENERATES CORTICOSPINAL TRACT IN EXPERIMENTAL SPINAL CORD INJURY
November 29, 1999--Boston, MA--Boston Life Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: BLSI)
announced that AF-1, a naturally-occurring small molecule secreted by support
cells of the Central Nervous System (CNS), was able to regenerate axons in the
corticospinal tract of the spinal cord following experimental transection in an
animal model. The axon-regenerative ability of AF-1 was similar to that achieved
using Inosine, which was the subject of a recently published paper in the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) and an extensive press
release by Children's Hospital, Boston dated November 11, 1999. The activity
reported for Inosine was the first published instance of substantial
regeneration of the corticospinal tract after injury. The corticospinal tract is
extremely important, as it controls all motor function in humans and higher
primates. BLSI has licensed both Inosine and AF-1 from Children's Hospital. Dr.
Larry Benowitz, Director of the Laboratories for Neuroscience Research in
Neurosurgery at Children's Hospital, leads the team working on both growth
factors.
The experimental study using AF-1 was identical to the study published in PNAS,
except that highly purified AF-1 was substituted for Inosine. Following
corticospinal tract hemi-transection, AF-1 was administered directly to that
section of the motor cortex of the brain that gives rise to axons descending in
the uninjured side of the corticospinal tract. Following 10 days of treatment,
numerous axons were seen to cross from the uninjured side of the corticospinal
tract to the injured side below the level of the transection. These axons then
descended down the injured side, thereby effectively reconstituting the
transected corticospinal tract.
"We believe that these results strengthen our position as one of the leaders in
the field of CNS regeneration," stated Marc Lanser, MD, and Chief Scientific
Officer of BLSI. "We now have two extremely potent natural compounds that have
demonstrated the ability to regrow long nerve tracts in the important
corticospinal tract of the spinal cord. We expect to determine which growth
factor will be our lead clinical development compound in the coming months.
Additional animal models of spinal cord injury and stroke should help us make
that determination," added Dr. Lanser.
BLSI is developing novel treatments for cancer, autoimmune diseases, and central
nervous system disorders. In addition to AF-1 and Inosine, BLSI's products
awaiting FDA review, in clinical trials or in preclinical development include:
Altropane(TM), a radioimaging agent for the diagnosis of Attention Deficit
Disorder and Parkinson's Disease; Troponin I, a naturally-occurring anti-
angiogenesis factor for the treatment of solid tumors; and Therafectin(R), an
oral drug for the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Statements made in this press release other than statements of historical fact
represent forward-looking statements. Such statements include, without
limitation, statements regarding expectations or beliefs as to future results or
events, such as the expected timing and results of clinical trials, schedules of
IND, NDA, and other regulatory submissions, the timing of product introductions,
the market size for the Company's products and possible advantages of the
Company's products. All such forward-looking statements involve substantial
risks and uncertainties and actual results may vary materially from these
statements. Factors that may affect future results include: results of
scientific data from clinical trials; delays in the regulatory or development
processes; the ability to obtain intellectual property protection, the
availability of financing, market acceptance of the Company's products and other
possible risks and uncertainties that have been noted in reports filed by the
Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's
Annual Report on Form 10-K/A.
For additional information, please contact:
Corporate Investor Media
Marc Lanser, M.D. Maria Zapf Jim Weinrebe
Chief Scientific Officer Investor Relations Schwartz Communications
617.425.0200 617.425.0200 781.684.0770
