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UNITED STATES
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
Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): July 6, 2004
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SIGA Technologies, Inc.
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(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
Delaware
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(State or other Jurisdiction of
Incorporation or Organization)
0-23047 13-3864870
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(Commission File (I.R.S. Employer
Number) Identification Number)
420 Lexington Avenue, Suite 601 10170
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New York, New York (Zip Code)
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
(212) 672-9100
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(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
ITEM 5. Other Events and Required FD Disclosure.
On July 6, 2004, SIGA Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation
("SIGA"), issued a press release pursuant to which SIGA announced the
appointment of Bernard L. Kasten, M.D. as its Chief Executive Officer. Dr.
Kasten joins SIGA following eight years at Quest Diagnostics where he was Vice
President of Medical Affairs of its MedPlus subsidiary. During his career at
Quest, he also served as Vice President, Business Development for Science and
Medicine and Chief Laboratory Officer. Dr. Kasten has been a member of SIGA's
Board of Directors since May 2003.
For a description of the events reported pursuant to this Form 8-K,
reference is made to the press release issued by SIGA on July 6, 2004, the text
of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1.
ITEM 7. Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information and Exhibits
(c) Exhibits
Exhibit No. Description
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99.1 Press Release dated July 6, 2004.
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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 duly authorized.
SIGA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
By: /s/ Thomas N. Konatich
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Thomas N. Konatich
Chief Financial Officer
Date: July 6, 2004
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EXHIBIT INDEX
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Exhibit Number Description
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99.1 Press Release dated July 6, 2004.
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EXHIBIT 99.1
Contact: Investor Contact:
Thomas N. Konatich Dianne Will
SIGA Technologies, Inc. Willstar Consultants, Inc.
Chief Financial Officer (518) 398-6222
(212) 672-9100 dwill@willstar.net
SIGA ANNOUNCES THE APPOINTMENT OF BERNARD L. KASTEN, M.D.
AS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
New York, July 6, 2004 -- SIGA Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: SIGA) today announced
the appointment of Bernard L. Kasten, M.D. as its Chief Executive Officer. Dr.
Kasten joins SIGA following eight years at Quest Diagnostics where he was Vice
President of Medical Affairs of its MedPlus subsidiary. During his career at
Quest, he also served as Vice President, Business Development for Science and
Medicine and Chief Laboratory Officer.
Dr. Kasten is a graduate of the Ohio State University College of Medicine and is
a Diplomate of the American Board of Pathology with Certification in Anatomic
and Clinical Pathology with sub-specialty certification in Medical Microbiology.
He completed his residency training at the Clinical Center of the National
Institutes of Health and National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland. He is
the author of many professional and scientific articles and is a Principal
Author of the "Infectious Disease Handbook" 5th Edition Lexi-Comp Inc, Hudson,
OH, 2002.
Dr. Kasten has been a member of SIGA's Board of Directors since May 2003.
"SIGA`s research and development efforts have yielded technology which positions
the Company to lead in the development of a next generation intranasally/orally
administrated vaccine effective in protecting the general population and
military from the rapidly emerging threat posed by smallpox used as an agent of
bioterrorism." stated Dr. Kasten. "In addition, the small molecule, antiviral
and antimicrobial agents in development at SIGA have the potential to become
important medical counter measures for viral and microbial agents used as
weapons of mass destruction."
SIGA's Chairman Donald G. Drapkin stated "The addition of Dr. Bernard L. Kasten
with his recognized domain expertise in Medical Microbiology, interest in
vaccine and drug design and a history of successful medical innovation provides
SIGA with the leadership to emerge as a sector pacesetter in the development,
production and commercialization of products to be used in combating agents of
biological warfare."
About SIGA Technologies, Inc.
SIGA Technologies is applying bacterial genomics in the design and development
of novel products for the prevention and treatment of serious infectious
diseases, with an emphasis on products for biological warfare defense. SIGA has
the potential of becoming a significant force in the discovery of vaccine and
pharmaceutical agents to fight emerging pathogens. SIGA's product development
programs emphasize the increasingly serious problem of drug resistant bacteria
and emerging pathogens.
SIGA's vaccine and drug platforms are based on its pioneering research into the
structure, function and processing of bacterial surface proteins. SIGA is
leveraging these platforms through multiple strategic partners, including the
National Institutes of Health and TransTech Pharma. For more information about
SIGA, please visit SIGA's Web site at www.siga.com.
This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such
statements, including statements regarding the efficacy and intended utilization
of SIGA's technologies under development, are not guarantees of future
performance. Actual results may differ materially from the expectations
contained in the forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause such
differences include the risk that potential products that appeared promising in
early research or clinical trials to SIGA or its collaborators do not
demonstrate efficacy or safety in subsequent pre-clinical or clinical trials,
and the risk that SIGA or its collaborators will not obtain appropriate or
necessary governmental approvals to market products tested in such trials. More
detailed information about SIGA and the factors discussed above is set forth in
SIGA's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including SIGA's
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2003, and in
other documents that SIGA has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission. Investors and security holders are urged to read those documents
free of charge at the Commission's web site at www.sec.com. Those documents may
also be obtained free of charge from SIGA. SIGA does not undertake to publicly
update or revise its forward-looking statements as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise.
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