UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
__________________________
FORM 8-K/A
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): August 25, 2004
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SIGA Technologies, Inc.
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(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
Delaware 0-23047 13-3864870
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(State or other Jurisdiction of (Commission File (I.R.S. Employer
Incorporation or Organization) Number) Identification Number)
420 Lexington Avenue, Suite 601, New York, New York 10170
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(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
(212) 672-9100
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(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
ITEM 7.01. Other Events and Required FD Disclosure.
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On August 25, 2004, SIGA Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation,
issued a press release pursuant to which it announced the receipt of two
grants totaling approximately $12 million from the National Institutes of
Health, which will be received over the next two years and will support the
development of the biowarfare defense assets recently acquired from
ViroPharma Incorporated. A copy of the press release is attached hereto as
Exhibit 99.1, which is incorporated in this Item 7.01 by reference.
ITEM 9. Financial Statements and Exhibits
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(c) Exhibits
Exhibit No. Description
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99.1 Press Release dated August 25, 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: August 25, 2004
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EXHIBIT INDEX
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Exhibit Number Description
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99.1 Press Release dated August 25, 2004.
EXHIBIT 99.1
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Contact: Investor Contact:
Thomas N. Konatich Dianne Will
Chief Financial Officer Willstar Consultants, Inc.
SIGA Technologies, Inc. (518) 398-6222
(212) 672-9100 dwill@willstar.net
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SIGA ANNOUNCES RECEIPT OF $12 MILLION IN NIH FUNDING FOR BIODEFENSE
New York, August 25, 2004 -- SIGA Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: SIGA) today
announced the receipt of two grants totaling approximately $12 million from the
National Institutes of Health (NIH). The $12 million in grant funding will be
received over the next two years and will support the development of the
biowarfare defense assets recently acquired from ViroPharma. The grant awards
include funding for the preclinical development of antivirals targeting smallpox
and arenaviruses, as well as drug discovery efforts against other hemorrhagic
fever viruses such as Ebola. "We are pleased to receive these awards validating
SIGA's capabilities to take these research programs to the next level. This
support will make a significant impact accelerating development of these
important biodefense products," said Dr. Dennis E. Hruby, Chief Scientific
Officer of SIGA. Smallpox and arenaviruses are Category A bioterrorism agents,
both are considered significant threats due to their ease of transmission, high
mortality rates and lack of vaccination. Present treatments for smallpox cannot
be administered to the general population without significant risk of adverse
reactions. Likewise, no treatment for arenaviruses, (a causative agent of viral
hemorrhagic fevers), currently exists.
Bernard L. Kasten, M.D. SIGA's Chief Executive Officer commented that "The award
of the $12 Million in NIH grant funding and the acquisition of ViroPharma's
biowarfare defense assets complement SIGA's industry leading position as a
developer of bioterrorism counter measures for category A Agents."
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, 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, 2002, 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.