SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
___________________________
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
March 21, 2014
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)
Discovery Laboratories, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
|
Delaware
|
000-26422
|
94-3171943
|
|
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)
|
(Commission File Number)
|
(IRS Employer Identification Number)
|
2600 Kelly Road, Suite 100
Warrington, Pennsylvania 18976
(Address of principal executive offices)
(215) 488-9300
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
| o | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
| o | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
| o | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
| o | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
| Item 5.02. | Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers. |
On March 21, 2014, Discovery Laboratories, Inc. (the "Company") appointed John A. Tattory as its Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Tattory will continue to serve as the Company’s designated principal accounting officer.
John A. Tattory, 48, has served as the Company's Vice President, Finance and Chief Accounting Officer since March 2013, having previously served as Vice President, Finance, and Controller and the designated principal accounting officer since July 2010, and Vice President, Finance, since January 2008. As Vice President, Finance and Chief Accounting Officer, Mr. Tattory has been responsible for managing the Company’s financial and accounting operations, including financial planning and forecasting, financial analysis, accounting systems and policies, internal controls, commercial accounting matters, and financial reporting. Prior to joining the Company, from May 2005 to January 2008, Mr. Tattory served as Director, Financial Planning & Analysis at Tyco International. Prior to joining Tyco, Mr. Tattory was employed at Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) in a variety of financial roles of increasing responsibility, most recently as Finance Director, U.S. Primary Care. While at BMS, he was responsible for managing financial matters for various BMS pharmaceutical businesses including international operations. Prior to BMS, Mr. Tattory was employed at Ernst & Young LLP in the firm’s audit practice. Mr. Tattory is a certified public accountant and holds a B.S. degree in Commerce from Rider University.
Effective March 24, 2014, Mr. Tattory's base annual salary will be $260,000 and his bonus target range may be up to 30% of his base salary, as determined by the Company's Compensation Committee.
| Item 8.01. | Other Events. |
On March 24, 2014, William C. Roberts joined the Company as its Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications. Mr. Roberts will report to John G. Cooper, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company.
| Item 9.01. | Financial Statements and Exhibits. |
| (d) | Exhibits |
| 99.1 | Press release dated March 25, 2014 |
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.
|
|
Discovery Laboratories, Inc.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
By
|
/s/ John G. Cooper
|
|
|
|
Name:
|
John G. Cooper
|
|
|
|
Title:
|
President and Chief Executive Officer
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Date: March 26, 2014
Exhibit 99.1
Discovery Labs Announces New Appointments to Management Team
Warrington, PA – March 25, 2014 – Discovery Laboratories, Inc. (NASDAQ: DSCO), a specialty biotechnology company dedicated to advancing a new standard in respiratory critical care, today announced new appointments to the Company’s management team. William C. Roberts has joined the Company as Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications. In addition, John A. Tattory has been appointed Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Both Mr. Roberts and Mr. Tattory will report to John G. Cooper, President and Chief Executive Officer.
“Will has a track record of success in broad corporate, pipeline and product communications and investor relations, and brings significant experience in pediatric respiratory disease – all valuable to coalesce our communications strategies so our customers and stakeholders fully understand the value and vision of SURFAXIN® (lucinactant) and AEROSURF®,” commented John G. Cooper, Chief Executive Officer at Discovery Labs. “John has played a key role in the Company’s financial management and has the strategic insights, business knowledge, and proven leadership ability that make him well suited to assume the role of Chief Financial Officer.”
Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Roberts spent ten years with ViroPharma Incorporated (recently acquired by Shire), most recently serving as Vice President, Corporate Communications, with responsibility for investor and media relations, patient and physician advocacy, disease awareness, and commercial support. His record includes developing award-winning communications programs such as ViroPharma’s investor relations program which won IR Magazine’s 2013 ‘IR Professional of the Year – Small Cap’ (co-winner: R. Doody) and ‘Grand Prix, Best Overall Investor Relations Program – Small Cap’ awards. Previously, Mr. Roberts spent 12 years with MedImmune Inc. (acquired by AstraZeneca in 2007) in various scientific and investor relations roles of increasing responsibility. While at MedImmune, he focused primarily on pipeline and pediatric respiratory franchise communications, including the development and launch of Synagis® (palivizumab), a product approved to help protect premature and high risk infants from a severe respiratory disease.
Mr. Tattory joined Discovery Labs in 2008 and has served since then as Vice President, Finance. Mr. Tattory is a Certified Public Accountant with more than 20 years of finance and accounting experience, including eight years with Ernst & Young LLP and eight years with Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), where he had responsibility for the financial management of various domestic and international BMS pharmaceutical business operations. At Discovery Labs, he is responsible for the management of the Company's financial operations and has played a key role in the Company’s financing activities.
ABOUT DISCOVERY LABS
Discovery Laboratories, Inc. is a specialty biotechnology company focused on advancing a new standard in respiratory critical care. Discovery Labs’ technology platform includes its novel proprietary KL4 surfactant, a synthetic, peptide-containing surfactant that is structurally similar to pulmonary surfactant, and its proprietary drug delivery technologies being developed to enable efficient delivery of aerosolized KL4 surfactant and other inhaled therapies. Discovery Labs’ strategy is initially focused on neonatology and improving the management of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in premature infants. Discovery Labs believes that its RDS product portfolio has the potential to become the new standard of care for RDS and, over time, enable the treatment of a significantly greater number of premature infants who could benefit from surfactant therapy but are currently not treated.
For more information, please visit the Company’s website at www.Discoverylabs.com.
Contact Information:
Will Roberts, Vice President, Corporate Communication and Investor Relations: 215.488.9489 or wroberts@discoverylabs.com