UNITED
STATES
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
Date
of
report (date of earliest event reported): January 13, 2007
ZIOPHARM
Oncology, Inc.
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
|
Delaware
|
0-32353
|
84-1475642
|
|
(State
or other jurisdiction of incorporation)
|
(Commission
File Number)
|
(IRS
Employer Identification No.)
|
1180
Avenue of the Americas, 19th
Floor
New
York, NY 10036
(Address
of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
(646)
214-0700
(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 Principal Officers; Election of Directors;
Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
On
January 13, 2007, the Company entered into a one year agreement with Dr. Robert
Peter Gale pursuant to which Dr. Gale will serve in a consulting capacity as
Chief Scientific Advisor commencing January 15, 2007. Under this agreement,
the
Company will pay Dr. Gale $100,000 for advisory services rendered and will
pay
the cost of COBRA continuation coverage for Dr. Gale during the one year term
of
the agreement. The Company will also reimburse Dr. Gale for travel expenses
incurred in connection with his performance of these services.
Since
January 15, 2004, Dr. Gale has been employed as Senior Vice President Research
of the Company pursuant to an employment agreement with the Company that expired
January 14, 2007.
Item
9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits.
| 99.1 |
Press
Release dated January 16, 2007.
|
SIGNATURE
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.
| Date: January 16, 2007 |
ZIOPHARM
Oncology, Inc.:
(REGISTRANT)
|
|
| |
|
|
| By: | /s/ Richard E. Bagley | |
|
RICHARD
E. BAGLEY,
President, Chief
Operating
Officer and Chief Financial Officer
|
||
Exhibit
Index
|
Exhibit
No.
|
Description
|
|
|
99.1
|
Press
Release dated January 16, 2007
|
Exhibit
99.1
ZIOPHARM
Announces Addition to Medical Advisory Board
--SVP
of Research Transitions to Chief Scientific Advisor--
NEW
YORK, NY - January 16, 2007
-
ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZIOP) announced today that John F. Smyth,
M.D.,
Professor of Medical Oncology, Cancer Research Centre, University of Edinburgh
and President of the Federation of European Cancer Societies and ECCO 2007
has
joined the Company’s Medical Advisory Board (MAB). In addition, the Company
announced that Robert P. Gale, M.D., Ph.D., will transition from his current
role as Senior Vice President of Research for ZIOPHARM, to that of Chief
Scientific Advisor. Dr. Gale will also remain on the Company’s MAB.
Dr
John
F. Smyth has for the past 25 years served as Chair of Medical Oncology in the
University of Edinburgh Medical School, where his major research interest is
the
development and evaluation of new anti-cancer drugs. He has published over
300
papers and is Editor-in-Chief of the European Journal of Cancer. He currently
serves on the Expert Oncology Advisory Groups to the UK and European Drug
Licensing Boards, and is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of
Edinburgh and London, and fellow of the Royal Society pf Edinburgh. He is a
former president of the European Society of Medical Oncology.
Dr.
Lewis
commented, “We are very pleased to welcome John Smyth to our Medical Advisory
Board. John brings a strong European presence to ZIOPHARM which will be very
important as we initiate our global clinical development strategy. Dr. Smyth
is
a world renowned cancer researcher whose drug development expertise will be
invaluable to ZIOPHARM as we advance our pipeline of promising oncology
products.”
“Bob
Gale, who is a world renowned hematologist, has been instrumental in
establishing our current research programs, and we look forward to continuing
to
benefit from his input and vast expertise as our Chief Scientific Advisor and
as
a member of our Medical Advisory Board,” concluded Dr. Lewis
About
ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc.
ZIOPHARM
Oncology, Inc. applies
new insights from molecular and cancer biology to understand the efficacy and
safety limitations of approved and developmental cancer therapies and identifies
proprietary and related molecules for better patient treatment.
For more information, visit www.ziopharm.com.
Forward-Looking
Safe Harbor Statement:
This
press release contains forward-looking statements for ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc.
that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause the Company's actual
results to differ materially from the anticipated results and expectations
expressed in these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on
current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that are subject to risks and
uncertainties, which could cause actual outcomes and results to differ
materially from these statements. Among other things, there can be no assurance
that any of the Company's development efforts relating to its product candidates
will be successful, or such product candidates will be successfully
commercialized. Other risks that affect forward-looking information contained
in
this press release include the possibility of being unable to obtain regulatory
approval of the Company's product candidates, the risk that the results of
clinical trials may not support the Company's claims, and risks related to
the
Company's ability to protect its intellectual property and its reliance on
third
parties to develop its product candidates. The Company assumes no obligation
to
update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.
ZIOP-G
Contacts:
Investors
Suzanne
McKenna
ZIOPHARM
Investor Relations
(646)
214-0703
smckenna@ziopharm.com
Media
Tina
Posterli
Rx
Communications
(917)
322-2565
tposterli@rxir.com