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): August 18, 2008
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
8.01. Other Events.
On
August
18, 2008, ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. issued the press release attached hereto
as
Exhibit 99.1, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Item
9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits.
| 99.1 |
Press
Release dated August 18, 2008.
|
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.
|
ZIOPHARM
Oncology,
Inc.:
(Registrant)
|
||
| |
|
|
| Date: August 19, 2008 | By: /s/ Richard E. Bagley | |
| Name: Richard E. Bagley | ||
|
Title:
President and Chief Operating
Officer
|
||
Exhibit
99.1
ZIOPHARM
RECEIVES NOTICES OF ALLOWANCE FOR EUROPEAN
AND U.S.
PATENTS
COVERING INDIBULIN
NEW
YORK - August 18, 2008 -
ZIOPHARM
Oncology, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZIOP) announced today that it has received notice from
the European Patent Office that it intends to grant a patent with claims
covering certain pharmaceutical formulations of indibulin (ZIO-301) for oral
administration and processes for manufacturing such formulations. The Company
also announced that it has received a notice from the United States Patent
and
Trademark Office that it intends to grant a patent with claims covering certain
methods for treating multidrug-resistant tumors or inhibiting metastasis with
various pharmaceutical compounds, including indibulin.
Indibulin
is an oral novel tubulin targeted agent. The drug is currently being evaluated
in several Phase I and Phase I/II studies, both as a single agent and in
combination with Tarceva® and Xeloda®, for the treatment of a variety of solid
tumors.
"Indibulin
is a promising molecule that in early clinical study has demonstrated the
activity without the common and serious side effects, associated with this
class
of therapy," said Jonathan Lewis, MD, PhD, Chief Executive Officer and Chief
Medical Officer of ZIOPHARM. "These patent notices of allowance extend our
already substantial intellectual property portfolio for indibulin."
About
Indibulin
Indibulin
is a novel synthetic anti-mitotic agent that binds to tubulin, destabilizes
microtubule polymerization, arrests tumor cell growth at the G2/M phase and
inhibits cell mobility and metastasis. Microtubules are well-established targets
for anti-cancer drug development and tubulin-binding drugs such as taxanes
and
vinca alkaloids are currently widely used to treat cancer. Indibulin is orally
available, lacks neurotoxicity and has efficacy in taxane refractory preclinical
models.
About
ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc.
ZIOPHARM
Oncology, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development and
commercialization of a diverse, risk-sensitive portfolio of in-licensed cancer
drugs to address unmet medical needs. The Company 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
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Contacts:
Suzanne
McKenna
ZIOPHARM
Oncology, Inc.
(646)
214-0703
smckenna@ziopharm.com