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): March 8, 2016
Arbutus Biopharma Corporation
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
| BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA | 001-34949 | 980597776 |
| (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation) | (Commission File Number) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
| 100-8900 Glenlyon Parkway, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5J 5J8 |
| (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code) |
(604) 419-3200
(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: | ||
| [ ] | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) | |
| [ ] | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) | |
| [ ] | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) | |
| [ ] | 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 March 8, 2016, the Registrant issued a press release, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
Exhibit 99.1. Press release dated March 8, 2016
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.
| Arbutus Biopharma Corporation | ||
| Date: March 8, 2016 | By: | /s/ Bruce G. Cousins |
| Name: Bruce G. Cousins | ||
| Title: Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | ||
EXHIBIT 99.1
Arbutus Appoints Dr. Elizabeth Howard Executive Vice President and General Counsel
Strengthens Emphasis on Intellectual Property
VANCOUVER, British Columbia and DOYLESTOWN, Pa., March 08, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Arbutus Biopharma Corporation (Nasdaq:ABUS), an industry-leading therapeutic solutions company focused on developing a cure for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, today announced the appointment of Elizabeth Howard, Ph.D., J.D. as Executive Vice President and General Counsel.
“We are delighted to welcome Liz to the Arbutus team. Her legal and business experience will be invaluable to Arbutus as we reinforce our position as a leading HBV solutions company. Over the past decade Arbutus, with support from Liz as external counsel, has established a dominant position in LNP technology including key patents, knowhow and manufacturing trade secrets which we are applying to our HBV franchise as well as existing and prospective partnerships,” said Dr. Mark J. Murray, Arbutus' President and CEO. "In addition, Arbutus has been building intellectual property around our proprietary HBV product candidates and scientific discoveries. Liz’s addition to the team will further bolster our initiatives to maintain and grow our strong intellectual property as well as other legal and business matters.”
Dr. Howard joins Arbutus from Orrick, where she was an intellectual property partner and co-chaired Orrick’s life sciences practice. Dr. Howard focused on patent infringement litigation, with an emphasis on the life sciences. Dr. Howard holds a B.A. with honors from the University of California, Santa Barbara, a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.
About Arbutus
Arbutus Biopharma Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering, developing and commercializing a cure for patients suffering from chronic HBV infection. Our strategy is to target the three pillars necessary to develop a curative regimen for HBV: suppressing HBV replication within liver cells, stimulating and reactivating the body’s immune system so that it can mount an effective defense against the virus and, eliminating the reservoir of viral genomic material known as covalently closed circular DNA, or cccDNA that is the source of HBV persistence. Our portfolio of assets includes a broad pipeline of drug candidates for use in combination to develop a cure for HBV. To support continuous discovery of potential novel drug candidates and technologies, Arbutus has a research collaboration agreement with the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute that provides exclusive rights to in-license any intellectual property generated through the collaboration. The Baruch S. Blumberg Institute was established in 2003 by the Hepatitis B Foundation.
Arbutus is headquartered in Vancouver, BC, Canada with offices in Doylestown, PA, USA. For more information, visit www.arbutusbio.com.
Contact Information
Investors
Adam Cutler
Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs
Phone: 604.419.3200
Email: acutler@arbutusbio.com
Helia Baradarani
Manager, Investor Relations
Phone: 604.419.3200
Email: hbaradarani@arbutusbio.com
Media
Please direct all media inquiries to: media@arbutusbio.com