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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): December 11, 1997
ImmunoGen, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Massachusetts 0-17999 04-2726691
(State or other jurisdiction (Commission file number) (IRS Employer
of incorporation) Identification No.)
333 Providence Highway, Norwood, Massachusetts 02062
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (781) 769-4242
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ITEM 5. OTHER EVENTS
On December 11, 1997, the Registrant publicly disseminated a press release
announcing a $3.0 million investment in the Company by Biotechnology Value Fund,
L.P. and affiliates ("BVF") of San Francisco. The investment, involving the sale
of preferred stock and warrants, will be completed in two installments.
One-third of the investment was received yesterday, December 10, and subject to
the terms of its agreement with BVF, the balance is expected to be received
within the next several weeks. The preferred stock will be convertible into
common stock at the end of a two-year holding period at $1.0625 per share, the
closing price on Monday, December 8, 1997.
The press release announcing the investment is incorporated herein by reference
and filed as Exhibit 99.1 hereto.
ITEM 7. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS
(c) Exhibits.
99.1 The Registrant's Press Release dated December 11, 1997.
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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.
ImmunoGen, Inc.
(Registrant)
Date: December 11, 1997 /s/Kathleen A. Carroll
---------------------------
Kathleen A. Carroll
Vice President, Finance and
Administration, and principal
financial officer
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EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit Sequential
Number Description Page Number(s)
99.1 The Registrant's Press Release Dated
December 11, 1997 5
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EXHIBIT 99.1
IMMUNOGEN, INC.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
333 PROVIDENCE HIGHWAY, NORWOOD, MA 02062 TEL: (781) 769-4242
FAX: (781) 255-9679
Contact: Mitchel Sayare, Ph.D.
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer
ImmunoGen, Inc.
(781) 769-4242
-or-
Gretchen L.P. Schweitzer
or Lucy Morrison
Feinstein Kean Partners, Inc.
(617) 577-8110
For Immediate Release:
IMMUNOGEN ANNOUNCES COMPLETION OF PRIVATE PLACEMENT
-- Biotechnology Value Fund Invests $3 Million in ImmunoGen --
Norwood, Massachusetts, December 11, 1997-- ImmunoGen, Inc. (NASDAQ: IMGN) today
announced a $3.0 million investment in the company by Biotechnology Value Fund,
L.P. and affiliates (BVF) of San Francisco. The investment, to be completed in
two installments, involves the sale of preferred stock and warrants. The
preferred stock will be convertible into common stock at the end of a two-year
holding period at $1.0625 per share, Monday's closing price. The Company has
received one-third of the investment yesterday, and subject to the terms of its
agreement with BVF, it expects to receive the balance within the next several
weeks.
"The Biotechnology Value Fund investment will enable the Company to accelerate
preclinical development of the first two applications of ImmunoGen's
tumor-activated prodrug technology. In particular, ImmunoGen is focused on
advancing huC242-DM1, our anti-colon cancer drug for which we recently announced
encouraging primate safety data, and huN901-DM1, our anti-small cell lung cancer
drug," said Mitchel Sayare, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ImmunoGen.
"This financing, in addition to our discovery and development collaboration
between BioChem Pharma and ImmunoGen's subsidiary, Apoptosis Technology, Inc.,
are significant endorsements of our core technology."
Mark Lampert, President of BVF, Inc. stated, "Our decision to invest in
ImmunoGen reflects our continued strategy to seek companies in the biotechnology
industry that we believe to be undervalued, but which have a tremendous amount
of potential. We believe ImmunoGen's huC242-DM1, specifically, and
tumor-activated prodrug technology, generally, are among the most significant
and promising opportunities we have seen in the biotechnology industry. We are
honored to be a part of their continued development."
The preferred stock and warrants are not being registered under the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), or applicable state securities law, and may
not be publicly offered or sold in the United States absent registration under
the Act or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements thereof.
-more-
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ImmunoGen Financing Release
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This press release includes forward-looking statements based on management's
current expectations. Factors that could cause future results to differ
materially from such expectations include, but are not limited to, the ability
to secure future funding; the success of the Company's research strategy; the
applicability of the discoveries made therein; the difficulties inherent in the
development of pharmaceuticals, including uncertainties as to the timing and
results of preclinical studies; uncertainty as to whether the Company's
potential products will succeed in entering human clinical trials and
uncertainty as to the results of such trials; uncertainty as to whether adequate
reimbursement for these products will exist from government, private healthcare
insurers and third-party payors; and the uncertainties as to the extent of
future government regulation of the pharmaceutical business.
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