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): July 25, 2017

 

ENTEROMEDICS INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware

 

1-33818

 

48-1293684

(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation)

 

(Commission File Number)

 

(I.R.S. Employer Identification
Number)

 

2800 Patton Road
St. Paul, Minnesota

 

55113

(Address of principal executive offices)

 

(Zip Code)

 

(651) 634-3003

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

Not applicable

(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))

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

 

Emerging growth company o

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. o

 

 

 



 

Item 8.01                                           Other Events.

 

On July 25, 2017, EnteroMedics Inc. (the “Company”) entered into a Collaboration Agreement with Galvani Bioelectronics Limited (“Galvani”).  Under the Collaboration Agreement, EnteroMedics will modify its vBloc System for use in pre-clinical research by Galvani.  EnteroMedics will receive payments for its development work and supply under this agreement.  EnteroMedics will retain all rights, title, and ownership in the intellectual property for the new device, which will be licensed to Galvani.  Galvani has been granted a right of first negotiation for the potential exclusive or non-exclusive supply by EnteroMedics of the developed device, exercisable at Galvani’s election.

 

EnteroMedics believes that this collaboration is an example of opportunities that may exist to leverage the company’s intellectual property portfolio and custom development services to provide third party sales and licensing opportunities.

 

Galvani is a joint venture between GlaxoSmithKline and Verily Life Sciences (an Alphabet company) that was established in 2016 to enable the research, development and commercialization of bioelectronic medicines.

 

Forward-Looking Safe Harbor Statement:

 

This Current Report on Form 8-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of words such as expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “could,” “may,” “intend,” “will,” “continue,” “future,” other words of similar meaning and the use of future dates. Forward-looking statements in this Current Report on Form 8-K include our belief that opportunities may exist to leverage our intellectual property portfolio and custom development services to provide third party sales and licensing opportunities. These forward-looking statements are based on the current expectations of our management and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others: our limited history of operations; our losses since inception and for the foreseeable future; our limited commercial sales experience with our vBloc® System for the treatment of obesity in the United States or in any foreign market other than Australia and the European Community; the competitive industry in which we operate; our ability to maintain compliance with the Nasdaq continued listing requirements; our ability to commercialize our vBloc® System; our dependence on third parties to initiate and perform our clinical trials; the need to obtain regulatory approval for any modifications to our vBloc® System; physician adoption of our vBloc® System and vBloc® Neurometabolic Therapy; our ability to obtain third party coding, coverage or payment levels; ongoing regulatory compliance; our dependence on third party manufacturers and suppliers; the successful development of our sales and marketing capabilities; our ability to raise additional capital when needed; international commercialization and operation; our ability to attract and retain management and other personnel and to manage our growth effectively; potential product liability claims; the cost and management time of operating a public company; potential healthcare fraud and abuse claims; healthcare legislative reform; and our ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection for our technology and products. These and additional risks and uncertainties are described more fully in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, particularly those factors identified as “risk factors” in the annual report on Form 10-K

 

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filed March 8, 2017 and quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed May 15, 2017. We are providing this information as of the date of this Current Report on Form 8-K and do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this document as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

 

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SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

 

ENTEROMEDICS INC.

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Scott P. Youngstrom

 

 

Scott P. Youngstrom

 

 

Chief Financial Officer and Chief Compliance Officer

 

 

Dated: July 25, 2017

 

 

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