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): February 3, 2012

 

Adeona Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

 

Nevada

(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)

 

01-12584 13-3808303
(Commission File Number) (IRS Employer Identification No.)

 

3985 Research Park Drive, Suite 200

Ann Arbor, MI 48108

(Address of principal executive offices and zip code)

 

(734) 332-7800

(Registrant’s telephone number including area code)

 

N/A

(Former Name and Former Address)

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of 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(b) 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))

 

 

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Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement

Effective February 3, 2012, Jeff Riley, age 49, was appointed Chief Executive Officer and President of Adeona Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Adeona” or “the Company”). In connection with his appointment, Mr. Riley entered into a three-year employment agreement with Adeona (the “Riley Employment Agreement”).  Pursuant to the Riley Employment Agreement, Mr. Riley will be entitled to an annual base salary of $348,000 and will be eligible for discretionary performance and transactional bonus payments.  Additionally, Mr. Riley was granted options to purchase 750,000 shares of the Company’s common stock with an exercise price equal to the Company’s per share market price on the date of issue. These options will vest pro rata, on a monthly basis, over thirty-six months.  The Riley Employment Agreement also includes confidentiality obligations and inventions assignments by Mr. Riley.

If Mr. Riley’s employment is terminated for any reason, he or his estate as the case may be, will be entitled to receive the accrued base salary, vacation pay, expense reimbursement and any other entitlements accrued by him to the extent not previously paid (the “Accrued Obligations”); provided , however , that if his employment is terminated (1) by the Company without Just Cause (as defined in the Riley Employment Agreement) or by Mr. Riley for Good Reason (as defined in the Riley Employment Agreement) then in addition to paying the Accrued Obligations, (x) the Company shall continue to pay his then current base salary and continue to provide benefits at least equal to those which were provided at the time of termination for a period of six months and (y) he shall have the right to exercise any vested options until the earlier of the expiration of the severance or the expiration of the term of the option, or (2) by reason of his death or Disability (as defined in the Riley Employment Agreement), then in addition to paying the Accrued Obligations, he would have the right to exercise any vested options until the expiration of the term of the option. In such event, if Mr. Riley commenced employment with another employer and becomes eligible to receive medical or other welfare benefits under another employer-provider plan, the medical and other welfare benefits to be provided by the Company as described herein will terminate.

Effective February 3, 2012, James S. Kuo, M.D., M.B.A. resigned from his positions as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. In connection with his resignation, Dr. Kuo entered into a nine-month consulting agreement with Adeona (the “Consulting Agreement”). Pursuant to the Consulting Agreement, Dr. Kuo will be entitled to a consulting fee of $16,666 per month during the term of the Consulting Agreement, receive health and dental benefits for one year and retain the right to exercise the stock options of the Company held by him that have vested as of the effective date of the Consulting Agreement for a period expiring on the date that is one (1) year from the effective date of the Consulting Agreement. The Consulting Agreement also includes confidentiality obligations and inventions assignments by Dr. Kuo.

The information contained in this Item 1.01 regarding the Riley Employment Agreement and the Consulting Agreement is qualified in its entirety by the copy of each agreement attached to this Current Report on Form 8-K as Exhibits 10.1 and 10.2, respectively, and incorporated herein by this reference.

Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers

Effective February 3, 2012, Jeff Riley was appointed Chief Executive Officer and President of the Company, and resigned as a member of the nominating and audit committees of the Board of Directors of the Company.

Mr. Riley has been a director of the Company since March 16, 2010, and has served as Chairman since November 2011. He has more than 20 years of experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries during which he negotiated numerous worldwide strategic corporate alliances, established joint ventures, and assisted in obtaining venture financings to support product development. Most recently, in addition to serving as Adeona’s Chairman, where Mr. Riley played an integral role in the formation of the Company¹s recent collaboration with Intrexon Corporation, he served as Managing Director of 526 Ventures, a life science-focused venture capital and advisory firm. Prior to this, he was a venture partner with QIC Bioventures Fund, the life science-focused venture component of the $70 billion Australian-based Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC). Over his career, Mr. Riley held senior positions within the mergers & acquisitions and in country management groups at both SmithKline Beecham and Pfizer. Additionally, he served as CFO and VP Corporate Development for Nichols Institute Diagnostics, a division of Quest Diagnostics, Inc. (NYSE: DGX). Mr. Riley holds a Bachelor of Science degree in International Relations/Biology and participated in a dual-degree graduate program (MBA/MIM) sponsored by Arizona State University and the Thunderbird School of Global Management.

In connection with his appointment, Mr. Riley entered into a three-year employment agreement with Adeona.  See Item 1.01 for a description of the terms of the Riley Employment Agreement.

There are no family relationships between Mr.Riley and any director, executive officer or person nominated or chosen by the Company to become as director or executive officer.  Additionally, there have been no transactions involving Mr. Riley that would require disclosure under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.

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On February 3, 2012, Nelson K. Stacks and Scott L. Tarriff were appointed to the Board of Directors of the Company. As of the date of this Report, Mr. Jeffrey J. Kraws, a current independent director of the Company, has been named to serve on the nominations committee of the Board to replace Mr. Riley, and Mr. Stacks has been named to serve on the audit committee of the Board to replace Mr. Riley. Mr. Stacks qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as that term is used in Section 407 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Messrs. Tarriff and Stacks are each independent in compliance with the applicable listing standards of the NYSE Amex stock exchange. For their services as directors of the Company, Messrs. Stacks and Tarriff will receive the Company’s standard compensation applicable to nonemployee directors.

There are no family relationships between either of Mr. Stacks or Mr. Tarriff and any director, executive officer or person nominated or chosen by the Company to become as director or executive officer.  Additionally, there have been no transactions involving either Mr. Stacks or Mr. Tarriff that would require disclosure under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.

Effective February 3, 2012, James S. Kuo, M.D., M.B.A. resigned from his positions as President and Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Kuo remains as a member of the Board of Directors of the Company. See Item 1.01 for a description of the terms of his Consulting Agreement with the Company.

Item 8.01 Other Events

On February 6, 2012 the Company issued a press release announcing the appointment of Mr. Riley as an executive officer, and of Mr. Stacks and Mr. Tarriff as directors of the Company and the resignation of Dr. Kuo as an executive officer of the Company. A copy of the press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits

(d)           Exhibits

The following exhibits are being filed as part of this Report.

Exhibit

Number

 

Description

   
10.1 Employment Agreement, dated February 3, 2012, by and between Jeff Riley and the Company.*
10.2 Consulting Agreement dated February 3, 2012 by and between Dr. James S. Kuo and the Company.*
99.1 Press Release dated February 6, 2012.*
 

*Filed herewith.

 

 

 

 

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.

 

Dated:  February 6, 2012 ADEONA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
  (Registrant)
     
  By: /s/ Jeff Riley
 

Name: Jeff Riley

Title: Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

 

 

   
   

 

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EXHIBIT INDEX

 

 

Exhibit

Number

 

Description

10.1 Employment Agreement, dated February 3, 2012, by and between Jeff Riley and the Company.*
10.2 Consulting Agreement dated February 3, 2012 by and between Dr. James S. Kuo and the Company.*
99.1 Press Release dated February 6, 2012.*
   
   
 
 

*Filed herewith.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EXHIBIT 10.1

 

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

 

This Employment Agreement (this “Agreement”), dated February 3, 2012, by and between Adeona Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Nevada (the “Corporation”), and Jeffrey Riley, an individual (the “Executive”).

 

1.           EMPLOYMENT; DUTIES

 

(a) The Corporation hereby engages and employs Executive as the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer and President of the Corporation, and Executive hereby accepts such engagement and employment as Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer and President of the Corporation, for the term of this Agreement as long as Executive desires to serve. It is expected that Executive will perform such duties commensurate with such titles and as the Board of Directors of the Corporation shall reasonably determine, and the employment duties of Executive will include reporting directly to the Board of Directors of the Corporation for the full time high quality performance of directing, supervising and having responsibility for all aspects of the operations and general affairs of the Corporation as directed by the Board of Directors. Executive further agrees to serve without additional compensation as an officer or director of any subsidiaries of the Corporation upon request of the Board of Directors.

 

(b) Executive shall devote substantially all of his professional time under this Agreement to the business of the Corporation. Executive’s employment under this Agreement shall be Executive’s exclusive employment during the term of this Agreement.  Executive may not engage, directly or indirectly, in any other business, investment, or activity that interferes with Executive's performance of Executive's duties hereunder, is contrary to the interest of the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries, or requires any significant portion of Executive's business time.  The foregoing notwithstanding, the parties recognize and agree that Executive may engage in personal investments, other business activities and civic, charitable or religious activities which do not conflict with the business and affairs of the Corporation or interfere with Executive's performance of his duties hereunder.  Executive may not serve on the board of directors of any entity other than the Corporation during the Term (as hereinafter defined) without the written approval of the Board of Directors.  Executive shall be permitted to retain any compensation received for approved service on any unaffiliated corporation's board of directors.

(c) The Corporation shall pay or reimburse reasonable travel, lodging, meal and related incidental costs of the Executive when the Executive is requested to travel to or from the Corporation’s locations and while on business for the Corporation, consistent with the Corporation’s travel policies in effect from time to time.

(d) The Corporation shall provide a computer, cellular phone and office for Executive.

 

2.           TERM

 

The term (the “Term”) of Executive’s employment shall be three (3) years from the execution date of this Agreement unless terminated earlier under Section 9 of this Agreement. The parties may extend the Term for an additional three (3) year period upon mutual consent of Executive and the Board of Directors of the Corporation, upon terms to be agreed upon by the parties.

 

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3.           COMPENSATION

 

(a) As compensation for the performance of his duties on behalf of the Corporation, Executive shall receive the following:

 

(i)            Base Salary . Executive shall receive an annual base salary of Three Hundred Forty Eight Thousand Dollars ($348,000) for the Term (the “Base Salary”), payable semi-monthly.

 

(ii)            Bonus . The Executive shall be eligible for an annual bonus of up to fifty percent (50%) of his base salary payable in cash or equity. Any bonus that may be awarded will be in the sole and absolute discretion of both the Compensation Committee and the Board of Directors of the Corporation. The amount of such bonus shall depend on the achievement by the Executive and/or the Corporation of certain objectives to be established by the Board or the Compensation Committee in consultation with the Executive, along with such other factors the Board and Compensation Committee deems relevant. Any bonus for a given fiscal year shall be payable in one lump sum upon approval by the Board of Directors of the Corporation or the Compensation Committee, which shall be obtained by the Corporation on or about January 31 of the following year.

   

(b) The Corporation shall reimburse Executive for all normal, usual and necessary expenses incurred by Executive, including all travel, lodging and entertainment, against receipt by the Corporation, as the case may be, of appropriate vouchers or other proof of Executive’s expenditures and otherwise in accordance with such Expense Reimbursement Policy as may from time to time be adopted by the Corporation.

 

(c) The Executive shall receive a non-restricted option to purchase 750,000 shares of the Corporation’s publicly traded common stock. The option shall be exercisable at the market price per share on the date hereof. The option will vest monthly on each monthly anniversary of the date hereof and for thirty six (36) successive months while Executive is employed by the Corporation and such options will remain exercisable for a period of ten (10) years from the date of grant, unless terminated earlier. Other terms of the option, including the period to exercise such options following termination of employment, shall be according to the Corporation’s existing stock option plan.

 

(d) The Corporation shall provide Executive with full advance indemnification to the extent permitted by Nevada law, including indemnification for activities at all subsidiaries.

 

(e) Executive shall be entitled to four (4) weeks paid vacation and sick leave in accordance with the Corporation’s policies. The Corporation shall provide Executive and his family with healthcare coverage pursuant to the Corporation’s healthcare insurance policy plan as well as any other benefits provided to executive officers.

 

4.           REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES BY EXECUTIVE

 

Executive hereby represents and warrants to the Corporation as follows:

 

(a)           Neither the execution and delivery of this Agreement nor the performance by Executive of his duties and other obligations hereunder violates or will violate any statute, law, determination or award, or conflict with or constitute a default under (whether immediately, upon the giving of notice or lapse of time or both) any prior employment agreement, contract, or other instrument to which Executive is a party or by which he is bound.

 

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(b)           Executive has the full right, power and legal capacity to enter and deliver this Agreement and to perform his duties and other obligations hereunder. This Agreement constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation of Executive enforceable against him in accordance with its terms. No approvals or consents of any persons or entities are required for Executive to execute and deliver this Agreement or perform his duties and other obligations hereunder.

 

6.           CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

 

(a)           Executive agrees that during the course of his employment or at any time thereafter, he will not disclose or make accessible to any other person, the Corporation’s products, services and technology, both current and under development, promotion and marketing programs, lists, trade secrets and other confidential and proprietary business information of the Corporation or any affiliates or any of their clients. Executive agrees: (i) not to use any such information for himself or others, and (ii) not to take any such material or reproductions thereof from the Corporation’s facilities at any time during his employment by the Corporation other than to perform his duties hereunder. Executive agrees immediately to return all such material and reproductions thereof in his possession to the Corporation upon request and in any event upon termination of employment.

 

(b)           Except with prior written authorization by the Corporation, Executive agrees not to disclose or publish any of the confidential, technical or business information or material of the Corporation, its clients or any other party to whom the Corporation owes an obligation of confidence, at any time during or after his employment with the Corporation.

 

(c)           In the event that Executive breaches any provisions of this Section 6 or there is a threatened breach, then, in addition to any other rights which the Corporation may have, the Corporation shall be entitled, without the posting of a bond or other security, to injunctive relief to enforce the restrictions contained herein. In the event that an actual proceeding is brought in equity to enforce the provisions of this Section 6, Executive shall not urge as a defense that there is an adequate remedy at law, nor shall the Corporation be prevented from seeking any other remedies which may be available. In addition, Executive agrees that in the event that he breaches the covenants in this Section 6, in addition to any other rights that the Corporation may have, Executive shall be required to pay to the Corporation any amounts he receives in connection with such breach.

 

(d)           Executive recognizes that in the course of his duties hereunder, he may receive from the Corporation or others information which may be considered “material, non-public information” concerning a public company that is subject to the reporting requirements of the United States Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Executive agrees not to:

 

(i)           Buy or sell any security, option, bond or warrant while in possession of relevant material, non-public information received from the Corporation or others in connection herewith, and

 

(ii)           Provide the Corporation with information with respect to any public company that may be considered material, non-public information, unless first specifically agreed to in writing by the Corporation.

 

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 7.           INVENTIONS DISCOVERED BY EXECUTIVE

 

Executive shall promptly disclose to the Corporation any invention, improvement, discovery, process, formula, or method or other intellectual property, whether or not patentable or copyrightable (collectively, "Inventions"), conceived or first reduced to practice by Executive, either alone or jointly with others, while performing services hereunder (or, if based on any Confidential Information, within one (1) year after the Term), (a) which pertain to any line of business activity of the Corporation, whether then conducted or then being actively planned by the Corporation, with which Executive was or is involved, (b) which is developed using time, material or facilities of the Corporation, whether or not during working hours or on the Corporation premises, or (c) which directly relates to any of Executive’s work during the Term, whether or not during normal working hours. Executive hereby assigns to the Corporation all of Executive’s right, title and interest in and to any such Inventions. During and after the Term, Executive shall execute any documents necessary to perfect the assignment of such Inventions to the Corporation and to enable the Corporation to apply for, obtain and enforce patents, trademarks and copyrights in any and all countries on such Inventions, including, without limitation, the execution of any instruments and the giving of evidence and testimony, without further compensation beyond Executive’s agreed compensation during the course of Executive’s employment. All such acts shall be done without cost or expense to Executive. Executive shall be compensated for the giving of evidence or testimony after the term of Executive’s employment at the rate of $1,000/day. Without limiting the foregoing, Executive further acknowledges that all original works of authorship by Executive, whether created alone or jointly with others, related to Executive’s employment with the Corporation and which are protectable by copyright, are "works made for hire" within the meaning of the United States Copyright Act, 17 U.S .C. (S) 101, as amended, and the copyright of which shall be owned solely, completely and exclusively by the Corporation. If any Invention is considered to be work not included in the categories of work covered by the United States Copyright Act, 17 U. S. C. (S) 101, as amended, such work is hereby assigned or transferred completely and exclusively to the Corporation. Executive hereby irrevocably designates counsel to the Corporation as Executive's agent and attorney-in-fact to do all lawful acts necessary to apply for and obtain patents and copyrights and to enforce the Corporation's rights under this Section. This Section 7 shall survive the termination of this Agreement. Any assignment of copyright hereunder includes all rights of paternity, integrity, disclosure and withdrawal and any other rights that may be known as or referred to as "moral rights" (collectively "Moral Rights"). To the extent such Moral Rights cannot be assigned under applicable law and to the extent the following is allowed by the laws in the various countries where Moral Rights exist, Executive hereby waives such Moral Rights and consents to any action of the Corporation that would violate such Moral Rights in the absence of such consent. Executive agrees to confirm any such waivers and consents from time to time as requested by the Corporation.

 

8. NON-COMPETE; NON-SOLICITATION

 

(a) NON-COMPETE.  For a period commencing on the date hereof and ending one (1) year after the date Executive ceases to be employed by the Corporation (the "Non-Competition Period"), Executive shall not, directly or indirectly, either for himself or any other person, own, manage, control, materially participate in, invest in, permit his name to be used by, act as consultant or advisor to, render material services for (alone or in association with any person, firm, corporation or other business organization) or otherwise assist in any manner any business which develops, markets or sells products in the field of gene therapy or that are directly competitive with the products being developed or sold by the Corporation at the time of termination (collectively, a "Competitor").  Nothing herein shall prohibit Executive from being a passive owner of not more than five percent (5%) of the equity securities of a Competitor which is publicly traded, so long as he has no active participation in the business of such Competitor.

 

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(b) NON-SOLICITATION.  During the Non-Competition Period, Executive shall not, directly or indirectly, (i) induce or attempt to induce or aid others in inducing anyone working at or for the Corporation to cease working at or for the Corporation, or in any way interfere with the relationship between the Corporation and anyone working at or for the Corporation except in the proper exercise of Executive’s authority or (ii) in any way interfere with the relationship between the Corporation and any customer, supplier, licensee or other business relation of the Corporation.

 

(c) SCOPE.  If, at the time of enforcement of this Section 8, a court shall hold that the duration, scope, area or other restrictions stated herein are unreasonable under circumstances then existing, the parties agree that the maximum duration, scope, area or other restrictions reasonable under such circumstances shall be substituted for the stated duration, scope, area or other restrictions.

 

(d) INDEPENDENT AGREEMENT.  The covenants made in this Section 8 shall be construed as an agreement independent of any other provisions of this Agreement, and shall survive the termination of this Agreement.  Moreover, the existence of any claim or cause of action of Executive against the Corporation or any of its affiliates, whether or not predicated upon the terms of this Agreement, shall not constitute a defense to the enforcement of these covenants.

 

(e) EXCEPTIONS. The Non-Competition Period shall be reduced to a period ending on the six month anniversary of the date of termination of this Agreement if such termination is by the Corporation without Just Cause (as defined in Section 9 below) or by the Executive for Good Reason (as defined in Section 9 below).

 

9.           TERMINATION

 

Executive’s employment hereunder shall continue as set forth in Section 2 hereof unless terminated upon the first to occur of the following events:

 

(a) The Executive’s death.

 

(b) The Executive’s “Disability”, meaning the Executive’s incapacity, due to physical or mental illness, which results in Executive having been absent from fully performing his duties with the Company for a continuous period of more than sixty (60) days or more than ninety (90) days in any period of three hundred sixty-five ( 365) consecutive days. In the event that the Corporation intends to terminate the employment of Executive by reason of Disability, the Corporation shall give the Executive no less than thirty (30) days’ prior written notice of the Corporation’s intention to terminate Executive’s employment.  The Executive agrees, in the event of any dispute hereunder as to whether a Disability exists, and if requested by the Corporation, to submit to a physical examination in the state of the Corporation’s executive offices by a licensed physician selected by mutual agreement between the Corporation and the Executive, the cost of such examination to be paid by the Corporation. The written medical opinion of such physician shall be conclusive and binding upon each of the parties hereto as to whether a Disa bility exists and the date when such Disability arose. If the Executive refuses to submit to appropriate examinations by such physician at the request of the Corporation, the determination of the Executive’s Disability by the Corporation in good faith will be conclusive as to whether such Disability exists. This Agreement shall be interpreted and applied so as to comply with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (to the extent that it is applicable) and any other applicable laws regarding disability.

 

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(c)          “Just Cause”, meaning the Executive’s:

 

(i) gross insubordination; acts of embezzlement or misappropriation of funds; fraud; dereliction of fiduciary obligations;

 

(ii) conviction of a felony or other crime involving moral turpitude, dishonesty or theft;

 

(iii) willful unauthorized disclosure of confidential information belonging to the Corporation or entrusted to the Corporation by a client;

 

(iv) material violation of any provision of the Agreement, which is not cured by Executive within thirty (30) days of receiving written notice of such violation by the Corporation;

 

(v) being under the influence of drugs (other than prescription medicine or other medically-related drugs to the extent that they are taken in accordance with their directions) during the performance of Executive’s duties under this Agreement;

 

(vi) engaging in behavior that would constitute grounds for liability for harassment (as proscribed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Guidelines or any other applicable state or local regulatory body) or other egregious conduct that violates laws governing the workplace;

 

(vii) willful failure to perform his written assigned tasks, where such failure is attributable to the fault of Executive which is not cured by Executive within thirty (30) days of receiving written notice of such violation by the Corporation..

 

In the event that the Corporation intends to terminate the employment of Executive by reason of Just Cause, the Corporation shall give the Executive written notice of the Corporation’s intention to terminate Executive’s employment, and such termination may be effective immediately, unless a cure period applies, in which case the termination date may not precede the expiration date of the applicable cure period.

 

(d)         “Without Just Cause”, meaning written notice by the Corporation to the Executive of a termination without Just Cause and other than due to death or Disability.

 

(e) “Good Reason”, meaning:

 

(i)                   a material breach by the Corporation of the terms of this Agreement, which breach is not cured within thirty (30) days after notice thereof from Executive; or

 

(ii)                 an assignment to Executive of any duties materially inconsistent with Executive’s position(including status, office, title and reporting requirements) authority, duties or responsibilities as contemplated by this Agreement which results in material diminution in such position, authority, duties or responsibilities, specifically excluding for this purpose an isolated and insubstantial action not taken in bad faith which is remedies by the Corporation after receipt of notice thereof given by Executive; or

 

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(iii)   a change in control which shall mean (a) any person becomes the beneficial owner (as term is defined in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) directly or indirectly, of securities representing more than fifty percent (50%) of the total voting power of Company’s shares; or (b) a change in the composition of the Board of Directors as a result of which fewer than a majority of the directors are Incumbent Directors.  Incumbent Directors shall mean directors who are either directors of the Company on the date hereof or are elected by the Board of Directors with the affirmative vote of a majority of the Incumbent Directors at the time of election; or (c) the Company merges with another corporation after which a majority of the shares of the resulting entity are not held by shareholders of the Company prior to the merger.

In the event that the Executive intends to terminate his employment for Good Reason, the Executive shall give the Corporation written notice of his intention to terminate his employment, and such termination may be effective immediately, unless a cure period applies, in which case the termination date may not precede the expiration date of the applicable cure period.

 

(f)           Without Good Reason, meaning written notice by the Executive to the Corporation of a termination without Good Reason.

 

If the Executive’s employment hereunder is terminated for any reason, the Executive or his estate as the case may be, will be entitled to receive the accrued base salary, vacation pay, expense reimbursement and any other entitlements accrued by Executive under Section 2(b), to the extent not previously paid (the sum of the amounts described in this subsection shall be hereinafter referred to as the “Accrued Obligations”); provided , however , that if Executive’s employment is terminated (1) by the Corporation without Just Cause or by the Executive for Good Reason then in addition to paying the Accrued Obligations , the Corporation shall continue to pay the Executive his then- current base salary and continue to provide benefits to the Executive at least equal to those which he had at the time of termination for a period of six months after termination and (y) Executive shall have the right to exercise any vested options until the earlier of the expiration of the severance or the expiration of the term of the option, or (2) by reason of death or Disability, then in addition to paying the Accrued Obligations, Executive shall have the right to exercise any vested options until the expiration of the term of the option. If Executive commences employment with another employer and is eligible to receive medical or other welfare benefits under another employer-provider plan, the medical and other welfare benefits to be provided by the Corporation as described herein shall terminate.

 

10.           NOTICES

 

Any notice or other communication under this Agreement shall be in person or in writing and shall be deemed to have been given (i) when delivered personally against receipt therefor, (ii) one (1) day after being sent by Federal Express or similar overnight delivery, (iii) three (3) days after being mailed registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, to either party at the address set forth above, or to such other address as such party shall give by notice hereunder to the other party, or (iv) when sent by facsimile, followed by oral confirmation and with a hard copy sent as in (ii) or (iii) above.

 

11.           SEVERABILITY OF PROVISIONS

 

If any provision of this Agreement shall be declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal or incapable of being enforced in whole or in part, such provision shall be interpreted so a to remain enforceable to the maximum extent permissible consistent with applicable law and the remaining conditions and provisions or portions thereof shall nevertheless remain in full force and effect and enforceable to the extent they are valid, legal and enforceable, and no provision shall be deemed dependent upon any other covenant or provision unless so expressed herein.

 

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12.           ENTIRE AGREEMENT MODIFICATION

 

This Agreement contains the entire agreement of the parties relating to the subject matter hereof, and the parties hereto have made no agreements, representations or warranties relating to the subject matter of this Agreement which are not set forth herein. No modification of this Agreement shall be valid unless made in writing and signed by the parties hereto.

 

13.           BINDING EFFECT

 

The rights, benefits, duties and obligations under this Agreement shall inure to, and be binding upon, the Corporation, its successors and assigns, and upon Executive and his legal representatives. This Agreement constitutes a personal service agreement, and the performance of Executive’s obligations hereunder may not be transferred or assigned by Executive.

 

14.           NON-WAIVER

 

The failure of either party to insist upon the strict performance of any of the terms, conditions and provisions of this Agreement shall not be construed as a waiver or relinquishment of future compliance therewith, and said terms, conditions and provisions shall remain in full force and effect. No waiver of any term or condition of this Agreement on the part of either party shall be effective for any purpose whatsoever unless such waiver is in writing and signed by such party.

 

15           GOVERNING LAW, DISPUTE RESOLUTION

 

This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed and interpreted in accordance with, the laws of the State of Virginia of the United States of America without regard to principles of conflict of laws. The State of Virginia shall be the exclusive jurisdiction for any disputes arising under this Agreement and the Parties hereby consent to such jurisdiction.

 

16.           HEADINGS

 

The headings of paragraphs are inserted for convenience and shall not affect any interpretation of this Agreement.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the day and year first above written.

 

Corporation:

 

ADEONA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

 

By:   /s/ Lara M. Guzman                

Title:  Authorized agent 

 

Executive:

 

/s/ Jeffrey Riley                              

Jeffrey Riley 

 

 

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EXHIBIT 10.2

CONSULTING AGREEMENT

 

THIS CONSULTING AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of February 3, 2012, is by and between Adeona Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), and James S. Kuo, M.D., M.B.A. (“Consultant”).

WHEREAS, the Consultant acknowledges his resignation as an officer of the Company and the Company desires to retain Consultant to provide certain business and financial advisory services in connection with the Company’s business pursuant to the terms and conditions hereinafter provided.

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises and covenants set forth in this Agreement, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:

1. Term . Subject to the terms of this Agreement the Company hereby engages Consultant to provide consulting services for the Company and its affiliates for a period of nine (9) months (the “Term”) commencing on February 3, 2012 (the “Effective Date”). Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, this Agreement may not be terminated by the Company for any reason whatsoever except that this Agreement may be terminated by the Company if Consultant elects to no longer serve in his capacity as a director of the Company until the next annual meeting of shareholders.

2. Duties . In acting under this Agreement as a consultant to the Company, Consultant shall perform the following services:

( a) Provide assistance as needed in connection with the Corporation’s relocation and transition into the field of synthetic DNA-based therapy;

 

(b) Provide transition assistance in connection with the Corporation’s investors, shareholders, estriol and zinc programs and clinical lab; and

 

(c) Any such other activities as the parties may mutually agree to, all with the objective of accomplishing the company’s business and financial goals.

 

Consultant shall be available for advice and counsel to the officers and directors of the Company and its affiliates subject to reasonable advance notice at such convenient times and places as may be mutually agreed upon.

 

3. Compensation . In consideration of Consultant serving as a consultant to the Company, during the Term Consultant shall be paid a consulting fee of Sixteen Thousand Six Hundred Sixty Six Dollars ($16,666) per month for nine (9) months, payable semi-monthly in accordance with the normal payroll practices of the Company. In addition, Consultant shall be entitled to an additional two (2) weeks paid vacation based upon the monthly rate on a pro rated basis. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, in no event shall any of the compensation set forth in this Section 3 be reduced in any manner subject to the exception for termination set forth in Section 1 of this Agreement.

4. Expenses . The Company shall reimburse Consultant for reasonable expenses incurred by it in performing services under this Agreement, provided that: (a) Consultant submits to the Company evidence satisfactory to the Company of the amount and purpose of each such expense and (b) that Consultant obtains the Company’s written consent prior to incurring any expenses, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld.

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5. Stock Options . Consultant shall retain the right to exercise the stock options of the Company held by him that have vested as of the Effective Date for a period expiring on the date that is one (1) year from the Effective Date (the “Vesting Date”). The Company shall enable the exercise of these options by Consultant in the normal fashion it has enabled other employees to exercise their stock options and without any restrictions. All of the stock options held by Consultant that have not been vested as of the Vesting Date shall terminate.

6. Health Benefits . During the Term of this Agreement and for an additional three (3) months, the Company shall provide Executive and his family with healthcare and dental coverage pursuant to the Company’s healthcare and dental insurance policy plan in addition to any benefits under state and federal law to which he is entitled.

7. Confidential Information . During the Term of this Agreement and any time following termination of this Agreement, Consultant shall not, directly or indirectly, disclose or permit to be known, to any person or entity, or use for any purpose other than as needed to perform consulting services for the Company or its affiliates, any confidential information acquired by it during the course of providing services under this Agreement that relates to the Company or any of its affiliates; provided, however, that Consultant may disclose such information if requested or required by a government agency, regulatory or self-regulatory body with jurisdiction over Consultant. For purposes hereof, the obligation to maintain confidentiality shall not apply to information which: (a) is otherwise known to Consultant (as evidenced by its written records), (b) is or enters into the public domain, through no fault of, action or failure to act by Consultant, (c) becomes known to Consultant from a third-party source whom Consultant does not know to be subject to any obligation of confidentiality, or (d) was independently developed by Consultant without any use of the information. Such confidential information includes without limitation proprietary information, trade secrets, know-how, market studies and forecasts, analyses of competitors, the substance of agreements with clients and others, and client lists.

8. Company Property . All records, files, lists (including without limitation computer-generated lists), documents, equipment, and similar items relating to the business of the Company or any of its affiliates that Consultant prepares or receives from the Company or any of its affiliates will remain the Company’s sole property. Upon termination of this Agreement, Consultant shall promptly return to the Company all property of the Company or any of its affiliates that is then in its possession or under its control.

9. Inventions Discovered by Consultant . Consultant shall promptly disclose to the Company any invention, improvement, discovery, process, formula, or method or other intellectual property, whether or not patentable or copyrightable (collectively, "Inventions"), conceived or first reduced to practice by Consultant, either alone or jointly with others, while performing services hereunder (or, if based on any Confidential Information, within one (1) year after the Term), (a) which pertain to any line of business activity of the Company, whether then conducted or then being actively planned by the Company, with which Consultant was or is involved, (b) which is developed using time, material or facilities of the Company, whether or not during working hours or on the Company premises, or (c) which directly relates to any of Consultant’s work during the Term, whether or not during normal working hours. Consultant hereby assigns to the Company all of Consultant’s right, title and interest in and to any such Inventions. During and after the Term, Consultant shall execute any documents necessary to perfect the assignment of such Inventions to the Company and to enable the Company to apply for, obtain and enforce patents, trademarks and copyrights in any and all countries on such Inventions, including, without limitation, the execution of any instruments and the giving of evidence and testimony, without further compensation beyond Consultant’s agreed compensation during the course of the Term. All such acts shall be done without cost or expense to Consultant. Consultant shall be compensated for the giving of evidence or testimony after the Term at the rate of $1,000/day. Without limiting the foregoing, Consultant further acknowledges that all original works of authorship by Consultant, whether created alone or jointly with others, related to Consultant’s consulting services to the Company and which are protectable by copyright, are "works made for hire" within the meaning of the United States Copyright Act, 17 U.S .C. (S) 101, as amended, and the copyright of which shall be owned solely, completely and exclusively by the Company. If any Invention is considered to be work not included in the categories of work covered by the United States Copyright Act, 17 U. S. C. (S) 101, as amended, such work is hereby assigned or transferred completely and exclusively to the Company. Consultant hereby irrevocably designates counsel to the Company as Consultant’s agent and attorney-in-fact to do all lawful acts necessary to apply for and obtain patents and copyrights and to enforce the Company's rights under this Section. This Section 9 shall survive the termination of this Agreement. Any assignment of copyright hereunder includes all rights of paternity, integrity, disclosure and withdrawal and any other rights that may be known as or referred to as "moral rights" (collectively "Moral Rights"). To the extent such Moral Rights cannot be assigned under applicable law and to the extent the following is allowed by the laws in the various countries where Moral Rights exist, Consultant hereby waives such Moral Rights and consents to any action of the Company that would violate such Moral Rights in the absence of such consent. Consultant agrees to confirm any such waivers and consents from time to time as requested by the Company.

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10. Non-Disparagement . Each of the Consultant and the Company (for purposes hereof, “the Company” shall include the executive officers and directors thereof) agrees that during the term of this Agreement and any time following termination of this Agreement not to make any public statements that disparage the other party, or its respective affiliates, employees, officers, directors, products or services. Notwithstanding the foregoing, statements made in the course of sworn testimony in administrative, judicial or arbitral proceedings (including, without limitation, depositions in connection with such proceedings) shall not be subject to this Section 10.

11. Release . (a) Consultant agrees to fully release and discharge the Company as well as its officers, owners, directors, attorneys, agents, representatives, assigns, and successors with respect to and from any and all claims, wages, demands, rights, liens, agreements, contracts, including any employment agreement(s) between the Consultant and the Company and any actions, suits, obligations, debts, damages and judgments of whatever kind or nature in law equity or otherwise, whether now known, or unknown, present or future, arising out of or in any way connected to his employment from the Company or any transactions, occurrences, acts or omissions or any loss, damage or injury whatsoever, whether known, or unknown, present or future, suspected or unsuspected, resulting from any act or omission by or on the part of the Company in connection with such employment.

(b) The Company agrees to fully release and discharge Consultant from any and all claims, demands, rights, agreements, contracts, actions, suits, obligations, debts, damages and judgments of whatever kind or nature in law equity or otherwise, whether now known, or unknown, present or future, arising out of or in any way connected to his employment and severance from the Company or any transactions, occurrences, acts or omissions or any loss, damage or injury whatsoever, whether known or unknown, present or future, suspected or unsuspected, resulting from any act or omission by or on the part of Consultant. Specifically excluded from this release is any obligation set forth in this Agreement.

(c) This Agreement is intended by the parties to be interpreted by a court called upon to so interpret this Agreement as being the broadest form of release. It is understood and agreed t hat the Parties expressly waive any and all rights and claims under any and all laws or statutes, of any jurisdiction whatsoever, which may provide that a general release does not extend to claims not known or suspected to exist at the time of executing a release which if known would have materially affected the decision to give said release.

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(d) Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the release provided for in this Section 11 also specifically pertains to any claim, whether State, Federal, statutory, administrative or common-law under Title 7 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended in 1991, the Age Discrimination and Employment Act, the Older Worker’s Benefit Protection Act, the American with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Florida Civil rights Act of 1992, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act and Unemployment Compensation Laws as well as any amendments to any of the foregoing, any common-law or statutory wrongful discharge or retaliatory discharge theory, or any claim including but not limited to claims for, bonus, sick leave, holiday pay, vacation pay, life insurance, health or medical insurance or any other fringe benefit other than as mentioned in this Agreement. For a period of seven (7) days following the execution of this Agreement, Consultant may revoke this Agreement by sending written notice of the same to the Company addressed to Mr. Jeffrey Riley at the address set forth in Section 15 below.  For the revocation to be effective, the Company must receive the written notice by not later than the close of business on the seventh day after Consultant signs this Agreement.  This Agreement shall not become effective or enforceable until this seven (7) day revocation period has expired without Consultant having exercised his right to revoke.

12. Equitable Relief . In the event that Consultant breaches any provision of this Sections 7 or 9 or there is a threatened breach, then, in addition to any other rights which the Company may have, the Company shall be entitled, without the posting of a bond or other security, to injunctive relief to enforce the restrictions contained herein. In the event that an actual proceeding is brought in equity to enforce any provisions of Section 7 or 9, Consultant shall not urge as a defense that there is an adequate remedy at law, nor shall the Company be prevented from seeking any other remedies which may be available. In addition, Consultant agrees that in event that he breaches the covenants in Section 7 or 9, in addition to any other rights that the Company may have, Consultant shall be required to pay to the Company any amounts he receives in connection with such breach.

13. No Violation . Consultant represents that his entry into this Agreement and his providing services hereunder will not conflict with any contract to which Consultant is a party.

14. Nature of Relationship . In rendering services under this Agreement, Consultant will be an independent contractor and will not be considered as having an employee status or being entitled to participate in any Company employee plans, arrangements, or distributions. The Company acknowledges that Consultant will be performing similar services for other clients and that Consultant is free to perform such services for other persons and entities.

15 Notices . All notices, requests, demands and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be delivered: (a) personally; (b) by facsimile transmission; (c) by a commercial overnight delivery service (e.g., Federal Express, UPS, Airborne, etc.) and paid for by the sender; or (d) by certified, registered or express mail, postage prepaid. Any such notice shall be deemed given when so delivered: (i) personally, upon such service or delivery; (ii) if sent by facsimile transmission, on the day so transmitted, if the sender calls to confirm that such notice has been sent by facsimile and has a printed report which indicates that such transmission was, in fact, sent to the facsimile number indicated below; (iii) if sent by commercial overnight delivery service, on the date reflected by such service as delivered to the addressee; or (iv) if mailed by certified or registered mail, five business days after the date of deposit in the United States mail. In each instance, such notice, request, demand or other communications shall be addressed as follows:

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If to the Company :

Adeona Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

3985 Research Park Drive, Suite 200

Ann Arbor, MI 48108

 

with a copy to :

Gracin & Marlow, LLP
The Chrysler Building
405 Lexington Avenue, 26 th Floor
New York, NY 10174
Attention: Leslie Marlow, Esq.

Email: lmarlow@gracinmarlow.com
Facsimile: (212) 208-4657

If to Consultant :

James S. Kuo, M.D., M.B.A.

with a copy to :

Schickler Tuan LLP

75 Rockefeller Plaza, 18 th Floor

New York, New York, 10019

Attention: Han Hsien-Tuan

Email: htuan@schicklertuan.com

Facsimile: (212)212-6298

 

16. Governing Law . This Agreement and all matters arising hereunder (including without limitation tort claims) are governed by the laws of the State of Virginia, without giving effect to principles of conflict of laws. Virginia shall be the exclusive jurisdiction for any disputes arising under this Agreement and the Parties consent to such jurisdiction.

 

17. Amendment . This Agreement may be amended only by written agreement of the parties.

18. Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, each of which is an original and all of which together constitute one and the same instrument.

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The undersigned are signing this Agreement on the date stated in the introductory clause.

 

ADEONA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

By:   /s/ Jeff Riley                                                                  

Name:  Jeff Riley

Title:  Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer 

 

 

/s/ James S. Kuo                         

JAMES S. KUO, M.D., M.B.A

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adeona Announces Executive Management Transitions and Board of Directors Appointments

to Strengthen Company’s Synthetic Biologics Strategic Focus

 

-- Adeona Chairman, Jeff Riley, Appointed New CEO;

James S. Kuo to Remain on Board; Scott L. Tarriff and Nelson K. Stacks Join Board --

 

For Immediate Release

 

Ann Arbor, MI, February 6, 2012 – Adeona Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE Amex: AEN - News), a developer of synthetic DNA-based therapeutics and innovative disease-modifying medicines for serious illnesses, announced today executive management transitions and Board of Director appointments to strengthen and expand the Company’s leadership, as follows:

·          Jeff Riley, a member of the Adeona Board of Directors since March 2010 and Chairman of the Board since November 2011, was appointed as the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

·          Scott L. Tarriff and Nelson K. Stacks were appointed independent members of the Company’s Board of Directors.

James S. Kuo will continue to serve on the Company’s Board of Directors, having resigned from his day-to-day management positions to pursue other opportunities. Mr. Riley has stepped down from Adeona’s Audit and Nominations Committees; independent director, Jeffrey Kraws, was elected to the Nominations Committee and Mr. Stacks was elected to the Audit Committee.

“As we align ourselves with our new focus on the emerging field of synthetic biologics, these management transitions and board appointments position Adeona to benefit from the expertise of each of these experienced life science leaders. The Board of Directors welcomes Jeff to the executive management team as he assumes the responsibilities of CEO. Jeff’s considerable management and financial experience during his career will help shape the vision and skills needed to lead Adeona to future success,” said Jeffrey Kraws, on behalf of the Board of Directors. “We also thank Jim for his service to Adeona as he transitions out of his management role, and appreciate the continuity he will bring to the Company as a member of the Board.”

Mr. Riley has more than 20 years of experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries during which he negotiated numerous worldwide strategic corporate alliances, established joint ventures, and assisted in obtaining venture financings to support product development. Most recently, in addition to serving as Adeona’s Chairman, where he played an integral role in the formation of the Company¹s recent collaboration with Intrexon Corporation, he served as Managing Director of 526 Ventures, a life science-focused venture capital and advisory firm. Prior to this, Mr. Riley was a venture partner with QIC Bioventures Fund, the life science-focused venture component of the $70 billion Australian-based Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC). Over his career, he held senior positions within the mergers & acquisitions and in country management groups at both SmithKline Beecham and Pfizer. Additionally, he served as CFO and VP Corporate Development for Nichols Institute Diagnostics, a division of Quest Diagnostics, Inc. (NYSE: DGX). Mr. Riley holds a Bachelor of Science degree in International Relations/Biology and participated in a dual-degree graduate program (MBA/MIM) sponsored by Arizona State University and the Thunderbird School of Global Management.

 
 

 

“This is a very exciting time for our Company. I have been actively involved in the efforts to move Adeona forward as Chairman, and look forward to leading Adeona into its new phase of development in the area of synthetic DNA-based therapeutics, continuing to build shareholder value and pursuing an important contribution to the future of healthcare,” stated Mr. Riley. “Having served in leadership positions with several biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, and having experience with both public and private equity investors, I am pleased to be taking on an active leadership role.”

Mr. Tarriff brings more than 25 years of pharmaceutical experience to Adeona. In January 2007, he formed Eagle Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a hospital specialty company focused on developing, distributing and in-licensing injectable IV products. Prior to forming Eagle, Mr. Tarriff served as President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Par Pharmaceutical Companies, Inc. (NYSE: PRX). During his tenure at Par, he also served as the Executive Vice President of Business and as President and Chief Executive Officer of Par Pharmaceutical, Inc., the company's principal operating subsidiary. Mr. Tarriff joined Par following a 12-year career at Bristol-Meyers Squibb, where he held several positions of increased responsibility in both the brand and generic divisions . He also served as a Director of Clinical Data, Inc., a publicly-traded biopharmaceutical company which was acquired by Forest Laboratories, Inc. in 2011. Mr. Tarriff received an MBA from Rider College and an undergraduate degree from Pennsylvania State University.

Mr. Stacks is the CEO and Director of WaveGuide Corporation, a first in kind point of care hand held NMR diagnostic technology spin out from Harvard University for infectious disease, circulating cancer and industrial applications. Prior to WaveGuide, Mr. Stacks served as the President, CEO and Director of Vascular Pathways Incorporated and as a venture partner with QBF/QIC, an Australian life science venture and superannuation fund. Over his career, Mr. Stacks has been a venture capitalist, most recently as the General Partner at 3i Ventures and earlier at Oak Investment Partners. Mr. Stacks is a member of the fourth class of Kauffman Fellows and has invested in all areas of healthcare and information technology. He also previously served as the Chairman of Xbio Systems and as CEO and Executive Director of Xenome Limited. Mr. Stacks received an MBA from the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College and a BA from The University of Rochester.

“Scott’s extensive management and operational experience in the pharmaceutical sector, and Nelson’s management and equity experience in the life science industry bring essential knowledge and expertise to Adeona. We are pleased to welcome both of them to our Board,” continued Mr. Riley. “I look forward to working with the entire team to build our portfolio of synthetic biologics product candidates and to advancing our clinical programs for serious illnesses.”

 

About Adeona Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

 

Adeona is a biotechnology company focused on the development of synthetic DNA-based therapeutics and innovative disease-modifying medicines for serious illnesses. Adeona is developing, or has partnered the development of, product candidates to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension, relapses in multiple sclerosis, cognitive dysfunction in multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). For more information, please visit Adeona's website at www.adeonapharma.com.

 

 
 

 

In December 2011, Adeona announced that the Board of Directors had taken several actions to prioritize the company's focus on its recent entry into the emerging field of synthetic biologics. As a result of its new primary focus, the Board approved a proposed name change of the company to Synthetic Biologics, Inc., to better reflect its new mission and primary business. Such name change is subject to stockholder approval.

 

Synthetic Biologics is a trademark of Adeona Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

 

This release includes forward-looking statements on Adeona's current expectations and projections about future events. In some cases forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "may," "should," "potential," "continue," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," and similar expressions. These statements are based upon current beliefs, expectations and assumptions and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and include statements regarding our ability to continue to build shareholder value. The forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth or implied by any forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in Adeona's forward-looking statements include, among others, a failure to successfully integrate the new management and board of directors and other factors described in Adeona's report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010 and any other filings with the SEC. The information in this release is provided only as of the date of this release, and Adeona undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release on account of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.

 

For further information, please contact:

 

Jeff Riley

Chief Executive Officer

(734) 332-7800, Ext. 22

 

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