NEW YORK, Aug. 10, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SIGA Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:SIGA), a company specializing in the development and commercialization of solutions for serious unmet medical needs and biothreats, announced that, on August 8, 2014, the Delaware Court of Chancery issued its decision on remand in the litigation begun by PharmAthene, Inc. in 2006. In his opinion, Vice Chancellor Parsons determined, among other things, that PharmAthene is entitled to a lump sum damage award in a still unspecified amount, with interest and fees, based on U. S. Government purchases of SIGA's smallpox drug supposedly anticipated in 2006. The total award is likely to be substantial, but it will not be established until after the Court considers calculations to be provided by a designated expert. In coming to its conclusion, the Court reversed its own prior ruling that expectation damages were not recoverable because they were too speculative. The Court's most recent decision now holds that expert testimony from the original trial, which it had previously found to be too speculative, supports an award of expectation damages. William J. Haynes II, SIGA's General Counsel, commented, "While we are not surprised that the Court left undisturbed SIGA's ownership and control of our smallpox drug, we respectfully disagree with the Chancery Court's decision on damages. We believe that aspect of this decision is not supported by the record or the law, and we expect to appeal it to the Supreme Court of Delaware."
Dr. Eric A. Rose, SIGA's Chief Executive Officer, also commented, "Notwithstanding this disappointing Chancery Court decision, we remain committed to performing under SIGA's contract with BARDA, obtaining FDA approval for our smallpox drug, Tecovirimat, and growing our company."
Either party may appeal the portions of the trial court rulings that were unfavorable to that party within 30 days of entry of judgment by the court. SIGA currently expects to appeal the judgment after it is entered, but no assurance can be given that any such appeal will be successful.
About SIGA Technologies, Inc.
We are a company specializing in the development and commercialization of solutions for serious unmet medical needs and biothreats. Our lead product is Tecovirimat, also known as ST-246® or Arestvyr™, an orally administered antiviral drug that targets orthopoxviruses. While Tecovirimat is not yet licensed as safe or effective by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, it is a novel small-molecule drug that is being delivered to the Strategic National Stockpile under Project BioShield. For more information about SIGA, please visit SIGA's web site at www.siga.com. The SIGA Technologies, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=4504
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including statements relating to the progress of its development programs and timelines for bringing products to market, the enforceability of the BARDA Contract and the final resolution of our ongoing litigation with PharmAthene, Inc. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties and SIGA cautions you that any forward-looking information provided by or on behalf of SIGA is not a guarantee of future performance. SIGA's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated by such forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, some of which are beyond SIGA's control, including, but not limited to, (i) the risk that potential products that appear promising to SIGA or its collaborators cannot be shown to be efficacious or safe in subsequent pre-clinical or clinical trials, (ii) the risk that SIGA or its collaborators will not obtain appropriate or necessary governmental approvals to market these or other potential products, (iii) the risk that SIGA may not be able to obtain anticipated funding for its development projects or other needed funding, including from anticipated governmental contracts and grants, (iv) the risk that SIGA may not complete performance under the BARDA Contract on schedule or in accordance with contractual terms, (v) the risk that SIGA may not be able to secure or enforce sufficient legal rights in its products, including intellectual property protection, (vi) the risk that any challenge to SIGA's patent and other property rights, if adversely determined, could affect SIGA's business and, even if determined favorably, could be costly, (vii) the risk that regulatory requirements applicable to SIGA's products may result in the need for further or additional testing or documentation that will delay or prevent seeking or obtaining needed approvals to market these products, (viii) the risk that one or more protests could be filed and upheld in whole or in part or other governmental action taken, in either case leading to a delay of performance under the BARDA Contract or other governmental contracts, (ix) the risk that the BARDA Contract is modified or canceled at the request or requirement of the U.S. government, (x) the risk that the volatile and competitive nature of the biotechnology industry may hamper SIGA's efforts to develop or market its products, (xi) the risk that the changes in domestic and foreign economic and market conditions may affect SIGA's ability to advance its research or may affect its products adversely, (xii) the effect of federal, state, and foreign regulation, including drug regulation and international trade regulation, on SIGA's businesses, (xiii) the risk that our outstanding indebtedness may make it more difficult to obtain additional financing, (xiv) the risk that our internal controls will not be effective in detecting or preventing a misstatement in our financial statements, (xv) the risk that some amounts received and recorded as deferred revenue may someday be determined to have been more properly characterized as revenue when received, (xvi) the risk that some amounts received and recorded as deferred revenue ultimately may not be recognized as revenue, (xvii) the risk that any appeal of the post-remand opinion may not be successful and that such post-remand opinion will be upheld in whole or in part, or that an appeal, if any, by SIGA may result in a different, less favorable ruling that could materially and adversely affect the Company, (xviii) the risk that any appeal may result in extended and expensive litigation, (xix) the risk that continued litigation with PharmAthene, Inc. may impede SIGA's efforts to continue to grow, and (xx) the risk that SIGA may not be able to establish its intended positions or otherwise may not prevail in any further court proceedings. More detailed information about SIGA and risk factors that may affect the realization of forward-looking statements, including the forward-looking statements in this presentation, is set forth in SIGA's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including SIGA's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013, and in other documents that SIGA has filed with the SEC. SIGA urges investors and security holders to read those documents free of charge at the SEC's web site at http://www.sec.gov. Interested parties may also obtain those documents free of charge from SIGA. Forward-looking statements are current only as of the date on which such statements were made, and except for our ongoing obligations under the United States of America federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.