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):

October 28, 2008

 

 

PHARMACOPEIA, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

(609) 452-3600

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

Not Applicable

(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, 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:

 

x	Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
x	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))

 

 

 

Item 8.01        Other Events

 

On October 28, 2008, Pharmacopeia, Inc. (the “Company”) and Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (“Ligand”) announced that John L. Higgins, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ligand, and Dr. Joseph A. Mollica, Interim President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, will deliver a presentation at the Oppenheimer 19^th Annual Healthcare Conference.

 

The Company and Ligand have issued a press release dated October 28, 2008 announcing the presentation.  A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1, and the information contained therein is incorporated herein by reference.

 

On September 24, 2008, the Company entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger with Ligand, Margaux Acquisition Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Ligand (“Merger Sub 1”) and Latour Acquisition, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ligand (“Merger Sub 2”), pursuant to which the Company will merge with and into Merger Sub 1, with the Company continuing as the surviving entity (the “Intermediate Surviving Corporation”) and immediately thereafter, the Intermediate Surviving Corporation will merge with and into Merger Sub 2, with Merger Sub 2 continuing as the surviving entity.

 

Additional Information and Where to Find It

 

On October 20, 2008, Ligand filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a Registration Statement on Form S-4, which included a proxy statement of the Company and other relevant materials in connection with the proposed transaction. The proxy statement will be mailed to the Company’s stockholders. Investors and stockholders of the Company are urged to read the proxy statement and the other relevant materials when they become available because they will contain important information about the Company, Ligand and the proposed transaction. The proxy statement and other relevant materials (when they become available), and any other documents filed by Ligand or the Company with the SEC, may be obtained free of charge at the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. In addition, investors and security holders may obtain free copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Ligand by going to Ligand’s Investor Relations website at www.ligand.com. Investors and security holders may obtain free copies of the documents filed with the SEC by the Company by going to the Company’s Investor Relations page on its corporate website at www.pharmacopeia.com. Investors and security holders of the Company are urged to read the proxy statement and the other relevant materials when they become available before making any voting or investment decision with respect to the proposed transaction.

 

The Company and its respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of the Company in favor of the proposed transaction. Information about the Company’s executive officers and directors and their ownership of Company common stock is set forth in the proxy statement for the Company’s 2008 annual meeting of stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on March 24, 2008. Investors and security holders may obtain more detailed information regarding the direct and indirect interests of the Company and its respective executive officers and directors in the proposed transaction by reading the proxy statement regarding the proposed transaction, which will be filed with the SEC.

 

Ligand and its respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of the Company in favor of the proposed transaction. Information concerning Ligand’s directors and executive officers is set forth in Ligand’s proxy statement for its 2008 annual meeting of stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 29, 2008, the annual report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 5, 2008 and the current report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on August 4, 2008.

 

Item 9.01.         Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d)

Exhibits:

 

99.1	Press Release of the Company and Ligand, dated October 28, 2008, announcing presentation at Oppenheimer Healthcare Conference

 

2

 

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.

 

 

	PHARMACOPEIA, INC.
	By:	/s/ Stephen C. Costalas
		Stephen C. Costalas, Executive Vice
		President, Corporate Development, General
		Counsel and Secretary
Date: October 28, 2008

 

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EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit No.		Description
99.1		Press Release of the Company and Ligand, dated October 28, 2008, announcing presentation at Oppenheimer Healthcare Conference

 

4