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): April 27, 2011

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)		000-23186 (Commission File Number)		62-1413174 (IRS Employer Identification No.)

4505 Emperor Blvd., Suite 200, Durham, North Carolina 27703
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code): (919) 859-1302

(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))

 

 

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

On April 27, 2011, the Board of Directors of BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”) elected Peder Jensen, M.D. to the Company’s Board of Directors effective May 3, 2011. On April 28, 2011, Beth C. Seidenberg, M.D. tendered her resignation from the Board of Directors effective May 12, 2011, following the Company’s Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The Company issued a news release reporting these matters on May 3, 2011, and a copy of the news release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 hereto.

The Company’s Board of Directors has appointed Dr. Jensen to serve on its Compensation and Corporate Governance and Nominating Committees. Dr. Seidenberg has served on the Compensation and Corporate Governance and Nominating Committees of the Company’s Board of Directors.

Pursuant to the Company’s Stock Incentive Plan, Dr. Jensen will receive an automatic grant of 2,083 stock options upon election, and will be entitled to a grant of 15,000 stock options after each annual stockholders’ meeting. Dr. Jensen will receive compensation consistent with the Company’s director compensation policy as described in the Company’s proxy statement for its 2011 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure

The information furnished on Exhibit 99.1 is incorporated by reference under this Item 7.01 as if fully set forth herein.

The information furnished is not deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, is not subject to the liabilities of that section and is not deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits

Exhibit No.				Description
	99.1			Press release dated May 3, 2011 entitled “BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Announces Changes to its Board of Directors”

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 thereunto duly authorized.

Date: May 3, 2011

INDEX TO EXHIBITS

Exhibit No.				Description
	99.1			Press release dated May 3, 2011 entitled “BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Announces Changes to Its Board of Directors”

Exhibit 99.1

BIOCRYST PHARMACEUTICALS ANNOUNCES CHANGES TO ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Research Triangle Park, North Carolina — May 3, 2011 — BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:BCRX) today announced that Peder Jensen, M.D., was elected to the Company’s Board of Directors, effective today. The Company also announced today that Beth C. Seidenberg, M.D., has tendered her resignation from the Board effective May 12, 2011, following the Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

Dr. Jensen has over 24 years of global drug development experience in both pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and has been responsible for more than forty new drug approvals in the U.S., Europe and Japan during his career. He most recently served as Corporate Senior Vice President and General Manager, Research & Development (R&D) for Japan and Asia/Pacific at Schering-Plough Corporation, and earlier he held a number of global senior R&D positions at Schering-Plough, including Senior Vice President of Clinical Research. Dr. Jensen previously held senior R&D positions at Chiron and Ciba-Geigy, and a number of academic posts. Dr. Jensen received his M.D. from the University of Copenhagen, where he also completed his post graduate medical training in neurology and internal medicine. Dr Jensen is also a member of the Board of Acorda Therapeutics, Inc.

“I look forward to working with my fellow board members and the leadership team at BioCryst to pursue our goal of building an enduring, successful biopharmaceutical company, addressing patients’ unmet medical needs,” said Dr. Jensen.

“Dr. Jensen shares BioCryst’s passion for serving the needs of patients and healthcare providers. The wealth of experience Peder possesses in a wide range of therapeutic areas is going to be a great asset to BioCryst and its leadership,” said Zola P. Horovitz, Ph.D., Chairman of the Board of BioCryst. “Dr. Seidenberg has made invaluable contributions in the strategic development of BioCryst since joining its Board in late 2005. Beth’s dedicated service and firm belief in the company’s long-term potential helped attract proven leaders to BioCryst, and we wish her continued success.”

About BioCryst Pharmaceuticals

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals designs, optimizes and develops novel small-molecule pharmaceuticals that block key enzymes involved in infectious diseases, inflammatory diseases and cancer. BioCryst currently has three novel late-stage compounds in development: peramivir, a neuraminidase inhibitor for the treatment of influenza, BCX4208, a purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) inhibitor for the treatment of gout, and forodesine, an orally-available PNP inhibitor for hematological malignancies. Utilizing crystallography and structure-based drug design, BioCryst continues to discover additional compounds and to progress others through pre-

clinical and early development to address the unmet medical needs of patients and physicians. For more information, please visit the Company’s website at www.biocryst.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding future results and achievements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Please refer to the documents BioCryst files periodically with the SEC and located at http://investor.shareholder.com/biocryst/sec.cfm.

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BCRXW

CONTACT:		Robert Bennett, BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, +1-919-859-7910 (investors) Carolyn Wang, WCG, +1-415-946-1065 (media)