UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
Form
6-K
Report
of Foreign Private Issuer
Pursuant
to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16
of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For
the
month of August, 2008
Commission
File Number: 000-51310
XTL
Biopharmaceuticals Ltd.
(Translation
of registrant's name into English)
711
Executive Blvd., Suite Q
Valley
Cottage, New York 10989
(Address
of principal executive offices)
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under
cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form
20-F
x Form
40-F
o
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted
by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1): ____
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted
by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7): ____
Indicate
by check mark whether by furnishing the information contained in this Form,
the
registrant is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant
to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Yes
o No
x
If
“Yes”
is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in
connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 82-
N/A
Incorporation
by Reference: This Form 6-K of XTL Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. dated August 14,
2008 is hereby incorporated by reference into the registration statements on
Form F-3 (File No. 333-141529 and File No. 333-147024) filed by XTL
Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March
23,
2007 and October 30, 2007, respectively, and the registration statements on
Form
S-8 (File No. 333-148058 and File No. 333-148574) filed by XTL
Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December
14, 2007 and January 18, 2008, respectively.
The
following is intended to update our risk factors as disclosed in our Annual
Report on Form 20-F dated
March 27, 2008. Investing in our ordinary shares or American Depositary Receipts
(“ADRs”) representing American Depositary Shares involves a high degree of risk.
The risks described below should be considered in connection with the risks
described in our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission on March 27, 2008.
RISK
FACTORS
We
have limited experience in conducting and managing clinical trials necessary
to
obtain regulatory approvals. If
our drug candidates and technologies do not receive the necessary regulatory
approvals, we will be unable to commercialize our products.
We
have
not received, and may never receive, regulatory approval for commercial sale
for
any of our products. We currently do not have any drug candidates or
technologies pending approval with the FDA or with regulatory authorities of
other countries. We will need to conduct significant additional research and
human testing before we can apply for product approval with the FDA or with
regulatory authorities of other countries. In order to obtain FDA approval
to
market a new drug product, we or our potential partners must demonstrate proof
of safety and efficacy in humans. To meet these requirements, we or our
potential partners will have to conduct extensive pre-clinical testing and
“adequate and well-controlled” clinical trials.
Pre-clinical
testing and clinical development are long, expensive and uncertain processes.
Clinical trials are very difficult to design and implement, in part because
they
are subject to rigorous regulatory requirements. Satisfaction of regulatory
requirements typically depends on the nature, complexity and novelty of the
product and requires the expenditure of substantial resources. The commencement
and rate of completion of clinical trials may be delayed by many factors,
including:
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·
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obtaining
regulatory approvals to commence a clinical
trial;
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·
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reaching
agreement on acceptable terms with prospective contract research
organizations, or CROs, and trial sites, the terms of which can be
subject
to extensive negotiation and may vary significantly among different
CROs
and trial sites;
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·
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slower
than expected rates of patient recruitment due to narrow screening
requirements;
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·
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the
inability of patients to meet FDA or other regulatory authorities
imposed
protocol requirements;
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·
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the
need or desire to modify our manufacturing
process;
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·
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delays,
suspension, or termination of the clinical trials due to the institutional
review board responsible for overseeing the study at a particular
study
site; and
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·
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government
or regulatory delays or “clinical holds” requiring suspension or
termination of the trials.
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Following
the completion of a clinical trial, regulators may not interpret data obtained
from pre-clinical and clinical tests of our drug candidates and technologies
the
same way that we do, which could delay, limit or prevent our receipt of
regulatory approval. In addition, the designs of our ongoing clinical trials
were not, and the designs of future clinical trials may not be, reviewed or
approved by the FDA prior to their commencement, and consequently the FDA could
determine that the parameters of any existing or future studies are insufficient
to demonstrate proof of safety and efficacy in humans. Failure to approve a
completed study could also result from several other factors, including
unforeseen safety issues, the determination of dosing, low rates of patient
recruitment, the inability to monitor patients adequately during or after
treatment, the inability or unwillingness of medical investigators to follow
our
clinical protocols, and the lack of effectiveness of the trials.
If
the
clinical trials fail to satisfy the criteria required, the FDA may request
additional information, including additional clinical data, before approval
of
marketing a product. Negative or inconclusive results or medical events during
a
clinical trial could also cause us to delay or terminate our development
efforts. If we experience delays in the testing or approval process, or if
we
need to perform more or larger clinical trials than originally planned, our
financial results and the commercial prospects for our drug candidates and
technologies may be materially impaired.
Clinical
trials have a high risk of failure. A number of companies in the pharmaceutical
industry, including biotechnology companies, have suffered significant setbacks
in clinical trials, even after achieving promising results in earlier trials.
It
may take us many years to complete the testing of our drug candidates and
technologies, and failure can occur at any stage of this process.
Even
if
regulatory approval is obtained, our products and their manufacture will be
subject to continual review, and there can be no assurance that such approval
will not be subsequently withdrawn or restricted. Changes in applicable
legislation or regulatory policies, or discovery of problems with the products
or their manufacture, may result in the imposition of regulatory restrictions,
including withdrawal of the product from the market, or result in increased
costs to us.
Our
International Clinical Trials May Be Delayed Or Otherwise Adversely Impacted
By
Social, Political And Economic Factors Affecting The Particular Foreign
Country.
We
are
presently conducting clinical trials in the U.S., India, Germany and Israel.
Our
ability to successfully initiate, enroll and complete a clinical trial in any
of
these countries, or in any future foreign country in which we may initiate
a
clinical trial, are subject to numerous risks unique to conducting business
in
foreign countries, including:
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·
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difficulty
in establishing or managing relationships with clinical research
organizations and physicians;
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different
standards for the conduct of clinical trials and/or health care
reimbursement;
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our
inability to locate qualified local consultants, physicians, and
partners;
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the
potential burden of complying with a variety of foreign laws, medical
standards and regulatory requirements, including the regulation of
pharmaceutical products and treatment;
and
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general
geopolitical risks, such as political and economic instability, and
changes in diplomatic and trade
relations.
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Because
we are conducting clinical trials in India, Israel and Germany, and potentially
other foreign countries in the future, any disruption to our international
clinical trial program could significantly delay our product development
efforts.
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, thereunto duly authorized.
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XTL
BIOPHARMACEUTICALS LTD. |
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Date:
August
14, 2008 |
By: |
/s/ Ron
Bentsur |
|
Ron
Bentsur |
|
Chief
Executive Officer |