8-K
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
July
18,
2008
Date
of
Report (Date of earliest event reported)
ACURA
PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
(Exact
Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
|
State
of New York
|
1-10113
|
11-0853640
|
|
(State
of Other Jurisdiction
|
(Commission
File Number)
|
(I.R.S.
Employer
|
|
of
Incorporation)
|
|
Identification
Number)
|
616
N. North Court, Suite 120
Palatine,
Illinois 60067
(Address
of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
(847)
705-7709
(Registrant’s
telephone number, including area code)
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 (see General Instruction A.2. below):
| 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 (17CFR
240.13e-4(c))
|
Item
8.01 Other
Events
In
June
2008, we received a Notice of Allowance for a non-provisional patent
application 11/716,122 titled “Methods and Compositions for Deterring Abuse of
Opioid Containing Dosage Forms” (the “122 Application”). After further review of
one of the 21 claims contained in the Notice of Allowance, and after
consideration of a potential interference proceeding relating to a third party
patent application containing a similar claim, on July 18, 2008, we filed with
the United States Patent and Trademark Office, a Request for Continued
Examination relating to the 122 Application and simultaneously cancelled one
of
the 21 claims included in the Notice of Allowance.
A
copy of
the press release issued by us with respect to the aforementioned matter is
being furnished as Exhibit 99.1.
Item
9.01 Financial
Statements and Exhibits
| Exhibit
Number |
Description |
| 99.1 |
Press
Release of the Registrant dated July 21,
2008.
|
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 thereunto
duly authorized.
ACURA
PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
Peter
A.
Clemens
Senior
Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
Date: July
21,
2008
EXHIBIT
INDEX
| Exhibit
Number |
Description |
| 99.1 |
Press
Release of the Registrant dated July 21,
2008.
|