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): August 16, 2022
 
Acorda Therapeutics, Inc.
(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Delaware	001-31938	13-3831168		
(State or Other Jurisdiction
of Incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer
Identification No.)		
 	 	 		
2 Blue Hill Plaza, 3rd Floor,
Pearl River, NY	 	10965		
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)	 	(Zip Code)		
Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code: (914) 347-4300
Not Applicable
(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 (see General Instructions A.2. below):
 
☐	Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)	
☐	Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)	
☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))	
☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))	
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
 
Title of each class	 	Trading
Symbol(s)	 	Name of each exchange on which registered	
Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share	 	ACOR	 	Nasdaq Global Select Market	
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§ 230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§ 240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

 

 
Item 5.02	Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers	
 
On August 19, 2022, Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) issued a press release announcing that Lauren Sabella, the Company’s Chief Operating Officer, is resigning from the Company effective September 30, 2022. Ms. Sabella will receive the resignation benefits specified in her employment agreement, as amended, which are described in the Company’s 2022 Proxy Statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as Schedule 14A on April 28, 2022. The Company thanks Ms. Sabella for her many years of valuable service to the Company and wishes her well in her future endeavors. A copy of the press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K, and is incorporated by reference into this Item 5.02.

Item 9.01Financial Statements and Exhibits
 
(d) Exhibits

Exhibit No.
 	Description
 	
99.1	Press Release dated August 19, 2022	
104	Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)	

 

 
 
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.

 	Acorda Therapeutics, Inc.	
 	 	 	
August 19, 2022	By:	/s/ Michael Gesser	
 	 	Name: Michael Gesser	
 	 	Title: Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer	

Exhibit 99.1

CONTACT:
Tierney Saccavino
(914) 326-5104
tsaccavino@acorda.com
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Acorda Therapeutics Announces Resignation of
Chief Operating Officer
 
PEARL RIVER, N.Y. – August 19, 2022 – Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ACOR) today announced that Lauren Sabella, Chief Operating Officer, will resign from the Company effective September 30, 2022. Ms. Sabella will be working in a strategic advisory role for early-stage biotechnology companies.
 
“We are grateful for Lauren’s thirteen years of contributions as a member of Acorda’s executive leadership team. Initially, she and her team led the commercial launch of AMPYRA, a novel treatment for multiple sclerosis. The tremendous success of that product allowed Acorda to invest in additional clinical development programs, including INBRIJA for Parkinson’s disease,” said Ron Cohen, M.D., Acorda’s President and CEO. “Lauren has been an outstanding leader at Acorda; we will miss her and wish her a fulfilling next chapter in her career.”
 
“I am honored to have been part of the Acorda team. I take particular pride in knowing that the FDA-approved products we have brought to market have helped so many people living with multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease,” said Ms. Sabella. “I am also proud to have prepared outstanding senior leaders to help guide Acorda’s success moving forward.”
 
Ms. Sabella’s responsibilities will be assumed by two of her current direct reports, Sofia Ali, Senior Vice President, Operations & Strategic Planning and Susan Way, Senior Vice President, Drug Development and Regulatory Affairs.
 
About Acorda Therapeutics
Acorda Therapeutics develops therapies to restore function and improve the lives of people with neurological disorders. INBRIJA is approved for intermittent treatment of OFF episodes in adults with Parkinson’s disease treated with carbidopa/levodopa. INBRIJA is not to be used by patients who take or have taken a nonselective monoamine oxidase inhibitor such as phenelzine or tranylcypromine within the last two weeks. INBRIJA utilizes Acorda’s innovative ARCUS® pulmonary delivery system, a technology platform designed to deliver medication through inhalation. Acorda also markets the branded AMPYRA® (dalfampridine) Extended Release Tablets, 10 mg.
 
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, regarding management's expectations, beliefs, goals, plans or prospects should be considered forward-looking. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including: we may not be able to successfully market AMPYRA, INBRIJA or any other products under development; the COVID-19 pandemic, including related restrictions on in-person interactions and travel, and the potential for illness, quarantines and vaccine mandates affecting our management, employees or consultants or those that work for other companies we rely upon, could have a material adverse effect on our business operations or product sales; our ability to attract and retain key management and other personnel, or maintain access to expert advisors; our ability to raise additional funds to finance our operations, repay outstanding indebtedness or satisfy other obligations, and our ability to control our costs or

reduce planned expenditures; risks associated with the trading of our common stock, including the potential delisting of our common stock from the Nasdaq Global Select Market and actions that we may take, such as a reverse stock split, in order to attempt to maintain such listing; risks related to our corporate restructurings, including our ability to outsource certain operations, realize expected cost savings and maintain the workforce needed for continued operations; risks associated with complex, regulated manufacturing processes for pharmaceuticals, which could affect whether we have sufficient commercial supply of INBRIJA to meet market demand; our reliance on third-party manufacturers for the production of commercial supplies of AMPYRA and INBRIJA; third-party payers (including governmental agencies) may not reimburse for the use of INBRIJA at acceptable rates or at all and may impose restrictive prior authorization requirements that limit or block prescriptions; reliance on collaborators and distributors to commercialize INBRIJA and AMPYRA outside the U.S.; competition for INBRIJA and AMPYRA, including increasing competition and accompanying loss of revenues in the U.S. from generic versions of AMPYRA (dalfampridine) following our loss of patent exclusivity; the ability to realize the benefits anticipated from acquisitions because, among other reasons, acquired development programs are generally subject to all the risks inherent in the drug development process and our knowledge of the risks specifically relevant to acquired programs generally improves over time; the risk of unfavorable results from future studies of INBRIJA (levodopa inhalation powder) or from other research and development programs, or any other acquired or in-licensed programs; the occurrence of adverse safety events with our products; the outcome (by judgment or settlement) and costs of legal, administrative or regulatory proceedings, investigations or inspections, including, without limitation, collective, representative or class-action litigation; failure to protect our intellectual property, to defend against the intellectual property claims of others or to obtain third-party intellectual property licenses needed for the commercialization of our products; and failure to comply with regulatory requirements could result in adverse action by regulatory agencies.
 
These and other risks are described in greater detail in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We may not actually achieve the goals or plans described in our forward-looking statements, and investors should not place undue reliance on these statements. Forward-looking statements made in this press release are made only as of the date hereof, and we disclaim any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this press release, except as may be required by law.
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