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

 

December 10, 2018

 

PROQR THERAPEUTICS N.V.

 

Zernikedreef 9

2333 CR Leiden

The Netherlands

Tel: +31 88 166 7000

(Address, Including ZIP Code, and Telephone Number,
Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of 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):  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)(7):  o

 

 

 


 

On December 10, 2018, ProQR Therapeutics N.V. issued a press release titled, “ProQR Receives € 4.7 million in Innovation Credit from Dutch Government for QR-110 for LCA10.” A copy of this press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference into the Company’s registration statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-228251).

 

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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.

 

 

PROQR THERAPEUTICS N.V.

 

 

 

Date: December 10, 2018

By:

/s/ Smital Shah

 

 

Smital Shah

 

 

Chief Financial Officer

 

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INDEX TO EXHIBITS

 

Number

 

Description

 

 

 

99.1

 

Press Release of ProQR Therapuetics N.V. dated December 10, 2018, titled “ProQR Receives €4.7 million in Innovation Credit from Dutch Government for QR-110 for LCA10.”

 

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Exhibit 99.1

 

ProQR Receives € 4.7 million in Innovation Credit from Dutch Government for QR-110 for LCA10

 

LEIDEN, Netherlands & CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Dec 10, 2018 — ProQR Therapeutics N.V. (Nasdaq:PRQR), a company dedicated to changing lives through the creation of transformative RNA medicines for the treatment of severe genetic rare diseases, today announced that it was awarded an innovation credit by the Dutch government for the clinical development and efforts to obtain marketing approval (NDA/MAA) for the QR-110 program that is being developed for patients with Leber’s congenital amaurosis 10 (LCA10), a genetic eye disease that is the leading cause of childhood blindness. Repayment of the credit is triggered only by market approval of QR-110.

 

Innovation credit (“Innovatiekrediet”)

 

The Innovation Credit is awarded by the Dutch government through its agency RVO of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, and is aimed at the development of promising innovations. This can include the technical development of a new product or process or the clinical development of a medicine or device.

 

ProQR was awarded an Innovation credit for the QR-110 program. Amounts will be drawn under this facility from 2018 thru 2021. The credit of € 4.7 million through December 31, 2021 will be used to conduct the Phase 2/3 clinical study and efforts to obtain regulatory and ethical market approval (NDA/MAA) of QR-110 for LCA10.

 

The credit, including accrued interest, is repayable depending on obtaining market approval.

 

About QR-110

 

QR-110 is a first-in-class investigational RNA-based oligonucleotide designed to address the underlying cause of Leber’s congenital amaurosis 10 due to the p.Cys998X mutation (also known as the c.2991+1655A>G mutation) in the CEP290 gene. The p.Cys998X mutation is a substitution of one nucleotide in the pre-mRNA that leads to aberrant splicing of the mRNA and non-functional CEP290 protein. QR-110 is designed to restore normal (wild-type) CEP290 mRNA leading to the production of normal CEP290 protein by binding to the mutated location in the pre-mRNA causing normal splicing of the pre-mRNA. QR-110 is intended to be administered through intravitreal injections in the eye and has been granted orphan drug designation in the United States and the European Union and received fast-track designation by the FDA.

 

About Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis 10

 

Leber’s congenital amaurosis (LCA) is the most common cause of blindness due to genetic disease in children and consists of a group of diseases of which LCA10 is the most frequent and one of the more severe forms. LCA10 is caused by mutations in the CEP290 gene, of which the p.Cys998X mutation is the most common. LCA10 leads to early loss of vision causing most people to lose their sight in the first few years of life. To date, there are no treatments approved or other products in clinical development that treat the underlying cause of the disease. Approximately 2,000 people in the Western world have LCA10 because of this mutation.

 


 

About ProQR

 

ProQR Therapeutics is dedicated to changing lives through the creation of transformative RNA medicines for the treatment of severe genetic rare diseases such as Leber’s congenital amaurosis 10, dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa and cystic fibrosis. Based on our unique proprietary RNA repair platform technologies we are growing our pipeline with patients and loved ones in mind.

 

*Since 2012*

 

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, which are often indicated by terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “goal,” “intend,” “look forward to”, “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions. Such statements include those regarding QR-110 and the clinical development and the therapeutic potential thereof. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information available to management only as of the date of this press release. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements for many reasons, including, without limitation, the risks, uncertainties and other factors in our filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including certain sections of our annual report filed on Form 20-F. Given these risks, uncertainties and other factors, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, and we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future, except as required by law.

 

ProQR Therapeutics N.V.

Investor Contact:

Lisa Hayes

Vice President of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications

T: +1 202 360 4855

ir@proqr.com

 

Media Contact:

Sara Zelkovic

LifeSci Public Relations

T: +1 646 876 4933

Sara@lifescipublicrelations.com

 

ProQR Therapeutics N.V. | Zernikedreef 9, 2333 CK Leiden, The Netherlands | +31 88 166 7000 | info@proqr.com | www.proqr.com