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): January 13, 2011

Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

Delaware

001-33609

30-0520478

(State or Other Jurisdiction

of Incorporation)

(Commission

File Number)

(IRS Employer

Identification No.)

4520 East-West Highway, Suite 300

Bethesda, Maryland

20814

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)


Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (301) 961-3400

 
(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 Instruction 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))


Item 5.02       Departure of Directors or Principal Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Principal Officers.

Jan Smilek, the current Chief Financial Officer of the registrant, resigned from his position with the registrant effective January 12, 2011. The full text of the press release issued in connection with the announcement is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.

The information in this Form 8-K (including Exhibit 99.1) shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Exchange Act, except as expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing.

Item 9.01       Financial Statements and Exhibits

(d)     Exhibits

          The following exhibit relating to Item 5.02 shall be deemed to be furnished, and not filed:

          99.1     Press Release issued by the registrant on January 13, 2011.


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 hereunto duly authorized.

SUCAMPO PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

 
 
Date: January 13, 2011 By:

/s/ THOMAS J. KNAPP

 
Name:

Thomas J. Knapp

Title:

Sr. VP, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary

Exhibit 99.1

Sucampo Announces Resignation of Chief Financial Officer

BETHESDA, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--January 13, 2011--Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCMP) today announced that Jan Smilek, Chief Financial Officer and Vice President, Finance, has resigned, effective immediately, to pursue other opportunities. Sucampo will initiate search for a new CFO.

Mr. Smilek joined Sucampo Pharmaceuticals in February 2008 as Vice President of Finance and Corporate Controller. In August 2008, he was appointed Acting Chief Financial Officer and in December 2009 he was appointed Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining Sucampo, Mr. Smilek was the Senior Director of Finance at Vanda Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

About Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc., an international biopharmaceutical company based in Bethesda, Maryland, focuses on the development and commercialization of medicines based on prostones. The therapeutic potential of prostones, which occur naturally in the human body as a result of enzymatic (15-PGDH) transformation of certain fatty acids, was first identified by Ryuji Ueno, M.D., Ph.D., Ph.D., Sucampo Pharmaceuticals’ Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Ueno founded Sucampo Pharmaceuticals in 1996 with Sachiko Kuno, Ph.D., founding Chief Executive Officer and currently Advisor, International Business Development and a member of the Board of Directors. For more information about Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, please visit www.sucampo.com.

Sucampo Forward-Looking Statement

Any statements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects for Sucampo Pharmaceuticals are forward-looking statements made under the provisions of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the words “project,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “expect,” “estimate,” “intend,” “should,” “would,” “could,” “will,” ”may” or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements include statements about the potential utility of Amitiza and Rescula to treat particular indications and expected data availability dates. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including those described in Sucampo Pharmaceuticals’ filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009 and other periodic reports filed with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements in this press release represent Sucampo Pharmaceuticals’ views only as of the date of this release and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date. Sucampo Pharmaceuticals anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause its views to change. However, while Sucampo Pharmaceuticals may elect to update these forward-looking statements publicly at some point in the future, Sucampo Pharmaceuticals specifically disclaims any obligation to do so, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

CONTACT:
Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Kate de Santis, 240-223-3834
kdesantis@sucampo.com