8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

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FORM 8-K

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CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):  November 2, 2023

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Aptose Biosciences Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

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251 Consumers Road, Suite 1105

Toronto, Ontario M2J 4R3 Canada

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

(647) 479-9828

(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

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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:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

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 7.01. Regulation FD Disclosure.

On November 2, 2023, the Registrant issued a press release, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.

In accordance with General Instruction B.2 of Form 8-K, the information in the press release attached as Exhibit 99.1 hereto shall not be deemed to be “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), nor shall such information be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

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.

EdgarFiling EXHIBIT 99.1

Aptose Tuspetinib Clinical Data Selected for Oral Presentation at the 2023 ASH Annual Meeting

Data from the Ongoing APTIVATE International Phase 1/2 Study in Relapsed/Refractory AML Patients

SAN DIEGO and TORONTO, Nov. 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aptose Biosciences Inc. (“Aptose” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: APTO, TSX: APS), a clinical-stage precision oncology company developing highly differentiated targeted agents to treat hematologic malignancies, today announced that clinical data for tuspetinib, a once daily oral therapy, has been selected for oral presentation at the 65th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition being held December 9-12, 2023, in San Diego, CA.

Lead investigator Naval Daver, MD, Professor, Director Leukemia Research Alliance Program, Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, will present data from Aptose’s ongoing APTIVATE trial of tuspetinib in relapsed/refractory patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

The abstract accepted for presentation is listed below and can be viewed online at the ASH conference website. Note that the actual presentation will include more recent updates and additional data not found in the abstract.

Oral Presentation Details

Title: Tuspetinib Myeloid Kinase Inhibitor Safety and Efficacy As Monotherapy and Combined with Venetoclax in Phase 1/2 Trial of Patients with Relapsed or Refractory (R/R) Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) Publication Number: 162 Oral Presentation Session Date & Time: Saturday, December 9, 2023, 3:15 PM PT Session Name: 616. Acute Myeloid Leukemias: Investigational Therapies, Excluding Transplantation and Cellular Immunotherapies: Novel Uses of Approved Therapeutic Agents Location: San Diego Convention Center, Room 6A

About Aptose

Aptose Biosciences is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing precision medicines addressing unmet medical needs in oncology, with an initial focus on hematology. The Company's small molecule cancer therapeutics pipeline includes products designed to provide single agent efficacy and to enhance the efficacy of other anti-cancer therapies and regimens without overlapping toxicities. The Company’s lead clinical-stage product, tuspetinib, is a once daily oral therapy being studied as monotherapy and in combination therapy in the APTIVATE international Phase 1/2 expansion trial in patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML). For more information, please visit www.aptose.com.