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): September 1, 2020

Emmaus Life Sciences, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (310) 214-0065

(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:

☐ 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 240.13a-4(c))

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. ☐

Effective September 1, 2020, the Emmaus Life Sciences, Inc. (“we,” “us,” “our,” “Emmaus” or the “company”) appointed Mr. Yasushi Nagasaki, our Senior Vice President -Finance, to serve as interim Chief Financial Officer of the company. Mr. Nagasaki succeeds Joseph (Jay) C. Sherwood III, who stepped down from his position at the company for personal reasons. Mr. Sherwood will remain a consultant to the company to continue to support our finance, accounting, investor relations and business development functions.

Mr. Nagasaki, age 53, has served as our Senior Vice President Finance since the completion of our merger transaction with EMI Holding, Inc. in July 2019. Prior to the merger, he served as Senior Vice President Finance since April 2012 and as Chief Financial Officer from May 2011 to April 2012 of EMI Holding, Inc. From September 2005 until joining EMI Holding, Inc., Mr. Nagasaki was the Chief Financial Officer of Hexadyne Corporation, an aerospace and defense supplier. Mr. Nagasaki also served on the board of directors at Hexadyne Corporation from September 2005 to April 2011. Mr. Nagasaki is a Certified Public Accountant and received a B.A. in Commerce from Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan, and a M.A. in International Policy Studies from the Monterey Institute of International Studies, a graduate school of Middlebury College.

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.

2