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UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, DC 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): October 2, 2014 Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) Delaware 001-35268 33-0505269 (State or other jurisdiction (Commission IRS Employer of incorporation or organization) File Number) Identification No.) 420 Lexington Avenue, Suite 2012 New York, NY 10170 (Address of principal executive offices) Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (212) 297-0020 (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: o Written communication pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) o Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) Item 8.01 Other Events. Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc. (the “Company”) has used the corporate presentation attached to this Current Report on Form 8-K as Exhibit 99.1 (the “Slides”), in whole or in part, and possibly with modifications, in connection with its consideration of various financing alternatives. Due to overall market conditions, the Company has decided to postpone entering into a financing transaction until such time as market conditions improve. The Slides are attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this report on Form 8-K and are incorporated herein by reference. The information contained in the Slides is summary information that is intended to be considered in the context of the Company’s Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filings and other public announcements that the Company may make, by press release or otherwise, from time to time. The Company undertakes no duty or obligation to publicly update or revise the information contained in this report, although it may do so from time to time as its management believes is warranted. Any such updating may be made through the filing of other reports or documents with the SEC, through press releases or through other public disclosure. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this current report on Form 8-K are forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as “anticipate,” “planned,” “believe,” “forecast,” “estimated,” “expected,” and “intend,” among others. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations and actual results could differ materially. There are a number of factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, substantial competition; the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern; the Company’s need for additional financing; uncertainties of patent protection and litigation; uncertainties of government or third party payer reimbursement; limited sales and marketing efforts and dependence upon third parties; and

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UNITED STATESSECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

FORM 8-K

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

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): October 2, 2014

Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware 001-35268 33-0505269

(State or other jurisdiction (Commission IRS Employerof incorporation or organization) File Number) Identification No.)

420 Lexington Avenue, Suite 2012

New York, NY 10170(Address of principal executive offices)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (212) 297-0020

(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 registrantunder any of the following provisions:

o Written communication pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

o Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 8.01 Other Events.

Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc. (the “Company”) has used the corporate presentation attached to this Current Report on Form 8-K asExhibit 99.1 (the “Slides”), in whole or in part, and possibly with modifications, in connection with its consideration of various financingalternatives. Due to overall market conditions, the Company has decided to postpone entering into a financing transaction until such time asmarket conditions improve. The Slides are attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this report on Form 8-K and are incorporated herein by reference.

The information contained in the Slides is summary information that is intended to be considered in the context of the Company’s

Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filings and other public announcements that the Company may make, by press release orotherwise, from time to time. The Company undertakes no duty or obligation to publicly update or revise the information contained in thisreport, although it may do so from time to time as its management believes is warranted. Any such updating may be made through the filingof other reports or documents with the SEC, through press releases or through other public disclosure.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this current report on Form 8-K are forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities LitigationReform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as “anticipate,” “planned,” “believe,”“forecast,” “estimated,” “expected,” and “intend,” among others. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s currentexpectations and actual results could differ materially. There are a number of factors that could cause actual events to differ materially fromthose indicated by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, substantial competition; the Company’sability to continue as a going concern; the Company’s need for additional financing; uncertainties of patent protection and litigation;uncertainties of government or third party payer reimbursement; limited sales and marketing efforts and dependence upon third parties; and

uncertainties of government or third party payer reimbursement; limited sales and marketing efforts and dependence upon third parties; andrisks related to failure to obtain FDA clearances or approvals and noncompliance with FDA regulations. As with any pharmaceutical underdevelopment, there are significant risks in the development, regulatory approval and commercialization of new products. There are noguarantees that future clinical trials discussed in this current report on Form 8-K will be completed or successful or that any product willreceive regulatory approval for any indication or prove to be commercially successful. Investors should read the risk factors set forth in theCompany’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 and other periodic reports filed with the SEC. While the list of factorspresented here is considered representative, no such list should be considered to be a complete statement of all potential risks anduncertainties. Unlisted factors may present significant additional obstacles to the realization of forward-looking statements. Forward-lookingstatements included herein are made as of the date hereof, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly suchstatements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances; and thus you should not unduly rely on these statements.

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Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits.

99.1 Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc. Presentation dated September 2014.

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on itsbehalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

Dated: October 2, 2014

SYNERGY PHARMACEUTICALS INC.

By: /s/ Gary S. JacobGary S. Jacob, Ph.D.President and Chief Executive Officer

3

Exhibit 99.1

C orporate P resentation

2 S afe H arbor S tatem ent T his presentation m ay contain forw ard-looking statem ents w ithin the m eaning of S ection 27A of the S ecurities A ct of 1933 and S ection 21E of the S ecurities E xchange A ct of 1934. S uch forw ard-looking statem ents are characterized by future or conditional verbs such as “m ay,” “w ill,” “expect,” “intend,” “anticipate,” believe,” “estim ate” and “continue” or sim ilar w ords. Y ou should read statem ents that contain these w ords carefully because they discuss future expectations and plans, w hich contain projections of future results of operations or financial condition or state other forw ard-looking inform ation. S uch statem ents are only predictions and our actual results m ay differ m aterially from those anticipated in these forw ard-lookingstatem ents. We believe that it is im portant to com m unicate future expectations to investors. H ow ever, there m ay be events in the future that w e are not able to accurately predict or control. F actors that m ay cause such differences include, but are not lim ited to, those discussed under R isk F actors and elsew here in our O ffering Mem orandum and our A nnual R eport on F orm 10-K for the year ended D ecem ber 31, 2013, as filed w ith the S ecurities and E xchange C om m ission, including the uncertainties associated w ith product developm ent, the risk that products that appeared prom ising in early clinical trials do not dem onstrate safety and efficacy in larger-scale clinical trials, the risk that w e w ill not obtain approval to m arket our products, the risks associatedw ith dependence upon key personnel and the need for additional financing. We do not assum e any obligation to update forw ard-looking statem ents as circum stances change. T his presentation does not constitute an offer or invitation for the sale or purchase of securities or to engage in any other transaction w ith S ynergy or its affiliates. T he inform ation in this presentation is not targeted at the residents of any particular country or jurisdiction and is not intended for distribution to, or use by, any person in any jurisdiction or country w here such distribution or use w ould be contrary to local law or regulation.

3 O ur T eam : G I E xpertise & P roven T rack R ecord of E xecution G ary Jacob, P h.D . C hairm an & C E O O ver 25 years of experience in pharm a and biotech across m ultiple disciplines, including: R & D , operations and business developm ent K unw ar S hailubhai, P hD C hief S cientific O fficer Major discoverer of P lecanatide and S P -333 for G I indicationsO ver 20 years experience at G .D . S earle/Monsanto C o. and N IH P atrick G riffin, MD C hief Medical O fficer B oard-certified, internal m edicine and gastroenterology O ver 25 years of experience; S anofi-A ventis, F orest L aboratories, P rivate practice L aura B arrow , P harm D S V P , C linical O perations O ver 25 years experience in clinical developm ent H offm ann L a-R oche, B ristol-Myers S quibb, P fizer P aul E ng, P hD S V P , D rug D evelopm ent F orm er D irector of G I C linical D evelopm ent, F orest L aboratories S uccessfully led C IC /IB S -C phase 3 trials to N D A and drug approval Marino G arcia S V P , C orporateD evelopm ent F orm er V P of G lobal B D , A ptalis P harm aceuticals A spreva P harm aceuticals, E li L ily, S chering P lough, P fizer B ernard D enoyer, C P A S V P , F inance F orm er C F O of ME T A G roup Inc.S V P , F inance and S ecretary, C allisto P harm aceuticals

4 O ur F ocus: P ioneering G I R esearch & D evelopm ent N A T U R A L P H Y S IO L O G Y ME E T SB R E A K T H R O U G H S C IE N C E A dvanced clinical program s w ith m ultiple value drivers U nique m echanism -of-action based on a naturally occurring hum an G I horm one E xclusive w orldw ide rights S trong patent portfolio E xperienced m anagem ent team

5 O ur P latform : D iscovered & D eveloped by S ynergy C O MP O U N D IN D IC A T IO N P H A S E 1 P H A S E 2 P H A S E 3P L E C A N A T ID E C hronic Idiopathic C onstipation (C IC ) Irritable B ow el S yndrom e w ith C onstipation (IB S -C ) S P -333 O pioid-Induced C onstipation (O IC ) U lcerative C olitis (U C )

6 O ur A pproach: B ased on a N atural H um an G I H orm one - U roguanylin U R O G U A N Y L IN (N atural G I H orm one) P L E C A N A T ID E C IC /IB S -CS P -333 O IC /U C

7 P hysiological Mechanism of A ction 1 2 3 P lecanatide S P -333 U roguanylin (U roG ) activates G C -C receptors in the gut G C -C receptor stim ulates cyclic G MP synthesis C -G MP activates C F T R , m oving fluid into the intestine for norm al digestion P lecanatide/S P -333 activate G C -C , restoring norm al G I function C rossS ection of G I T ract 2 3 4 4 1

8 P lecanatide: N ovel A nalog of N atural U roguanylin N D D C E L C V N V A C T G C L N D E C E L C V N V A C T G C LK E Y A MIN O A C ID S U B S T IT U T IO N (1) D . L iu, et. al., A nticancer R esearch, 29: 3777-3784 (2009) U roguanylin P lecanatide B inding constant to G C -C receptors is 8-fold higher than uroguanylin(1) P harm acological activity m im ics natural uroguanylin E ssentially non-system ic O nce-daily oral tablet

9 N atural G C -C A gonist vs. B acterial E nterotoxin L inaclotide: E nterotoxin A nalog N D D C E L C V N V A C T G C LN D E C E L C V N V A C T G C L N S S N Y C C E L C C N P A C T G C YC C E Y C C N P A C T G C Y S T P eptide: P roduced by E . coli B acteria U roguanylin: N atural G C -C A gonist P lecanatide: U roguanylin A nalog L inaclotide is a truncated version of a bacterial enterotoxin

C IC /IB S -C Market O verview

11 G row ing U S Market O pportunity Millions of U S adults w ith C IC /IB S -C A round 35 m illion U S adults w ith C IC E stim ated 13 m illion U S adults w ith IB S -C C IC population expected to grow C IC affects around 50% of the U S elderly –74% nursing hom e residents 65+ population expected to reach 80 m illion by 2040 – accounting for 21% of the U S population N ew therapy launch and m ulti-m illion dollar m arketing cam paign is building the C IC /IB S -C m arket O nly tw o F D A approved C IC /IB S -C drugs currently available – latest drug launched in D ec. 2012 Multi-m illion dollar direct-to-consum er aw areness cam paign started in A pril 2014 1. Wald A , S carpignatoC , K am m MA , et al. T he burden of constipation on quality of life: results of a m ultinational survey. A lim ent P harm acol T her. 2007;26(2);227-236. 2. R ao S C , G o JT . U pdate on the m anagem ent of constipation in the elderly: new treatm ent options. C lin Interv A ging. 2010;5:163-171. 3. A profile of O lder A m ericans: 2012, A dm inistration on A ging A dm inisration for C om m unity L iving,U S D epartm ent of H ealth and H um an S ervices (1) (2) (3)

12 U S C onstipation R x Market V olum e A ccelerating U S C onstipation* R x A nnual V olum e 6 5 4 3 0 2 1 2013 + 11% C A G R 2011 2012 2010 L inzess A m itiza O thers** S ince launch, L inzess has grow n the m arket as opposed to capturing volum e from alternative therapies F rom Q 1 2013 to Q 1 2014, total m arket volum e has grow n by 19% , driven byL inzess A ssum ing patients only fill 3-4 R x on average per year, only 1.25-1.70m of 45m patients in the U S w ere treated w ith these R x in 2013 (< 5% of adult population) 5.1m 4.6m 4.4m 3.7m *C onstipation R x m arket includes treatm ents for IB S -C , C IC , O IC **O ther products includes C onstulose, G enerlac, K ristalose, L actulose, Miralax, and R elistor S ource: IMSN S P May 2014 T R x m illion

13 U S C onstipation R x Market V alue ($) G row ing U S C onstipation* R x A nnual S ales 600 500 550 0 100 150 200 50 450 300 400 350 250 + 21% C A G R 2013 2010 2012 2011 O thers** A m itiza L inzess B oth L inzess and A m itiza have driven sales grow th in the m arket F rom Q 1 2013 to Q 1 2014, the m arket has grow n by 55% , largely driven by L inzess sales $ m illion*C onstipation R x m arket includes treatm ents for IB S -C , C IC , O IC **O ther products includes C onstulose, G enerlac, K ristalose, L actulose, Miralax, and R elistor S ource: IMS N S P May 2014

P lecanatide C IC C linical P rogram

15 P lecanatide P hase 2b/3 C IC T rial: S tudy O verview A im : A ssess the safety and efficacy of 0.3, 1.0 and 3.0 m g plecanatide doses vs. placebo in C IC patients P atient P opulation: 951 patients w ith C IC (Modified R om e III C riteria) P rim ary E ndpoint: P roportion of D urable O verall R esponders (fulfills ≥ 3 C S B Ms + ≥ 1C S B M from baseline per w eek, for 9/12 w eeks, including ≥ 3 of the last 4 w eeks) – F D A A pproval E ndpoint D esign: S creening up to 4 w eeks B aseline 2 w eeks T reatm ent 12 w eeks P ost-T x 2 w eeks P atients called in daily to IV R S

16 P lacebo n= 236 3.0 m g n= 237 p value % C S B M R esponders 10.7 19 p= < 0.01 C S B M F requency 1.03 2.13 p= < 0.001 S B M F requency 1.30 2.88 p= < 0.001 S tool C onsistency 0.81 2.01 p= < 0.001 Mean S training C hange -1.24 -2.07 p= < 0.001 P lecanatide P hase 2b/3 C IC T rial:R esults S um m ary P lecanatide 3.0 m g dose show ed statistically significant im provem ent in all prim ary and key secondary endpoints

17 P lecanatide P hase 2b/3 C IC T rial: R esults S um m ary % R esponders * = p< 0.05; ** = p < 0.01; *** = p < 0.001 T reatm ent Week T reatm ent w eek B ristol S tool F orm S cale S core S tool C onsistency (B S F S ) Weekly R esponder R ates P lecanatide 3.0m g dem onstrated im m ediate and sustained effect

18 P lecanatide P hase 2b/3 C IC T rial: C lear D ose-R esponse for E fficacy * = p< 0.05; ** = p < 0.01; *** = p < 0.001 *** *** ***

19 P lecanatide P hase 2b/3 C IC T rial: D iarrhea P lateau E ffect A ll A E D iarrhea 9.7% 8.4% 5.5% 1.3% D iarrhea incidence did not increase proportionately w ith dose and appears to reach a plateau at the high end of the dose range

20 P lacebo n= 236 3.0 m g n= 237 S erious A dverse E vents (A E ) 5 (2.1% ) 2 (0.8% ) T reatm ent-em ergent (T E ) A E s 96 (40.7% ) 106 (44.7% ) A E s leading to w ithdraw al 8 (3.4% ) 13 (5.5% ) A ll D iarrhea T E A E s 3 (1.3% ) 23 (9.7% ) S evere D iarrheaT E A E s 0 1 (0.4% ) Withdraw al due to D iarrhea 1 (0.4% ) 7 (3.0% ) P lecanatide P hase 2b/3 C IC T rial: S afety S um m ary P lecanatide w as safe and w ell tolerated w ith < 10% diarrhea at 3.0 m g dose

21 P lecanatide P ivotal P hase 3 C IC T rials: P rogram O verview A im : T w o, random ized, 12-w eek, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials to confirm the safety and efficacy of plecanatide in C IC patients T reatm ent G roups: 3.0 and 6.0 m g oral tablet plecanatide or placebo once-daily E stim ated E nrollm ent: 1350 C IC patients per trial (2700 patients total) P rim ary E ndpoint: P roportion of D urable O verall R esponders D esign: S creening up to 4 w eeksB aseline 2 w eeks T reatm ent 12 w eeks P ost-T x 2 w eeks P atients call in daily to IV R S

P lecanatide IB S -C C linical P rogram

23 P lecanatide P hase 2b IB S -C T rial: S tudy O verview S creening up to 6 w eeks B aseline 2 w eeks T reatm ent 12 w eeks P ost-T x 2 w eeks P atients called in daily to IV R S S tudy A im : A ssess the efficacy and safety of 0.3, 1.0, 3.0 and 9.0 m g plecanatide doses vs. placebo in IB S -C patients P opulation: 424 patients w ith IB S -C (R om e III C riteria)P rim ary E ndpoint: Mean change from baseline in C S B Ms S tudy D esign:

24 P lecanatide P hase 2b IB S -C T rial: P relim inary T op-line D ata 1.0, 3.0 and 9.0 m g dose groups dem onstrated statistical significance for the study’s prim ary endpoint (C S B M frequency) S afe and w ell tolerated at all doses w ith no treatm ent-related serious adverse events 3.0 m g dose consistently dem onstrated statistically significant im provem ent in key secondary endpoints, including the overall responder endpoint (F D A endpoint required for approval) 3.0 m g dose group show ed < 10% diarrhea rate F ull data results to be presented at A C G on O ctober 20, 2014

25 41.9% * 24.7% *p< 0.05 n = 85 n = 86 P lecanatide P hase 2b IB S -C T rial: O verall R esponder E ndpoint (F D A A pproval E ndpoint) O verall R esponder = fulfills both ≥ 30% reduction in w orst abdom inal pain and Increase of ≥ 1 C S B Ms from baseline in the sam e w eek for at least 50% of the w eeks (6/12 w ks)

26 P lacebo n= 85 3.0 m g n= 86 p value C S B M frequency/ 12 w eeks 1.29 2.74 p= < 0.001 Worst A bdom inal P ain Intensity -1.4 (-24.5% ) -2.0 (-33.9% ) p= < 0.05 S tool C onsistency 1.01 2.49 p= < 0.001 D iarrhea R ate 0 9.3% P lecanatide P hase 2b IB S -C T rial: P relim inary T op-line D ata P lecanatide 3.0 m g dem onstrated ideal efficacy for treatingIB S -C patients and excellent tolerability at < 10% diarrhea

27 P lecanatide P hase 2b IB S -C T rial: E nd-of-P hase 2 F D A Meeting H ighlights A greem ent reached w ith F D A on pivotal phase 3 IB S -C studies regarding trial duration, study population, num ber of trials and prim ary endpoint P lecanatide 3.0 m g and 6.0 m g doses selected (consistent w ith C IC registration trials) P ivotal phase 3 IB S -C program to be initiated 4Q 2014 and w ill include 2 registration trials IB S -C patients successfully com pleting either of the 12-w eek placebo-controlled registration trials w ill be offered enrollm ent into a long-term safety trial in order to support the ongoing long-term safety database for the C IC indication

28 P lecanatide P hase 3 IB S -C T rials: P rogram O verview A im : T w o, random ized, 12-w eek, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies to confirm the safety and efficacy of plecanatide in IB S -C patients T reatm ent G roups: 3.0 and 6.0 m g oral tablet plecanatide or placebo once-daily E stim ated E nrollm ent: 1,050 IB S -C patients per trial (R om e III C riteria) P rim ary E ndpoint: O verall R esponder endpointD esign: S creening up to 6 w eeks B aseline 2 w eeks T reatm ent 12 w eeks P ost-T x 2 w eeks P atients w ill call in daily to IV R S

S P -333 C linical P rogram

30 S P -333: S uperior S tability E xpands the P otential dN D E C E L C V N V A C T G C dL N D D C E L C V N V A C T G C L N ext-G eneration U roguanylin A nalog R esistant to proteolysis in sim ulated intestinal fluid H ighly potent and stable peptide P harm acologic activity m im ics natural physiology E ssentially non-system ic O nce-daily oral tablet U roguanylin – N atural G I H orm one S P -333 – U roguanylin A nalog S ingle letters denote different am ino acids. C olored lines denote disulfide bonds.

31 S P -333 P hase 2 O IC T rial: S tudy O verview A im : A ssess the safety and efficacy of S P -333 in O IC patients receiving chronic opioid therapy for ≥ 3 m onths T reatm ent G roups: 1.0, 3.0 and 6.0 m g S P -333 vs. placebo once-daily E stim ated E nrollm ent: 260 O IC patients T reatm ent D uration: 4 w eeks P rim ary E ndpoint: Mean change from baseline in thenum ber of S B Ms during w eek 4 of the T reatm ent P eriod T op-line data expected in the fourth quarter of this year

C orporate S um m ary

33 A nticipated Milestones 2013 P lecanatide S P -333 C IC IB S -C O IC U C E O P 2 Meeting P hase 2b/3 P ositive T op-line D ata 2014 2015 2016 C IC P hase 3 P ivotal P rogram U S N D A F iling P hase 2b T rial – P ositive T op-line D ataU S N D A F iling P hase 2 T rial T op-line D ata P hase 2 T rial C om pleted S A D /MA D P hase 1 T rials P roof of C oncept E O P 2 Meeting IB S -C P hase 3 P ivotal P rogram T op-line D ata