Akari Therapeutics, Plc CEO Abizer Gaslightwala reflects on the company's strategic progress and path toward clinical development, including the advancement of AKTX-101 and expansion of its novel ADC pipeline.

Akari Therapeutics is an oncology biotechnology company developing novel payload antibody drug conjugates (ADCs). The Company has developed its first novel payload, PH1, a spliceosome modulator designed to disrupt RNA splicing within cells. PH1 is highly differentiated in its mechanism of action against cancer cells from current ADC payloads that use Topoisomerase1 inhibitors or tubulin inhibitors. This splicing modulator has been shown in preclinical animal models to induce cancer cell death while activating immune cells to drive robust and durable activity. Using this novel payload, Akari has the ability to generate multiple ADC molecules based on the desired application to a range of cancer targets of interest. Akari’s lead candidate, AKTX-101, targets the Trop2 receptor on cancer cells and delivers its novel PH1 payload directly into the tumor. In preclinical studies, AKTX-101 has shown to have significant activity and prolonged survival, relative to ADCs with traditional payloads. Additionally, AKTX-101 has the potential to be synergistic with checkpoint inhibitors and has demonstrated prolonged survival as both a single agent and in combination with checkpoint inhibitors, as compared to appropriate controls. The Company is generating validating data on its novel payload PH1 to continue advancing its lead asset, as well as other undisclosed targets with this novel payload.