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BOSTON/LONDON - Akari Therapeutics, Plc (NASDAQ:AKTX), a micro-cap biotech company currently valued at $38 million, has been granted Patent No. 562,919 by Intellectual Property India for its PH1 payload technology, the company announced Wednesday. According to InvestingPro data, the company maintains a Fair financial health rating despite operating at a loss, with analysts setting an ambitious $7 price target.
The patent, titled "Thailanstatin Analogs," covers Akari’s spliceosome inhibitor payload, proprietary linkers, and antibody drug conjugate (ADC) technology for cancer treatment applications.
This Indian patent adds to Akari’s existing intellectual property portfolio, which includes previously issued patents in the United States, China, and Israel. The company has pending patent applications in several other countries including Brazil, Canada, European Patent Organisation member states, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, and South Africa.
"The issuance of this patent further strengthens our global intellectual property estate and provides additional patent protection around our CMC manufacturing activities for this PH1 payload and related analogs," said Abizer Gaslightwala, President and CEO of Akari Therapeutics.
The PH1 payload is designed to inhibit RNA splicing, which according to the company can lead to cancer cell death while activating the immune system. Akari’s lead candidate, AKTX-101, targets the Trop2 receptor on cancer cells to deliver the PH1 payload into tumors.
India represents a significant market for the company, with cancer incidence rates projected to increase to 2.08 million cases by 2040, according to information provided in the company’s press release statement.
Akari Therapeutics is developing a pipeline of antibody drug conjugates using its PH1 payload technology for various cancer targets. The company states its approach differs from current ADC payloads that use Topoisomerase1 inhibitors or tubulin inhibitors.
In other recent news, Akari Therapeutics has announced significant leadership changes and strategic developments. The company appointed Abizer Gaslightwala as its new President and CEO, effective April 21, 2025. Gaslightwala, who has extensive experience in the pharmaceutical industry, previously held senior roles at Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Amgen, and Pfizer. The outgoing CEO, Dr. Samir R. Patel, will step down on April 14, 2025, but will remain on the Board of Directors. In another strategic move, Akari appointed Mark F. Kubik as the Head of Business Development for its oncology division. Kubik’s role will focus on advancing Akari’s novel ADC platform and lead asset, AKTX-101, which targets the TROP2 receptor. This appointment aligns with Akari’s efforts to develop innovative cancer therapies, including the use of a unique spliceosome inhibitor payload. The company is actively working on validating data for its novel payload PH1 and expanding its pipeline of ADC candidates.
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