Late-stage biotechnology company, Akari Therapeutics, has announced the appointment of Samir R. Patel, M.D. to its Board of Directors. Dr. Patel is an experienced life sciences entrepreneur and a longtime investor in the company. With over 20 years of experience in the field, Dr. Patel brings a wealth of knowledge and a track record of success with multiple startup companies. The appointment comes at a crucial time for Akari Therapeutics as it develops its lead asset, nomacopan, for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
Dr. Patel is currently the founder and principal of PranaBio Investments, LLC, which offers consulting, strategic advisory, and investment services for small cap biotech firms. He has also served as a consultant to GE Global Research, where he contributed to the development of novel products in the biomanufacturing and biotechnology sectors. Throughout his career, Dr. Patel has co-founded companies such as Digital Therapeutics and SPEC Pharma, focusing on the advancement of therapies for rheumatic diseases.
Nomacopan, Akari’s lead asset, is a bispecific recombinant inhibitor of complement C5 activation and leukotriene B4 activity. The company is currently conducting a Phase 3 clinical trial program to investigate the drug’s efficacy in severe pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplant-related thrombotic microangiopathy. Akari has received Orphan Drug, Fast Track, and Rare Pediatric Disease designations from the FDA for nomacopan in this indication, as well as orphan drug designation from the European Commission for its use in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The company is also exploring nomacopan’s potential in adult HSCT-TMA and geographic atrophy.
