Akari Therapeutics Names Mark F. Kubik As Head of Business Development For Oncology

Akari Therapeutics, Plc, an oncology biotechnology company specializing in the development of novel payload antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), has announced the appointment of Mark F. Kubik as Head of Business Development - Oncology. Mr. Kubik brings over 25 years of experience in the oncology sector, with a strong track record in deal-making and advancing clinical product candidates. His expertise has contributed to the approval of multiple therapeutic products and the advancement of several clinical candidates.

Throughout his career, Mr. Kubik has been instrumental in creating transformative deals and fostering productive partnerships. He has worked with renowned companies such as SeaGen (now Pfizer), Abgenix (now Amgen), MacroGenics, and OncoImmune. Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President of U.S. and EU Business Development at I-MAB Biopharma, where he led business development, alliance management, and product/portfolio planning for the company's U.S. and EU operations.

“We are incredibly pleased to welcome Mark to our team to lead the Company's business development activities for our novel ADC platform and lead asset AKTX-101, including collaboration and partnership activities. We believe the insight and expertise he brings will be invaluable as we continue to advance our innovative novel ADC platform technology and position Akari as a key player in the ADC space,” said in a statement, Abizer Gaslightwala, President and Chief Executive Officer of Akari.

Mr. Kubik, stated, “Over the past few years there has been significant Big Pharma interest and deal flow in the early-stage ADC space. While there is a lot of traction in this area of development, new, unique payloads with novel mechanisms that can advance the therapeutic potential of current ADCs are needed. I believe Akari’s first novel payload, a spliceosome inhibitor, creates the potential for Akari’s lead asset AKTX-101 (Trop2 targeted) to be a first-in-class immuno-oncology ADC therapy for patients across multiple solid tumors. I look forward to working with the Akari team to advance AKTX-101 and leverage its innovative ADC payload discovery platform for other targets leveraging its novel payload library.”

Mr. Kubik’s leadership experience also includes roles as Chief Business Officer at Genor Biopharma and Actinium Pharmaceuticals. Notably, at OncoImmune, he played a key role in the company’s acquisition by Merck for \$425M upfront, with the potential for additional milestones and royalties. He has also led several high-profile transactions, including a strategic alliance between SeaGen and Takeda for Adcetris® (brentuximab vedotin), a collaboration between MacroGenics and Gilead, and a co-development agreement between Abgenix and Immunex for Vectibix® (panitumumab). 

Mr. Kubik’s previous roles also include positions at Protein Design Labs (PDL), XOMA, AvantGen, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, and Invenra, among others. He holds an MBA in Finance from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado-Boulder and a BA in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology from CU-Boulder.