Akari Therapeutics Names Biotech Finance Expert Kameel D. Farag As Interim Chief Financial Officer

Akari Therapeutics, Plc, an oncology-focused biotechnology company developing novel payloads for antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), has announced the appointment of Kameel D. Farag as its Interim Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Farag joined the company last month and brings more than twenty years of experience in global finance and biotechnology leadership, with a history of helping innovative biotech companies scale through major periods of growth.

Abizer Gaslightwala, President and Chief Executive Officer of Akari Therapeutics, shared that the company is excited to welcome Mr. Farag at a crucial stage in Akari’s development. He noted that Mr. Farag’s strong background in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and operational expansion will play an important role as Akari advances its next-generation ADC platform and moves its lead therapeutic candidate closer to clinical trials.

Mr. Farag expressed enthusiasm about joining Akari, emphasizing the company’s unique scientific approach. He explained that Akari is pioneering a new class of ADCs that disrupt cancer cell survival by targeting RNA splicing modulation. He added that he looks forward to contributing his experience to support Akari’s next phase of growth and help build long-term value.

Before joining Akari, Mr. Farag served as Chief Financial Officer and Head of Business Operations at Aspen Neuroscience. During his tenure, he played a key role in expanding the company’s workforce, securing more than $150 million in financing, building manufacturing capabilities, and preparing the organization for future clinical data milestones and a potential public offering. 

Earlier, he worked as Senior Vice President of Finance at Ionis Pharmaceuticals, where he helped strengthen the company’s financial performance and operational capacity. He contributed significantly to supporting over $1 billion in revenue, multiple commercial products, and an expanding pipeline of wholly owned programs. 

Prior to Ionis, Mr. Farag spent over sixteen years at Amgen, where he held a series of leadership roles, including overseeing finance for international markets. In that role, he focused on driving growth in emerging regions while improving profitability in more established markets. Mr. Farag completed his bachelor’s degree in Business and Economics at the University of California, Santa Barbara.