Akari Therapeutics Appoints Leading Cancer Biology and RNA Expert to Advisory Board

Prafulla Gokhale, Ph.D., joins Akari's Scientific Advisory Board to support advancement of novel antibody drug conjugate AKTX-101

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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Akari Therapeutics, an oncology biotechnology company, announced the appointment of Prafulla Gokhale, Ph.D., Director of the Experimental Therapeutics Core and the Lurie Family Imaging Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, to its Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Gokhale's expertise in experimental therapeutics, RNA biology and translational oncology will support the development of Akari's lead candidate AKTX-101, an antibody drug conjugate with a novel spliceosome-modulating payload.

Why it matters

Akari's AKTX-101 utilizes a unique payload, PH1, that targets RNA splicing, a fundamental regulator of cancer cell biology. This novel mechanism offers the potential to disrupt tumor survival pathways while also driving immune system engagement, differentiating it from conventional ADCs that rely on tubulin inhibitors or DNA-damaging agents as payloads. Dr. Gokhale's expertise will help ensure AKTX-101 enters the clinic with a focused, data-driven high-impact program.

The details

AKTX-101 targets the Trop2 receptor on cancer cells and uses a proprietary linker to deliver the PH1 payload directly into the tumor. Unlike current ADCs, PH1 is designed to disrupt RNA splicing within cancer cells, inducing cell death while also activating the innate and adaptive immune system. In preclinical studies, AKTX-101 has shown significant activity and prolonged survival relative to ADCs with traditional payloads.

  • Akari has initiated IND enabling studies for AKTX-101 with a goal of starting its First-In-Human trial by late 2026/early 2027.

The players

Prafulla Gokhale

Director of the Experimental Therapeutics Core and the Lurie Family Imaging Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, with over 20 years of experience in preclinical oncology drug discovery and development.

Akari Therapeutics

An oncology biotechnology company developing next-generation antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) with a unique payload, PH1, which targets RNA splicing.

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What they’re saying

“Dr. Gokhale's expertise in experimental therapeutics, RNA biology and translational oncology comes at a pivotal time as we advance AKTX-101 toward the clinic. His proven track record to develop novel translational experiments/data that lead to well-designed and high-impact clinical strategies will strengthen our development approach as we advance AKTX-101 to clinical trials.”

— Abizer Gaslightwala, President and CEO of Akari Therapeutics (Akari Therapeutics)

“I am excited to join Akari's Scientific Advisory Board and work alongside a team advancing a truly differentiated approach to ADC development. Unlike conventional payload strategies that rely on tubulin inhibitors or DNA-damaging agents, PH1 targets RNA splicing, a fundamental regulator of cancer cell biology. This novel mechanism offers the potential to disrupt tumor survival pathways while also drive unique innate and adaptive immune system engagement.”

— Prafulla Gokhale (Akari Therapeutics)

What’s next

Akari has initiated IND enabling studies for AKTX-101 with a goal of starting its First-In-Human trial by late 2026/early 2027.

The takeaway

Akari's novel antibody drug conjugate AKTX-101, with its unique spliceosome-modulating payload PH1, represents a differentiated approach to cancer treatment that has the potential to disrupt tumor survival pathways and engage the immune system in ways that conventional ADCs cannot. Dr. Gokhale's expertise will help guide the clinical development of this promising therapeutic candidate.