Ray Prudo, M.D., Director
Ray Prudo, M.D., has been an active investor and developer of healthcare companies for 25 years. Dr. Prudo was the Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Volution and its predecessor company, Varleigh Immuno Pharmaceuticals, since inception in 2008, joining Akari in September 2015 during the Volution/Celsus merger. He is currently a board member of several UK healthcare companies.
Dr. Prudo holds an MBBS from the University of London, and an FRCP(C) from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
Hoyoung Huh, MD, PhD, Chairman
Samir R. Patel, M.D., Chief Executive Officer
Samir R. Patel, M.D., has served as CEO since December of 2024, but has worked with Akari as interim CEO since May of that year. During his time as interim CEO, Dr. Patel has made great strides to improve the company, such as completing a successful merger with Peak Bio in November 2024.
Dr. Patel is founder and principal of PranaBio Investments, LLC, a firm providing consulting, strategic advisory, and investment services for small cap biotechnology companies. He is also a consultant to GE Global Research, GE’s innovation engine that is creating novel products and solutions across several sectors including biomanufacturing and biotechnology.
Dr. Patel has more than 20 years of experience in life sciences including co-founding Digital Therapeutics, LLC, a startup advancing a therapy for scleroderma and other rheumatic diseases, and SPEC Pharma, LLC, a company that develops and manufactures injectables used in rheumatology applications. Previously, he held multiple roles in Medical Affairs with Centocor, Inc. (now Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, part of Johnson & Johnson). Dr. Patel has also served on the boards of several public companies, including Rezolute Bio. He holds multiple patents, has been an author on several publications and has been an investigator in numerous clinical research studies.
Dr. Patel received his medical degree from the Medical College of Ohio (University of Toledo) in Toledo, Ohio, and completed his completed his internal medicine internship, residency, and rheumatology fellowship at The University of New Mexico School of Medicine Affiliated Hospitals.
James Neal, MS, MBA, Director
Mr. Neal brings more than 25 years’ experience in forming and maximizing business and technology collaborations globally and in bringing novel products and technologies to market. Mr. Neal served as XOMA Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer from late 2016 through December 2022. Prior to being appointed CEO, Mr. Neal served as XOMA’s Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer since 2015 and Vice President, Business Development from November 2009-2015. Prior to XOMA, Mr. Neal was Acting Chief Executive Officer of Entelos, Inc., a leading biosimulation company that acquired Iconix Biosciences, a privately held company where Mr. Neal was Chief Executive Officer. At Iconix, Mr. Neal established multi-year collaborations with Bristol-Myers Squibb, Abbott Labs, Eli Lilly and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. From, 1999-2002, he was Executive Vice President of Incyte Genomics, leading the global commercial activities with pharmaceutical company collaborators and partners including Pfizer, Aventis and Schering-Plough, as well as sales, marketing and business development activities for the company. Earlier, he was associated with Monsanto Company in positions of increasing responsibility.
Mr. Neal earned his B.S. in Biology and his M.S. in Genetics and Plant Breeding from the University of Manitoba, Canada, and holds an Executive MBA degree from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
Sandip I. Patel JD, BBA, Director
Sandip I. Patel was appointed a member of the Board of Directors in November 2024, following the Company’s merger with Peak Bio, Inc. Mr. Patel holds public and private company investments in a wide range of industries with a focus on medical devices, biotechnology, healthcare services and financial technologies and has been a long-time investor in Akari Therapeutics.
He has been involved in the formation, development, growth, and successful exits of several companies in the healthcare services and technology sector, insurance, and financial services. He has served on numerous boards including AtlasClear Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ATCH), Quantum Fintech (NYSE: QFTA), Monterey Bio (NASDAQ: MTRY), Anderen Bank, Avatar Property & Casualty, and Morton Plant Mease Hospital as a trusted advisor and entrepreneur. Additionally, he has served in executive roles with leading organizations, including American Managed Care, Orion Communities, and WellCare. As an attorney and having previously practiced healthcare law with a focus on federal and state regulations, M&A transactions, financial and SEC reporting; Mr. Patel brings financial and legal experience to Akari’s Board of Directors.
Mr. Patel received his JD degree from the Stetson University College of Law, and a B.B.A in Finance from the University of Georgia.
Rob Bazemore, Director
Rob Bazemore has spent his career of over 30 years on the development and commercialization of novel medicines. Rob Bazemore has spent his career of over 30 years on the development and commercialization of novel medicines. From 2015 to 2021, Mr. Bazemore served as the President, Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors of Epizyme, Inc., developing and launching TAZVERIK ® for patients with Follicular Lymphoma and Sarcoma while building on the company’s pipeline of promising epigenetic candidates in oncology. Prior to that, from September 2014 to June 2015, Mr. Bazemore served as the Chief Operating Officer of Synageva BioPharma Corp., where he established the company’s global commercial and medical organization to support the first product launch, helping lead the broader transition to a sustainable commercial enterprise through the company’s acquisition by Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in July 2015. Prior to joining Synageva, Mr. Bazemore served in increasing levels of responsibility at Johnson & Johnson including Vice President of Centocor Ortho Biotech Sales & Marketing from 2008 to 2010 and President of Janssen Biotech from 2010 to 2013, where he led the successful launches of numerous products and indications, including the US launches of the oncology therapies ZYTIGA ® and IBRUVICA ® . He was also Vice President of Global Surgery at Ethicon from 2013 to 2014. Prior to Johnson & Johnson, Mr. Bazemore worked at Merck & Co. Inc. from 1991 to 2013, where he served in a variety of roles in medical affairs, sales and marketing, including supporting the launch of SINGULAIR ® in the US. Mr. Bazemore previously served on the board of Neon Therapeutics prior to its acquisition by BioNTech and served as Board Chairman for Pennsylvania BIO. Mr. Bazemore currently serves on the Board of Directors of Ardelyx, Inc. since June 2016 and as the Lead Independent Director of Nuvation Bio, Inc. since July 2020.
Mr. Bazemore received a B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Georgia.
Abizer Gaslightwala, Director
Mr. Gaslightwala is a well-established leader in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry. He has a successful track record spanning over 25 years in the development and commercialization of novel medicines across a range of companies and therapeutic areas. Mr. Gaslightwala serves as the Senior Vice President and Franchise Head for Oncology at Jazz Pharmaceuticals, where he manages a portfolio of products spanning both solid and hematological malignancies.
Mr. Gaslightwala has led and driven growth in several leadership roles at Amgen, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson. His experience spans business unit leadership, brand marketing, sales leadership, commercial pipeline planning, advanced analytics and insights, and business development. Mr. Gaslightwala also helped lead R&D strategic planning within the autoimmune/inflammation portfolio at Johnson & Johnson, as well as lead commercial planning for Remicade® and several novel pipeline molecules focused on rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis, and atopic dermatitis. Additionally, Mr. Gaslightwala advised several life science companies through his time at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG).
Mr. Gaslightwala holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University, and an MBA from the Sloan School of Management, and a MS in Chemical Engineering from MIT.
