On September 17, 2025 Akari Therapeutics, Plc (Nasdaq: AKTX), an oncology biotechnology company developing novel payload antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), reported that it has filed a provisional patent application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) covering the Company’s antibody drug conjugate (ADC) platform using Akari’s spliceosome payload PH1 for treating cancer by modulating alternative splicing within cancer cells (Press release, Akari Therapeutics, SEP 17, 2025, View Source [SID1234656030]). This patent application represents a new patent family to further extend Akari’s proprietary position with respect to the Company’s novel payload, PH1 (a novel Thailanstatin analog).

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Abizer Gaslightwala, President and Chief Executive Officer of Akari Therapeutics commented, "These novel data included in our provisional patent application continue to demonstrate the advances in our understanding of spliceosome modulation and the growing potential of our PH1 payload to build first-in-class ADCs that work in unique ways from current options, and could potentially drive differentiated clinical outcomes and remissions for cancer patients in the future. We will continue to progress our exciting research on our spliceosome modulating payload PH1 and present evolving data and insights. This specific provisional patent application increases the scope of our intellectual property estate and enables long term value creation for Akari and potential partners we elect to work with on our ADC portfolio."

The new application relates to how Akari’s novel PH1 payload demonstrates its ability to modulate the spliceosome to disrupt alternative splicing drivers and the subsequent synthesis of proteins needed for cancer tumors to survive and grow.

Alternative splicing (AS) leads to the production of functionally distinct protein isoforms. Cancer cells hijack this process to produce isoforms that support the "hallmarks of cancer," a set of capabilities that often tumors acquire, which contribute to the growth, proliferation, and survival of the cancer in the tumor microenvironment, and a host of other deleterious effects. Changes in AS have been linked to almost all aspects of tumor formation and cancer growth and metastasis, including changes affecting cancer cell metabolism, inhibiting apoptosis (delaying natural cell death), cell cycle control, evading the immune system, invasion of cancer cells to other tissues/organs (metastasis and spreading), and resistance of cancer cells to current therapies. Disrupting AS is a central, generalized approach to target all cancers at a fundamental level of their survival and growth, including those difficult cancers driven by specific spliced variants (i.e. AR-v7 in prostate cancer) or cancers driven by other known factors.(i.e. ,VEGF, HER2, Caspase-2). This opens up the possibilities and potential for Akari to become a leader in developing therapies against a wide range of cancers utilizing spliceosome modulation using Akari’s ADC platform.

This provisional patent application is a culmination of the exciting and groundbreaking work in alternative splicing Akari is progressing with its novel ADC payload PH1. This patent also adds to the body of knowledge already established around the PH1 payload including its potent cytotoxicity and robust immune cell activation demonstrated in multiple preclinical cancer models. The Company is committed to applying this expanded knowledge around disrupting alternative splicing to advance its current ADC portfolio, consisting of AKTX-101 (Trop2 ADC with PH1 payload), as well as future programs (AKTX-102, undisclosed target with PH1 payload).