UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

Form 6-K

 

Report of Foreign Private Issuer

Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16

under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

August 2022

 

Commission file number: 001-36288

 

Akari Therapeutics, Plc

(Translation of registrant's name into English)

 

75/76 Wimpole Street

London W1G 9RT

United Kingdom

(Address of principal executive offices)

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.

 

Form 20-F x           Form 40-F ¨

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulations S-T Rule 101(b)(1): ¨

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulations S-T Rule 101(b)(7): ¨

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONTENTS

 

On August 1, 2022, Akari Therapeutics, Plc (the “Company”) issued a press release announcing the Company’s narrowing of its pipeline focus.

 

A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

The information in paragraphs one and two are hereby incorporated by reference into all effective registration statements filed by the Company under the Securities Act of 1933.

 

Exhibit No.

 

99.1 Press release dated August 1, 2022

 

 

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

  Akari Therapeutics, Plc
  (Registrant)
     
  By: /s/ Rachelle Jacques
  Name: Rachelle Jacques
    President and Chief Executive Officer

  

Date: August 1, 2022

 

 

 

Exhibit 99.1

 

Akari Therapeutics Narrows Pipeline Focus

 

NEW YORK and LONDON, August 1, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Akari Therapeutics, Plc (Nasdaq: AKTX), a late-stage biotechnology company developing advanced therapies for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, today announced that it is prioritizing two pipeline programs. Cash and resources will be reallocated to the Phase 3 clinical trial of nomacopan in severe pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplant-related thrombotic microangiopathy (HSCT-TMA), with Part A data expected in the first half of 2023, and to the promising pre-clinical program of PAS-nomacopan in geographic atrophy (GA) that has generated positive pre-clinical results. Akari is discontinuing the clinical program evaluating nomacopan in bullous pemphigoid (BP).

 

The decision to narrow the pipeline focus is based on Akari’s thorough reassessment of development timelines and associated costs to maximize value in its pipeline. It is not related to BP clinical trial data and the company is not restructuring or reducing headcount.

 

About Akari Therapeutics

 

Akari Therapeutics, plc (Nasdaq: AKTX) is a biotechnology company developing advanced therapies for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Akari's lead asset, investigational nomacopan, is a bispecific recombinant inhibitor of C5 complement activation and leukotriene B4 (LTB4) activity. Akari's pipeline includes a Phase 3 clinical trial program investigating nomacopan for severe pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplant-related thrombotic microangiopathy (HSCT-TMA), as well as pre-clinical research of long-acting PAS-nomacopan in geographic atrophy (GA). For more information about Akari, please visit akaritx.com.

 

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

 

Certain statements in this press release constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward- looking statements reflect our current views about our plans, intentions, expectations, strategies and prospects, which are based on the information currently available to us and on assumptions we have made. Although we believe that our plans, intentions, expectations, strategies and prospects as reflected in or suggested by those forward- looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that the plans, intentions, expectations or strategies will be attained or achieved. Furthermore, actual results may differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements and will be affected by a variety of risks and factors that are beyond our control. Such risks and uncertainties for our company include, but are not limited to: needs for additional capital to fund our operations, our ability to continue as a going concern; uncertainties of cash flows and inability to meet working capital needs; an inability or delay in obtaining required regulatory approvals for nomacopan and any other product candidates, which may result in unexpected cost expenditures; our ability to obtain orphan drug designation in additional indications; risks inherent in drug development in general; uncertainties in obtaining successful clinical results for nomacopan and any other product candidates and unexpected costs that may result there; difficulties enrolling patients in our clinical trials; failure to realize any value of nomacopan and any other product candidates developed and being developed in light of inherent risks and difficulties involved in successfully bringing product candidates to market; inability to develop new product candidates and support existing product candidates; the approval by the FDA and EMA and any other similar foreign regulatory authorities of other competing or superior products brought to market; risks resulting from unforeseen side effects; risk that the market for nomacopan may not be as large as expected risks associated with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; inability to obtain, maintain and enforce patents and other intellectual property rights or the unexpected costs associated with such enforcement or litigation; inability to obtain and maintain commercial manufacturing arrangements with third party manufacturers or establish commercial scale manufacturing capabilities; the inability to timely source adequate supply of our active pharmaceutical ingredients from third party manufacturers on whom the company depends; unexpected cost increases and pricing pressures and risks and other risk factors detailed in our public filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Except as otherwise noted, these forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any of these statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after this press release. We caution investors not to place considerable reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release.

 

For more information

 

Investor Contact:
Mike Moyer
LifeSci Advisors
(617) 308-4306
mmoyer@lifesciadvisors.com

 

Media Contact:
Eliza Schleifstein
Schleifstein PR (917) 763-8106
eliza@schleifsteinpr.com