Akari Therapeutics PLC (NASDAQ:AKTX) saw its stock rise 7.9% in premarket trading on Tuesday after unveiling new preclinical findings showing that its investigational antibody-drug conjugate, AKTX-101, successfully eliminated cancer cells carrying K-Ras G12V mutations in pancreatic cancer models.
According to the company, AKTX-101—designed to target the Trop2 protein frequently overexpressed in pancreatic tumors—demonstrated “single digit nanomolar cytotoxic potency” across all K-Ras G12V pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cell lines evaluated. Akari also noted that its molecule outperformed daraxonrasib, an experimental K-Ras inhibitor from Revolution Medicines.
AKTX-101 functions by transporting a novel RNA spliceosome-modulating payload into Trop2-expressing tumor cells, interrupting the abnormal RNA-splicing pathways cancer cells rely on to survive. The K-Ras G12V mutation is a driver in roughly one-third of PDAC cases, the predominant form of pancreatic cancer.
“These preclinical data provide a rationale for Akari to develop AKTX-101 in areas of severe unmet need and historically very difficult cancers, such as K-Ras mutant PDAC,” said Abizer Gaslightwala, President and CEO of Akari Therapeutics.
Pancreatic cancer continues to have one of the poorest prognoses among major cancers. Treatments for K-Ras G12V-driven PDAC generally rely on intensive chemotherapy combinations, which typically result in a median overall survival of only 1.3 to 1.5 years and significant side effects.
Akari intends to present the full dataset at an upcoming scientific meeting and is preparing to move AKTX-101 into a first-in-human study in late 2026, with initial readouts expected the following year.