Robert Bazemore
About Robert Bazemore
Robert Bazemore (age 57) joined Akari’s board in September 2024 and is an independent director with 30+ years of biotech commercialization and operating experience. He previously served as CEO and director of Epizyme (launched TAZVERIK), COO of Synageva BioPharma through its acquisition by Alexion, and President of Janssen Biotech at J&J; he holds a B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Georgia . He stands for re-appointment as a Class A director at the 2025 AGM .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Epizyme, Inc. | President, CEO, Director; led TAZVERIK launch and pipeline development | 2015–2021 | Commercialization leadership |
| Synageva BioPharma | Chief Operating Officer; built global commercial/medical org; supported first product launch; company acquired by Alexion | n/a (prior to 2015) | Transition to commercial enterprise |
| Johnson & Johnson (Centocor Ortho Biotech; Janssen Biotech; Ethicon) | VP Sales & Marketing (2008–2010), President Janssen Biotech; VP Global Surgery at Ethicon; led US launches incl. ZYTIGA and IBRUVICA | 2008–2010 (VP S&M); other dates n/a | Major launch leadership |
| Merck & Co. | Medical affairs, sales, marketing; supported SINGULAIR US launch | n/a | Launch support |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Current/Prior | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neon Therapeutics | Director | Prior | Company later acquired by BioNTech |
| Pennsylvania BIO | Board Chairman | Prior | Industry association leadership |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee (member), Compensation Committee (member), Nominating & Corporate Governance (NCG) Committee (Chair) .
- Independence: Board determined Mr. Bazemore is independent under Nasdaq rules; audit and compensation committee independence affirmed .
- Attendance/engagement: Board met 4 times in 2024; all directors attended at least 75% of aggregate board/committee meetings .
- Class/tenure: Class A director up for re-appointment at 2025 AGM .
- Board structure: Independent, non-executive Chairman (separate from CEO) with risk oversight via committees .
Fixed Compensation
Standard non-employee director fees (2024 program)
| Element | Member Annual Fee ($) | Chair Annual Fee ($) |
|---|---|---|
| Board of Directors | 41,305 | 100,000 |
| Audit Committee | 7,875 | 18,375 |
| Compensation Committee | 5,570 | 11,139 |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee | 5,570 | 11,139 |
Mr. Bazemore – 2024 actual cash fees
| Year | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 15,104 |
Notes:
- Non-employee directors may elect to receive the annual cash retainer in fully vested ordinary shares; no such elections in 2024 .
- No director service contracts provide termination benefits for non-employee directors .
Performance Compensation
Structure and 2024 awards
| Component | Terms/Value |
|---|---|
| Annual director option grant (typical) | Market-value options equal to 5,000,000 ordinary shares (10,000,000 for non-exec chair); 10-year term; vest in full at next AGM; vesting accelerates upon change of control . |
| Mr. Bazemore – 2024 Option Awards (grant-date fair value) | $6,527 . |
One-time director equity for 2025 strategy alignment (granted Mar 20, 2025; subject to shareholder approval)
| Director Award | Quantity | Instrument | Vesting | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mr. Bazemore | 225,000 ADS (450,000,000 ordinary shares) | Stock options under 2023 Plan | 25% on Mar 20, 2025; 25% on Dec 31, 2025; remaining 50% monthly over next 24 months | Recognize/align contributions to ADC strategy post-Peak Bio combination |
Performance metrics
- Non-employee director awards are time-vested; no revenue/EBITDA/TSR metrics apply to director equity awards .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company/Entity | Relationship to AKTX | Potential Interlock/Conflict Indicator |
|---|---|---|
| None disclosed as current public company directorships for Mr. Bazemore | Independent director | No current public-company interlocks disclosed for Mr. Bazemore in the proxy excerpts reviewed . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Commercial and launch leadership in oncology and specialty therapeutics (Epizyme TAZVERIK; J&J launches of ZYTIGA and IBRUVICA) .
- Prior C-suite and operating experience (CEO, COO, President) across development-to-commercial transitions .
- Independent director with NCG Chair role; serves on audit and compensation committees .
Equity Ownership
Beneficial ownership as of Oct 31, 2025
| Holder | Total Beneficial Ownership (Ordinary Shares) | % of Outstanding | Composition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Bazemore | 497,852,000 | <1% | 89,284,000 shares; 230,000,000 options exercisable within 60 days; 178,568,000 warrants exercisable within 60 days . |
Policy and alignment notes
- Company insider trading policy prohibits pledging, short sales, and hedging transactions, except in limited cases with prior approval .
- ADS equivalence: 1 ADS = 2,000 ordinary shares (context for scale of holdings) .
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Bazemore is actively engaged across three key committees and chairs NCG; independence and ≥75% attendance support governance quality .
- Incentive alignment: Director compensation skews modestly to equity via time-vested options; a one-time 2025 option grant (225,000 ADS) increases alignment but is not performance-conditioned—investors should monitor future use of time-based vs performance-based awards for directors .
- Ownership/skin-in-the-game: Sub-1% beneficial stake, including vested options/warrants, provides some at-risk exposure; company policy discourages pledging/hedging, supporting alignment .
- Conflicts/related-party: Audit committee (all independent) oversees related-party reviews; no specific related-party transactions involving Mr. Bazemore are identified in the excerpts cited here .
- Shareholder sentiment: Last reported votes—Directors’ Remuneration Report (2024 AGM) received 6,303,638,728 for vs 36,882,000 against (some abstentions), indicating broad support but on relatively small base in absolute terms; comp committee used no consultants in 2024 .
- Capital and dilution context (board-level): The company has sought broad share allotment and pre-emption disapplication authority to facilitate financing flexibility; this is not Bazemore-specific but is relevant to investor dilution risk monitoring .
RED FLAGS to monitor:
- Continued reliance on time-based director equity (vs performance-conditioned) .
- Potential dilution from broad equity issuance authorities (board policy-level, not director-specific) .
Director Compensation (detail reference)
| Name | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | Option Awards ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Bazemore (2024) | 15,104 | 6,527 | 21,631 |
| Outstanding Director Options (as of Dec 31, 2024) | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Mr. Bazemore | 5,000,000 ordinary shares under options |
Related Policies and Controls
- Related-party transactions reviewed/approved by independent audit committee under SEC/Nasdaq rules; policy threshold defined (≤$120,000 or 1% of total assets for smaller reporting companies) .
- No non-employee director service contracts with termination benefits; compensation committee independent; no external comp consultants used in 2024 .
Sources
- 2025 AGM Proxy (DEF 14A, filed June 6, 2025): director bios, committees, independence, compensation, attendance, policies .
- General Meeting Proxy (DEF 14A, filed Nov 17, 2025): beneficial ownership table and breakdown ; ADS equivalence .