Medicenna – Engineering Superkines to Amplify the Immune System to Combat Challenging Diseases With Unmet Need

Dr. Fahar Merchant, PhD, President and CEO of Medicenna Therapeutics, a clinical-stage immunotherapy company, discusses the company’s Superkine platform and other recent developments.

Dr. Merchant is a biotech veteran with 30 years of experience as a serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Medicenna. Previously he was President and CEO of Protox Therapeutics Inc. where he transitioned a pre-clinical start-up to a Phase 3 ready uro-oncology company in six years (2005-2011). In 1992, he co-founded IntelliGene Expressions, Inc., a biologics cGMP compliant CDMO, and built it to one of the fastest-growing companies in Canada ensuring profitability during his tenure as CEO. In 2000, by strategic in-licensing, he co-founded Avicenna Medica, Inc., a clinical stage oncology company, and sold it a year later to KS Biomedix (LSE) for $90 million. Fahar was CTO and Director of KS Biomedix until its acquisition by Xenova (NASDAQ and LSE) in 2003. He has raised over $150 million from public and private sources to fund the development of targeted therapies for oncology and closed corporate transactions valued at over $250 million. Fahar holds a BSc in Biochemistry and Pharmacology from Aston University, MSc in Biotechnology from Birmingham University, and a Ph.D. in Biochemical Engineering from Western University.