Fahar Merchant PhD

Dr. Fahar 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 into 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, an MSc in Biotechnology from Birmingham University, and a Ph.D. in Biochemical Engineering from Western University.