Akash Nahar

Akash has over 15 years of hematology-oncology research and development experience in academia and industry. Previously, Akash held positions of increasing responsibilities, most recently serving as Global Product Development Lead for hematology programs at Merck. In this role, he led a team of six physicians responsible for the development of the PD-1 inhibitor Keytruda® in Hodgkin’s lymphoma along with other developmental products for hematological malignancies. Akash successfully led the filing of two indications for Keytruda®. He made impactful contributions cross-functionally, including clinical research, strategy, and regulation, spanning multiple hematological indications. He also brings experience from all phases of drug development, successfully executing programs from early phase 1 through approval. Akash is board certified in pediatrics and hematology/oncology. He is a faculty member in oncology at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia and an Associate Professor in pediatrics at Drexel University. He has authored multiple papers and book chapters and has published several papers in peer-reviewed journals. Akash received his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College, Indore, India, and his MPH in Epidemiology from the State University of New York at Albany.