Cameron Durrant

Full Report

Key Points

• Cameron Durrant, CEO of Humanigen, Inc., faces SEC charges from December 30, 2024, for insider trading involving the sale of over 80,000 shares worth $1.68 million while aware of material nonpublic information about the FDA’s impending denial of emergency use authorization for lenzilumab, a COVID-19 treatment, avoiding losses over $1 million.
• These trades violated Humanigen’s insider trading policy, as they occurred after receiving FDA correspondence on May 13, 2021, without a pre-established 10b5-1 plan compliant with MNPI rules.
• Humanigen filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 2024 due to $140 million in debt and regulatory setbacks, with an entity affiliated with Durrant bidding as a “stalking horse” for assets in the reorganization.
• Two securities class action lawsuits filed in 2022 (e.g., Case 2:22-cv-05258) accuse Durrant and executives of misleading investors about lenzilumab’s prospects, leading to a 50% stock drop after the FDA denial announcement.
• Associate Dale B. Chappell, Humanigen’s Chief Scientific Officer, faces parallel DOJ criminal charges from December 23, 2024, for similar MNPI misuse, highlighting governance failures.
• Durrant’s personal financial exposure includes a $200,000 unsecured loan to the company in 2020 and ownership of 70,000 shares now valued at just $14 as of November 2025, amid ongoing litigation risks.

Overview

Cameron Durrant, MD, DRCOG, MRCGP, MBA, is a seasoned biopharmaceutical executive with a clinical medicine background from the Welsh National School of Medicine and an MBA from Henley Management College. He has held senior roles including Worldwide VP at Johnson & Johnson in infectious diseases, Global VP at Pharmacia, CEO of PediaMed Pharmaceuticals, and CEO of Spherics. Since March 2016, Durrant has served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Humanigen, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on immunology and cell therapy, particularly treatments for cytokine release syndrome in areas like COVID-19 and oncology. He also acts as Interim CFO and maintains board positions, such as at Alcyone Therapeutics. Durrant’s career emphasizes turnarounds, carve-outs, and startups, blending scientific expertise with strategic leadership to advance innovative therapeutics.

Allegations and Concerns

Durrant was charged by the SEC on December 30, 2024, for insider trading after receiving FDA correspondence on May 13, 2021, indicating a likely denial of EUA for lenzilumab, which he used to time sales between June and August 2021. This violated Humanigen’s insider trading policy requiring 10b5-1 plans to predate MNPI awareness. In parallel, associate Dale B. Chappell faced criminal charges from the DOJ and U.S. Attorney’s Office on December 23, 2024, for similar misuse of MNPI through adjusted trading plans. Additional red flags include two securities class actions filed in 2022 (e.g., Case 2:22-cv-05258), accusing Durrant and other executives of issuing false statements about lenzilumab’s efficacy and trial data, inflating stock prices before the FDA rejection. These suits allege violations under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act. No prior criminal history appears, but the pattern raises concerns over ethical lapses in high-pressure regulatory interactions.

Customer Feedback

As a biopharmaceutical executive rather than a consumer-facing role, direct customer reviews are limited; feedback primarily stems from investors and industry observers on platforms like Reddit and InvestorsHub, reflecting sentiments on Humanigen’s performance under Durrant’s leadership. Positive comments highlight his turnaround expertise, with one investor noting, “I like how there is a lot of inside ownership, real lot of institutional ownership/interest,” crediting Durrant’s strategic vision for attracting support during COVID-19 trials. Another praised early FDA feedback as “positive ahead of emergency use application,” viewing his medical background as a strength for innovation. Negative reviews dominate post-regulatory failures, with users decrying “over promise and under delivers disappointing customers,” linking stock volatility to perceived mismanagement, and one stating, “The FDA blew past the PDUFA date… reason for the delay in our prospective partner,” amid bankruptcy filings. Overall, sentiment skews bearish, with Glassdoor-like analogs for similar firms noting “limited guidance to succeed” in biotech turnarounds, though no direct employee reviews target Durrant personally.

Risk Considerations

Financial risks are acute given Humanigen’s January 2024 Chapter 11 filing, triggered by $140 million in debt and FDA rejection, leaving Durrant exposed as CEO with personal loans to the firm (e.g., $200,000 in 2020) and ownership of 70,000 shares valued minimally at $14 as of November 2025. Reputational damage from SEC charges and class actions could hinder future board roles or partnerships, portraying Durrant as emblematic of biotech “hype cycles” failing patients and investors. Legal risks persist with unresolved civil penalties, potential disgorgement of trading profits, and Chappell’s criminal case risking further disclosures implicating Durrant. Operationally, reliance on volatile funding in immunology R&D amplifies exposure to trial delays, while his interim CFO duties compound oversight liabilities in a post-bankruptcy asset sale.

Business Relations and Associations

Durrant’s key associations center on Humanigen’s ecosystem, including close collaboration with Chief Scientific Officer Dale B. Chappell, whose MNPI sharing directly informed Durrant’s trades and led to joint charges. The company engaged extensively with the FDA on lenzilumab trials, receiving initial positive feedback but ultimate denial, straining regulatory ties. Board affiliations include Alcyone Therapeutics, where he serves as a director, and historical roles at Johnson & Johnson and Pharmacia suggest a network of pharma veterans for advisory support. An entity linked to Durrant is positioned as a “stalking horse” bidder in Humanigen’s bankruptcy asset sale, indicating self-interested restructuring efforts. No major partnerships are flagged beyond routine biotech collaborations, but the insider case exposed lapses in broker certifications and policy adherence involving external financial advisors.

Legal and Financial Concerns

Beyond the December 2024 SEC insider trading charges seeking disgorgement, prejudgment interest, and civil penalties, Durrant faces two consolidated securities class actions from August 2022 alleging fraudulent misrepresentations about lenzilumab’s EUA prospects, with damages sought for investor losses post-September 2021 stock plunge. Humanigen’s bankruptcy (Case No. 24-10003) lists Durrant in forbearance agreements for loans, including personal guarantees, amid $68 million in prior insider-related sales by associates. No individual bankruptcy or unpaid debt records surface for Durrant, but his $200,000 unsecured loan to the company in 2020 remains outstanding in filings. Earlier, in KaloBios’ 2016 reorganization (pre-Humanigen rebrand), Durrant received 323,155 shares amid securities suits, resolved without personal liability noted. No tax liens or judgments appear, though ongoing DOJ scrutiny via Chappell’s case poses collateral risks.

Durrant’s trajectory exemplifies the razor-thin margins in biotech leadership, where innovative intent collides with regulatory and ethical pitfalls, amplifying systemic risks in an industry prone to over-optimism. The insider trading case, layered atop bankruptcy and litigation, signals not isolated errors but potential cultural issues at Humanigen, eroding stakeholder trust and complicating recovery. While his medical acumen drove early trial momentum, the fallout underscores the need for fortified compliance frameworks to mitigate personal and corporate vulnerabilities, particularly as asset sales loom. Investors and partners should weigh these against his proven turnaround record, but the convergence of crises elevates caution for any future ventures.