Rakovina Therapeutics Announces Strategic Pivot to AI

Company Leveraging Deep Docking AI Drug Discovery Platform

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rakovina Therapeutics Inc. (TSX-V: RKV), (“Rakovina” or the “Company”), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the lives of cancer patients through the development of novel DNA-damage response inhibitor therapeutics, is pleased to announce a strategic evolution in its business model that will place the Company at the forefront of artificial intelligence-driven (AI) precision medicine for cancer drug development research.

The Company has entered into a collaboration agreement (“Agreement”) with Dr. Artem Cherkasov granting Rakovina exclusive access to the proprietary Deep Docking (trademarked) AI Platform for DNA-damage response targets. Dr. Cherkasov is a professor at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and a senior scientist at the Vancouver Prostate Centre and was appointed to the Company’s scientific advisory board in November 2023.

Using the Deep Docking platform powered by advanced AI algorithms, Rakovina can quickly analyze billions of molecular structures to evaluate their potential as targeted cancer drugs. The company then validates the activity using its established R&D infrastructure. This approach is innovative to developing new drug therapies that target DNA-damage response-related vulnerabilities that are common in many types of cancer.

“This strategic change of business for us is a significant step forward in Rakovina’s mission,” said Executive Chair Jeffrey Bacha. “The Deep Docking AI Platform will rapidly screen billions of drug candidates against validated DNA-damage response targets, predicting safety, efficacy and pharmaceutical properties. We then validate their activity in our confirmatory assays and advance the most promising drug candidates through human clinical trials and pharmaceutical partnerships.”

“Under the leadership of Rakovina’s Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Mads Daugaard, we are honoured to leverage the expertise of Dr. Cherkasov and the research infrastructure already established in collaboration with UBC. We look forward to sharing additional details with our shareholders on our upcoming conference call,” added Bacha.

Founded in 2021, Rakovina’s mission has always been to transform and prolong the lives of individuals battling cancer. The DNA-damage response is a crucial mechanism for maintaining genomic integrity, and defects in these pathways contribute to the development and progression of many cancers. Rakovina recognizes the urgency of addressing this issue and is committed to developing targeted therapies to overcome resistance to conventional treatments.