VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rakovina Therapeutics Inc. (TSX-V: RKV) (“the Company”), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel DNA-damage response inhibitors (DDRi) to address high unmet medical needs in the treatment of cancer, today announced the appointment of Prof. Artem Cherkasov to the Company’s Scientific Advisory Board.

Prof. Cherkasov is a Professor in the Department of Urologic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia, and Senior Scientist at the Vancouver Prostate Centre and Canada Research Chair in Precision Cancer Drug Design.

“I am pleased to welcome Prof. Cherkasov to our scientific advisory board,” said Mads Daugaard, Rakovina Therapeutics’ president and chief scientific officer. “Art’s groundbreaking contributions in AI-driven drug discovery and his commitment to advancing scientific frontiers make him an invaluable addition to our team. His trailblazing work, from licensing multiple drug candidates to pioneering AI-based platforms for global health crises, embodies innovation and excellence. We're honoured to welcome Dr. Cherkasov, whose expertise and vision will undoubtedly propel our mission to transform and extend the lives of patients with cancer.”

About Prof. Artem Cherkasov

Prof. Cherkasov’s research interests include artificial intelligence (AI) and computer-aided drug discovery (CADD), structure-activity modelling, drug reprofiling, new cancer therapeutics discovery and development of novel CADD tools and applications.

Prof. Cherkasov has co-authored more than 200 research papers, 80 patent filings and several prominent book chapters. During his tenure at UBC, Prof. Cherkasov has licensed multiple drug candidates to major international venture capital funds and big pharma companies, including an androgen receptor inhibitor to Roche in 2015 for USD$142 million – a record amount for Canadian academic institutions.

In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Prof. Cherkasov led a team employing a novel AI-based platform to process billions of compounds. Within a week they had identified the top 1,000 potential ligands, which they shared with the global scientific community.

“Prof. Cherkasov's unparalleled expertise adds a unique dimension to the Rakovina Therapeutics team and complements our recent SAB appointment of Prof. Petra Hamerlik, former CNS Cancer Bioscience Lead at AstraZeneca," stated Jeffrey Bacha, executive chairman of Rakovina Therapeutics. "Their contribution to our research promises to amplify and expedite the development of our pioneering DDRi pipeline.”

About Rakovina Therapeutics Inc.

Rakovina Therapeutics Inc. is focused on the development of new cancer treatments based on novel DNA-damage response (DDR) technologies. The Company has established a pipeline of novel DNA-damage response inhibitors with the goal of advancing one or more drug candidates into human clinical trials and obtaining marketing approval for new cancer therapeutics from Health Canada, the United States Food and Drug Administration and similar international regulatory agencies. Further information may be found at www.rakovinatherapeutics.com.

Additional Information

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Notice regarding forward-looking statements

This release includes forward-looking statements regarding the Company and its respective business, which may include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the proposed business plan of the Company and other statements. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “is expected”, “expects”, “scheduled”, “intends”, “contemplates”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “proposes” or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events, or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved. Such statements are based on the current expectations of the management of the Company. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release may not occur by certain specified dates or at all and could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting the Company, including risks regarding the medical device industry, economic factors, regulatory factors, the equity markets generally and risks associated with growth and competition. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events, or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events, or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Except as required by applicable securities laws, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. The reader is referred to the Company’s most recent filings on SEDAR for a more complete discussion of all applicable risk factors and their potential effects, copies of which may be accessed through the Company’s profile page at www.sedar.com.

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