Rakovina Therapeutics Inc (TSX-V:RKV) shares were on track to close nearly 16% higher before the Easter long weekend after it announced news of its strategic pivot to AI-fueled cancer drug development.
Earlier this week the Canadian company announced a collaboration with Dr. Artem Cherkasov, a professor at the University of British Columbia and senior scientist at the Vancouver Prostate Centre, that grants Rakovina exclusive access to the proprietary Deep Docking AI Platform, a cutting-edge technology designed for identifying DNA-damage response targets.
Utilizing advanced AI algorithms, the Deep Docking platform allows Rakovina to swiftly analyze an extensive array of molecular structures, evaluating their suitability as targeted cancer drugs.
This innovative approach holds the potential to expedite the process of drug discovery and development by focusing on vulnerabilities shared among different cancer types.
Cherkasov also sits on the board of Rakovina.
Rakovina chief science officer Mads Daugaard told Proactive that the new partnership will create efficiencies and synergies to drug development.
“AI is the new thing here,” Daugaard said.
“What is most important in this aspect is that it can dramatically increase the speed of how we work. The traditional drug development process requires a lot of trial and error but with AI, we can dramatically enhance the speed of developing new molecules.”
By combining AI-driven molecular analysis with established R&D infrastructure, Rakovina aims to spearhead the development of innovative therapies that target critical vulnerabilities in cancer cells.
Shares of Rakovina were on track to close Thursday at C$0.11.