Rakovina Therapeutics Partners with Boston-based Celvion Therapeutics to Leverage AI and Real-World Clinical Data for Precision Cancer Drug Development

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rakovina Therapeutics Inc. (TSX-V: RKV) (FSE: 7JO0) (OTCMKTS: RKVTF) a biopharmaceutical company advancing innovative cancer therapies through AI-powered drug discovery, today announced a research collaboration with Boston-based Celvion Therapeutics (“Celvion”) to leverage Celvion’s proprietary EMphora™ artificial intelligence platform to identify novel precision medicine strategies designed to accelerate the development of Rakovina’s ATR inhibitor program.

The collaboration will initially focus on indications where EMphora™ will analyze large-scale clinical outcomes and real-world patient data to identify therapeutic targets that may enhance the activity of Rakovina’s ATR inhibitor. In addition to evaluating potential drug combinations, the analysis will search for previously unrecognized therapeutic opportunities, predictive biomarkers, and patient subgroups most likely to benefit from ATR-targeted therapies.

Unlike conventional preclinical discovery approaches, the collaboration will utilize artificial intelligence to interrogate real-world clinical evidence, helping identify the most promising drug combinations and patient populations before advancing into further development. By combining Rakovina’s expertise in synthetic lethality and DNA damage response therapeutics with Celvion’s AI-powered clinical discovery platform, the companies aim to improve development efficiency, reduce clinical risk, and accelerate the delivery of precision medicines to patients with difficult-to-treat cancers.

The companies expect the analysis to generate clinically actionable hypotheses that will help prioritize future combination studies, guide biomarker-driven patient selection strategies, and inform the design of subsequent clinical development programs.

"We have learned how to use multiple specialized AI platforms to accelerate the drug discovery and development process rather than relying on a single platform. Our team selects the right tool for each challenge, from generative design to large-scale screening, to develop molecules that exploit vulnerabilities in how cancer cells repair DNA damage," said Kim Oishi, Chief Executive Officer of Rakovina Therapeutics. "Working with Celvion extends that approach into clinical strategy, using advanced AI to identify the patient populations and drug combinations where our ATR inhibitor program can have the greatest impact."

“EMphora was built to uncover meaningful therapeutic insights directly from clinical outcomes and existing patient data,” said Mi Yang, Chief Executive Officer of Celvion Therapeutics. “By collaborating with Rakovina, we have an opportunity to identify combination therapies and biomarkers that may not be apparent through conventional research methods. Our objective is to generate actionable evidence that helps guide smarter clinical development and ultimately benefits patients.”

“Synthetic lethality offers tremendous promise in oncology, but its greatest impact will come from identifying the right combinations for the right patients,” said Dr. Mads Daugaard, President and Chief Scientific Officer of Rakovina Therapeutics. “This collaboration gives us the opportunity to rigorously evaluate ATR-based combination strategies while exploring additional biomarkers and therapeutic targets that could further enhance clinical benefit. These insights will help shape the next generation of our development strategy.”

Rakovina and Celvion intend to commit appropriate scientific, technical and other resources to support the collaboration and advance the resulting opportunities. As the work progresses and promising development opportunities are identified, the companies expect to explore appropriate co-development and economic arrangements to support subsequent stages of development.

The collaboration reflects Rakovina’s broader strategy of integrating cutting-edge computational biology, translational science, and precision oncology to build a smarter, faster, and more targeted approach to cancer drug development. By leveraging artificial intelligence alongside world-class science, Rakovina continues to position itself at the forefront of precision oncology innovation with the goal of delivering transformative therapies for patients facing significant unmet medical needs.

About Rakovina Therapeutics Inc.

Rakovina Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical research company focused on the development of innovative cancer treatments. Our work is based on unique technologies for targeting the DNA-damage response powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) using validated, proprietary platforms. By using AI, we can review and optimize drug candidates at a much greater pace than ever before.

The Company has established a pipeline of distinctive DNA-damage response inhibitors with the goal of advancing one or more drug candidates into human clinical trials in collaboration with pharmaceutical partners. Further information may be found at www.rakovinatherapeutics.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For Further Information Contact:

Kim Oishi
CEO
Kim.oishi@rakovinatherapeutics.com

Mark Mitchell
IR@rakovinatherapeutics.com

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