Experts Spotlight a Persistent Barrier in Advanced Cancer Therapies

1. Rakovina Therapeutics Inc. has a consulting relationship with Street Smart an affiliate of Streetwise Reports. Street Smart Clients pay a monthly consulting fee between US$8,000 and US$20,000.
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1. Ownership and Share Structure Information

The information listed above was updated on the date this article was published and was compiled from information from the company and various other data providers.

Rakovina Therapeutics Inc. (RKV:TSX.V) provided a corporate update following the participation of its President and Chief Scientific Officer, Prof. Mads Daugaard, at the 9th Annual DNA Damage Response (DDR) Inhibitors Summit held in Boston, Massachusetts. The event brought together academic and industry leaders from institutions including Dana-Farber, MD Anderson, Merck, and Roche to discuss DDR therapeutics.

At the summit, Prof. Daugaard presented Rakovina's AI-driven strategy for developing brain-penetrant dual ATR/mTOR inhibitors targeting PTEN-deficient tumors. He also joined expert panels on translational strategy and investment alignment.

According to the company, recent Phase 3 data in non-small cell lung cancer highlighted challenges in the ATR inhibitor landscape, particularly in brain penetration and patient stratification. Rakovina stated that its kt-5000 series is designed to overcome these issues, combining ATR inhibition with mTOR blockade and brain penetrance.

"The consensus from the summit is that the field is hungry for a brain-penetrant ATR inhibitor," said Prof. Mads Daugaard in a company news release. "While other programs face challenges with patient stratification and blood-brain barrier penetration, our data supports a different path: positioning ATR inhibition in a PTEN-deficient context with added mTOR blockade to shut down resistance pathways. The feedback we received from clinical thought leaders was clear, we are addressing the exact limitations that have held this drug class back."

In addition to its small molecule programs, Rakovina reported inbound interest from major pharmaceutical companies regarding its kt-3000 series as potential payloads for Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs). The company stated it intends to prioritize proof-of-concept studies to further explore this opportunity.

"Our participation in Boston transformed our standing from a quiet innovator to a recognized problem-solver in the DDR space," added Prof. Daugaard in a company news release. "We have confirmed that our scientific rationale is sound, our targets are high-value, and our AI-designed molecules are doing what the competition cannot: reach the brain."

From Setback to Spotlight: Oncology Leads Biopharma's Late-2025 Turnaround

BioPharma Dive reported on January 29 that the biopharmaceutical sector showed signs of recovery in late 2025 following a prolonged downturn. The article cited increased dealmaking, new financings, and encouraging clinical trial results as key drivers of renewed investor interest. It also noted persistent challenges, including regulatory uncertainty in the U.S. and growing competitive pressure from China. Sector participants debated the sustainability of the rebound during the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in January.

A February 3 report from BioProcess Insider identified immuno-oncology as a continued area of focus within the biotechnology landscape, particularly among companies developing complex biologic therapies. The article emphasized the importance of manufacturing execution, quoting HanchorBio CEO Scott Liu, who said that "execution speed, manufacturing reliability, and scalability are critical" to advancing immunotherapy pipelines. It also noted that antibody-based biologics (including bi-specific antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates) comprise a significant portion of the current development pipeline.

On February 4, Precedence Research reported that oncology remained one of the leading areas of innovation in the global biopharmaceutical sector. The firm stated that companies were making substantial investments in biologics and immuno-oncology with an emphasis on targeted and personalized treatment approaches. The report added that biologics played "an increasingly important role" in oncology, immunology, and rare diseases, reflecting a broader focus on immune-based and precision medicine.

"Preclinical ATR Inhibitors Exhibit Similarities to Clinical-Stage Drugs"

In a December 4 research report, Dr. Douglas Loe, managing director and analyst at Leede Financial Inc., wrote that Rakovina Therapeutics Inc.'s preclinical ATR inhibitors, Compound A and Compound C, "exhibit similarities to two clinical-stage drugs in the same class." The company presented data on these two small-molecule inhibitors, identified through partner Variational AI's Enki platform, at the Society for Neuro-Oncology's annual meeting in Hawaii.

Dr. Loe reported that Compound A and Compound C showed "comparable ability to inhibit ATR's kinase in biochemical assays" and also demonstrated selectivity for other enzymes in the PIKK family, including mTOR. He stated that both compounds showed "little to no inhibition of other protein kinases."

He also observed pharmacokinetic differences between the two candidates, noting that "despite equivalent dosing of both, Compound A achieved higher peak plasma and brain concentrations." He added that the compounds had similar half-lives of approximately 30 minutes and suggested that Rakovina "might want to address the short half-lives with some sort of extended-release drug formulation technology for a longer duration of anti-tumor effects."

Upcoming Preclinical Studies and R&D Milestones

Rakovina outlined multiple planned developments for 2026 and beyond in its most recent investor presentation. The company expects to complete its joint venture with NanoPalm Inc. and begin research and development in tumor models. It also plans to synthesize select ATR inhibitor candidates for initial preclinical studies and lead PARP1 inhibitor candidates for additional preclinical evaluation and pre-Investigational New Drug (pre-IND) work.

The company also intends to maintain its conference presence, with scheduled presentations at DDR Summit, AACR, AACR-NCI-EORTC, and various investor and partnering events. Discussions are ongoing with pharmaceutical companies that have expressed interest in Rakovina's pipeline.

In 2025, Rakovina raised CA$4.9 million and listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The company synthesized 10 grams of kt-3283 for partnership activities and signed a letter of intent with NanoPalm Inc. for novel LNP formulation development. 

The kt-2000AI series saw the evaluation of 398 compounds, resulting in 10 identified hit candidates. The company noted that several compounds had clean IP profiles and met early assessments of their target product profile. For the kt-5000AI series, 43 compounds were synthesized and profiled, yielding 10 potent ATR inhibitors. Rakovina reported that some analogues showed dual kinase activity (mTOR/DNA-PK) and also met early target profile assessments.

Ownership and Share Structure¹

Edison Oncology currently holds a 12% stake in Rakovina Therapeutics. Management and reporting insiders own 4%, with Executive Chairman Jeffrey Bacha and Alfredo De Lucrezia representing the top individual shareholders. The remainder is held by friends, family, and retail investors.

In June 2025, Rakovina completed a 10-to-1 share consolidation. Shareholders now hold one post-consolidation common share for every ten pre-consolidation shares previously held.

The company has approximately 21.15 million shares outstanding, with a market capitalization of about CA$2.32 million. Over the past 52 weeks, its share price has ranged between CA$0.085 and CA$2.30.