Biopharma Company Leverages AI-Powered Platform for Cancer Breakthroughs

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Rakovina Therapeutics Inc. (RKV:TSX.V), a pre-clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused exclusively on developing next-generation anti-cancer compounds discovered through artificial intelligence (AI), announced its scientific advisor and collaborator Dr. Artem Cherkasov was recently recognized as a leader in AI-driven drug development.

The professor at the University of British Columbia and principal investigator with the Vancouver Prostate Centre was recently featured by the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) in an article titled "AI innovation puts VCHRI scientist at forefront of global drug discovery avenues." The feature highlights Cherkasov's contributions to the use of AI in computational drug modeling and the development of the Deep Docking™ platform — an AI engine capable of screening billions of molecules to identify the most promising drug candidates with speed and precision.

"Rakovina Therapeutics remains committed to leveraging world-class science and technology to develop new treatments for patients with difficult-to-treat cancers," Rakovina said in a release. "The company is proud to partner with Dr. Cherkasov in this mission."

Cherkasov recently won two Critical Assessment of Computation Hit-finding Experiments (CACHE) Challenges using advanced computing and AI to find new potential treatment avenues for Parkinson's disease and COVID-19, the article said.

"Cherkasov's submissions topped results from dozens of other researchers from leading academic, industry and non-profit sector institutions around the world," the VCHRI said.

First Berlin Equity Research analysts Alexander Rihane and Christian Orquera initiated coverage of Rakovina with a Buy rating and a price target of CA$0.40.

The paper noted that CACHE Challenges are stewarded by the Canadian-based non-profit Conscience, which was formed in partnership with the Structural Genomics Consortium and is headed by leading academics, researchers, industry representatives and community members. 

Rakovina said that Cherkasov is a key scientific advisor for the company and plays "an integral role in guiding the company's AI-driven discovery efforts."

Rakovina holds exclusive access to the Deep Docking™ platform for the development of novel DNA-damage response (DDR) inhibitors — an approach designed to accelerate therapeutic discovery and improve treatment outcomes for cancers with limited options, the company said.

Analysts Initiate Coverage

On April 2, 2025, First Berlin Equity Research analysts Alexander Rihane and Christian Orquera initiated coverage of Rakovina with a Buy rating and a price target of CA$0.40.

The company's Deep Docking AI platform has been validated through real-world applications, including during the COVID-19 pandemic when it generated 1,000 potential drug candidates against SARS-CoV-2 in less than four weeks, the analysts noted. A derivative of one of these compounds became the active ingredient in Pfizer's COVID drug Paxlovid.

Upcoming catalysts for the company include the presentation of two abstracts at the 2025 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting on April 25-30. These abstracts will present findings from in silico screening followed by in vitro and in vivo validation of the compounds' efficacy, selectivity, and pharmacokinetic properties — marking the first time Rakovina will publish real-world confirmation of their AI-generated compound data.

The analysts valued Rakovina at US$59.1 million based on a sum-of-the-parts methodology that applies a risk-adjusted net present value (rNPV) model for the lead drug candidates. With the share price at the time of the report at CA$0.10, the CA$0.40 target price represents a potential return of 300%.

The Catalyst: Cancer a Leading Cause of Death Worldwide

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cancer is presently the second leading cause of death worldwide, research by Roots Analysis said.

"As per GLOBOCAN, the number of patients diagnosed with various types of cancer in the U.S. crossed the 19 million-mark in 2020," the firm wrote. "By 2030, it is estimated that the aforementioned number is likely to grow to over 22 million."

Conventional approaches, such as chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy, have been found to be inadequate, especially for late-stage cancers.

"If the therapeutic-induced DNA damage is repaired, the cells survive," Roots Analysis wrote.

The role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the biopharmaceutical sector has also become increasingly prominent. Writing for BioSpace on January 8, Bryan Spielman emphasized that AI is delivering substantial benefits in drug discovery, particularly by expediting data analysis and streamlining the identification of promising drug candidates. While AI's integration into patient recruitment and clinical research is still developing, its applications in research and commercialization are already reshaping industry practices.

Further evidence of AI's transformative potential in biopharmaceuticals is provided by Precedence Research, which released market data in January 2025. Their report projects the global biopharmaceutical market size to grow from US$537.54 billion in 2025 to US$1.8 trillion by 2034, achieving a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.36%.

The integration of AI across various stages of the biopharmaceutical process, including drug discovery, clinical trials, and personalized medicine, has been cited as a critical driver of this growth. Precedence Research also highlighted that the oncology segment continues to dominate the market due to the increasing global cancer burden and the rising adoption of biopharmaceuticals for targeted cancer therapies.

Ownership and Share Structure

Edison Oncology owns 17.2% of Rakovina Therapeutics. 

Management and Reporting Insiders own 5.9%, with the top two being Jeffrey Bacha and Alfredo De Lucrezia.

The rest is friends/family and retail. 

Rakovina Therapeutics Inc. has more than 140 million shares outstanding and a market capitalization of approximately CA$7.03 million. Over the past 52 weeks, its stock has traded between CA$0.23 and CA$0.05.