VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rakovina Therapeutics Inc. (TSXV: RKV) ("the Company"), a biopharmaceutical company committed to advancing new cancer therapies based on novel DNA-damage response technologies, today announced that the company has presented data from pre-clinical research with its novel kt-3000 series drug candidates at the inaugural JCA-AACR Precision Medicine Conference, which was held virtually on September 10-12, 2021 (US) and September 11-13 (Japan).

Rakovina Therapeutics presented data in a video presentation entitled In Vitro Activity of Novel Dual PARP-HDAC Inhibitors. The Company’s novel kt-3000 series is a dual inhibitor of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and histone deacetylase (HDAC). Publications to date have shown potential synergy between PARP inhibitors and HDAC inhibitors and the combination has been shown to sensitize PARP-inhibitor resistant cells to treatment in vitro. While the concept has demonstrated promise in the laboratory, translation to a clinical setting has proved challenging. In patients, combination treatment often requires sequential administration due to overlapping toxicities and differing pharmacokinetics, severely limiting treatment options.

The kt-3000 series are novel drug candidates that combine PARP and HDAC inhibition into a single molecule, which may provide a more viable approach to clinical benefit that might overcome clinical resistance to PARP inhibition and potentially expand the utility of PARP inhibitors beyond HR-deficient disease.

Data presented at the conference show that select kt-3000 series compounds exhibit strong inhibition of both PARP and HDAC as a single molecule. Activity at each target is comparable to FDA-approved single-target PARP or HDAC inhibitors.

“We are pleased with the progress in the development of the kt-3000 series to date. Importantly, these data demonstrate activity of kt-3000 series compounds in both BRCA-wild type and BRCA-mutant cell lines suggesting the potential to address unmet needs in the treatment of HR-proficient cancers with dysregulation of histone deacetylation,” said Prof. Mads Daugaard, president and chief scientific officer of Rakovina Therapeutics. “We look forward to continuing to report our progress at upcoming scientific meetings.”

About Rakovina Therapeutics Inc.

Rakovina Therapeutics Inc. is focused on the development of new cancer treatments based on novel DNA-damage response technologies. The Company has established a pipeline of 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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