Latest news with #DennisBrown
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rakovina Therapeutics Highlights Strength of Scientific Advisory Board Driving Innovation in AI-Enabled Oncology Drug Development
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rakovina Therapeutics Inc. ('Rakovina' or the 'Company') (TSX-V: RKV) (FSE: 7JO0), a biopharmaceutical company advancing next-generation cancer therapies through artificial intelligence (AI)-powered drug discovery, is pleased to highlight the strength and scientific leadership of its established Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). Rakovina's SAB is composed of internationally recognized experts in oncology, AI-driven drug development, and precision medicine. The board plays a vital role in shaping the company's research strategy, pipeline advancement, and translational development initiatives. Rakovina's Scientific Advisory Board: Dr. Dennis Brown, SAB Chair, has been involved in cancer drug discovery and development for more than 35 years. Initially with the Stanford Research Institute at Stanford University where he was involved in drug-screening activities sponsored by the US National Cancer Institute. He has been co-founder of Matrix Pharmaceuticals (Chiron), ChemGenex (Cephalon/Teva), and Kintara (NASDAQ: KTRA); inventor on 40+ patents; former faculty at Harvard and currently President of Valent Technologies and chair of Mountain View Pharmaceuticals' Board. Dr. Artem Cherkasov is the Canada Research Chair in Precision Cancer Drug Design, a Professor of Urologic Sciences at the University of British Columbia, and a Senior Scientist at the Vancouver Prostate Centre. He is a pioneer of the Deep Docking™ AI platform, which accelerates the screening of billions of compounds against DNA-damage response (DDR) targets. This groundbreaking technology led to a $142 million licensing deal with Roche—the largest in UBC's history—and directly supports Rakovina's AI-driven discovery programs. Dr. Petra Hamerlik is the Chair of Translational Neuro-Oncology at the University of Manchester. She previously served as Principal Scientist and CNS Cancer Bioscience Lead at AstraZeneca, where she advanced the development of brain-penetrant DNA-damage response inhibitors for the treatment of primary and metastatic brain tumors. Dr. Leonard Post brings over 35 years of experience in pharmaceutical R&D leadership. He previously served as Chief Scientific Officer at both BioMarin and LEAD Therapeutics, where he was instrumental in the development of PARP inhibitor, talazoparib, now commercialized by Pfizer. Dr. Post also held senior roles at Onyx Pharmaceuticals and Parke-Davis, and he currently serves as Chief Scientific Officer of Vivace Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Neil Sankar is a clinical development expert with leadership experience at companies including Genentech, MedImmune, and Pharmacyclics. He played an instrumental role in the FDA filings for Kadcyla and Ibrutinib. Dr. Sankar trained at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda and holds an MD from Bangalore University. Dr. Wang Shen is the inventor of Rakovina's KT‑2000 and KT‑3000 candidate series, and the founder and CEO of Viva Vision Biotech. He is the principal inventor of the FDA‑approved drug Lifitegrast and a key contributor to the development of Venetoclax. Dr. Shen is also a co-author of more than 40 scientific publications and patents. 'By convening this powerhouse advisory board, we're aligning world-class scientific leadership with our AI-driven strategy,' said Jeffrey Bacha, Executive Chairman of Rakovina Therapeutics. 'Their collective track record in discovering, developing, and commercializing transformative cancer therapies is instrumental in advancing our DDR pipeline toward key preclinical and clinical milestones.' How the SAB Accelerates Rakovina's Corporate Strategy Rapid AI-to-Lab Validation Harnessing Dr. Cherkasov's Deep Docking™ platform with UBC wet-lab integration to validate hits in months, not years. Translational Expertise Leveraging Dr. Hamerlik's CNS oncology insights to optimize brain-penetrant DDR inhibitors. Clinical Development Leadership Dr. Sankar's regulatory and trial design acumen ensures efficient progression into IND-enabling studies. Commercialization Pathways Guided by Drs. Brown and Post's extensive licensing and deal-making histories to structure high-value partnerships. Global R&D Networks Tapping the board's academic and industry connections to accelerate collaborations and expand intellectual property. With this advisory team in place, Rakovina is poised to: Showcase AI-Designed DDR Molecules at Leading Industry Conferences in H2 2025 Present in vitro and in vivo validation data for next-generation PARP1-selective and ATR inhibitors Optimize Current Pipeline (July–October 2025) – Optimize lead candidates from the kt-2000 and kt-5000 series with enhanced potency, selectivity, and brain penetration. Demonstrate Interim ATR Compound Efficacy ( Q3 2025) – Share early pharmacology and pharmacokinetic data on ATR inhibitors. Establish a development collaboration for kt-3283 – (Q3 2025) Join forces with leading companies to develop advanced formulations suitable for clinical development. Continue Partnering Discussions for Novel AI-derived kt-3000 & kt-2000 Series Drug Candidates (Q4 2025–Q1 2026) – Leverage AI-driven preclinical data and strategic SAB endorsements to secure co-development and licensing partnerships. Rakovina continues to advance its novel pipeline of AI‑enhanced design and dual‑mechanism targeting to treat DDR‑driven cancers with high unmet needs. About Rakovina Therapeutics 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 the proprietary Deep-Docking™ and Enki™ 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 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. Notice Regarding Rakovina Therapeutics Forward-Looking Statements: This release includes forward-looking statements regarding the company and its respective business, which may include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the proposed business plan of the company and other statements. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as 'plans,' 'is expected,' 'expects,' 'scheduled,' 'intends,' 'contemplates,' 'anticipates,' 'believes,' 'proposes' or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events, or results 'may,' 'could,' 'would,' 'might,' or 'will' be taken, occur, or be achieved. Such statements are based on the current expectations of the management of the company. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release may not occur by certain specified dates or at all and could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting the company, including risks regarding the medical device industry, economic factors, regulatory factors, the equity markets generally, and risks associated with growth and competition. Although the company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events, or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events, or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated, or intended. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Except as required by applicable securities laws, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. The reader is referred to the company's most recent filings on SEDAR+ for a more complete discussion of all applicable risk factors and their potential effects, copies of which may be accessed through the company's profile page at For Further Information Contact: Michelle Seltenrich, BSc MBA Director, Corporate Development IR@ 778-773-5432Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Panera settles remaining lawsuits over its highly caffeinated Charged Lemonade
Panera Bread has settled three remaining lawsuits that it faced over its highly caffeinated Charged Lemonade, a beverage blamed for two deaths and various permanent injuries. Plaintiffs' attorney Elizabeth Crawford, a partner at the Philadelphia law firm Kline & Specter, PC, confirmed Wednesday that 'the matters have all been resolved.' She said she could not comment any further. Panera also confirmed the legal developments, which were reported first by NBC News, but declined to answer any additional questions. Charged Lemonade made headlines in October 2023 when the parents of a 21-year-old University of Pennsylvania student with a heart condition filed a lawsuit alleging that their daughter, Sarah Katz, suffered a fatal cardiac arrest after consuming a cup of the drink. Panera settled that suit last October, which was the first of at least four that were filed against the bakery-cafe chain. A second lawsuit alleged that the drink caused the death of 46-year-old Florida resident Dennis Brown after he drank three Charged Lemonades. The other two legal complaints alleged the beverage resulted in serious cardiac problems in two previously healthy people: 28-year-old Lauren Skerritt of Rhode Island, and Luke Adams, a Pennsylvania teenager whose lawsuit said he had to be resuscitated hours after he drank a Charged Lemonade. Crawford represented the plaintiffs in all four cases. Court records showed the remaining three lawsuits were listed on Monday as dismissed with prejudice, meaning the cases cannot be refiled again in the same courts. The cases had previously been scheduled to go to trial. The lawsuits had referred to Charged Lemonade as a 'dangerous energy drink' and accused Panera of failing to appropriately warn customers about its ingredients. When served without ice, a large, 30-fluid-ounce size contained 390 milligrams of caffeine — just barely under the 400 milligrams of caffeine that the Food and Drug Administration says healthy adults can safely consume in a day. Charged Lemonade also contained guarana extract, another stimulant. Panera has denied wrongdoing in court documents. Following the lawsuit over Katz's death, the chain made a number of changes, including moving the beverage behind the counter so it was no longer a self-serve offering. It also added signs cautioning that Charged Lemonade should be consumed in moderation and was not recommended for children, people sensitive to caffeine, or pregnant or nursing women. Panera removed the controversial beverage from its stores nationwide in May 2024, which it said was a part of a 'recent menu transformation.' This article was originally published on
The Guardian
04-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘They didn't call us for Live Aid': the stars behind Black Britain's forgotten charity record
The Ethiopian famine of the early 1980s was one of the defining news stories of the decade, an exposure of the stark divide between developed and developing nations, still referred to at the time as the Third World. It is a received wisdom that the general public in Britain learned about the crisis when shocking images of emaciated men, women and children were shown on BBC news reports. This is not entirely true. In fact, plenty of Rastafarians were already aware of the situation. The east African country was their spiritual home – many in the movement viewed its former emperor Haile Selassie as their messiah – and a place free from the iniquities of the west. 'A lot of Rastafarians went to Ethiopia [before they] came to London,' says the musician and campaigner Leon Leiffer. 'I knew many of them, and there was a rumour going around that things were really bad because of the drought. We heard it like that before the mainstream media. And I had the idea to do something to help before we saw anything on the BBC.' Leiffer, a member of the influential reggae vocal harmony group the Blackstones, is the great social activist you may never have heard of. He was the driving force behind Brafa (British Reggae Artists Famine Appeal), an ensemble that featured, among others, renowned Jamaican vocalist Dennis Brown, roots heroes Aswad and Janet Kay, the queen of lovers rock, that uniquely British strain of romantic reggae. This month marks the 40th anniversary of the release of the group's charity single, Let's Make Africa Green Again, created to raise money for famine relief efforts in Ethiopia at around the same time as another, far more notorious charity single. 'We were always singing about Africa, so we thought: let's put our money where our mouth is,' Leiffer, a friendly 72-year-old with braided grey hair, says over tea in his front room in Leyton, east London. He had initially decided to stage a concert to raise money for famine relief but finding a venue and sponsorship proved too difficult, so the fallback position was to make a record, the proceeds of which would be sent to Ethiopia via Save the Children. Leiffer, who came as a teenager from Jamaica to Britain and pursued a career in music, duly assembled a team consisting of several Rastafarian artists, such as singer Gene Rondo, drummer Jah Bunny and bassist Elroy Bailey, as well as vocalists including Leiffer's wife Fay Addison and his Blackstones bandmates Tony Douglas and Ken Kendricks. This was very much a grassroots operation, and word spread of the plan to make a charity record at popular community centres such as Roots Pool in Hackney, east London, where, as Leiffer recalls, you were as likely to see reggae royalty such as Dennis Brown as you were a 'notorious local gangster'. One musician alerted another, and Brafa soon put together an all-star UK reggae cast. Finding a studio willing to give free session time was a problem, but Leiffer and Rondo lucked out through a chance encounter with Eddy Grant, the innovative Guyanese singer who had had a big hit with Electric Avenue. Grant agreed to lend the group his own east London studio, and with that manna from heaven the project motored forward. Leiffer and Rondo combined lyrics from their previous songs, one of which hailed Africa as 'paradise', and they soon had the tune for Let's Make Africa Green Again. 'On the day of the recording I said to everybody: 'Let go of your ego!'' recalls Leiffer. 'Any artist was welcome, all they had to do was come to the studio and take part. And there were people singing who had never sung on a record before. People walked by, like at carnival time, and we'd say come in, we want you to sing on the chorus. It was an open house, a special thing. We had all kinds of folk with us. There were over 200 people involved, including local schoolkids.' Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion That sense of inclusion was pivotal in Brafa. As far as Leiffer was concerned, the priority was for everybody, both in the reggae and wider Black British community, to pull together and do their bit regardless of who they were. Needless to say, Band Aid had captured the world's attention in November 1984 with Do They Know It's Christmas? but Leiffer did not feel they were in competition with that song. However, on the vexed issue of the lack of Black British representation in the aforementioned project and its follow-up concert Live Aid – notwithstanding the presence in the latter of pop-jazz star Sade – he has strong views, and believes the argument that reggae artists were simply not big enough to make the bill doesn't cut any ice. 'I'd say Bob Geldof and Midge Ure have good hearts,' says Leiffer. 'They did fantastic. But to have Aswad in the international charts, and [lovers rock star] Trevor Walters, Eddy Grant, Janet Kay all enjoying major commercial success and not be involved … They didn't call us for Live Aid and they didn't call us for the recording. We had gifted, talented people and we had something to offer, and I think they should have reached out to us. Soon after our record was made, I was coming from the BBC and saw Geldof walking to Radio 1 and I said: 'Wh'appen Bob?' He acknowledged me but made no attempt to stop. I got the feeling of a brush-off.' While Black newspapers such as Caribbean Times and The Voice (who had offered up their office, with an all-important fax machine, for practical help), and music magazines such as Black Echoes and Blues & Soul ran features, there was scant coverage in the national press. Leiffer remembers an article 'the size of a postage stamp' in the Sun, though he has fond memories of appearing on Janice Long's Radio 1 show to promote the single. Despite selling well to reggae fans, the song did not make the national pop chart. Still, Brafa soldiered on and finally was able to hold a benefit concert in Shoreditch Park, east London in May 1986 that featured many of the artists on Let's Make Africa Green Again. It drew a crowd of more than 10,000 people, raising £8,000. Although one headline called it 'Live Aid reggae style', the event also showcased Black British culture in the broadest sense, including appearances by notable sports people such as Olympic sprinter Mike McFarlane and boxer Dennis Andries. The concert countered the largely negative image that clung to Black British youth just a few years after the Brixton and Toxteth riots, which may well have contributed to the mainstream media snub of Brafa. Some recognition did eventually arrive, though. In 2021, the forecourt of the Britannia Leisure Centre on the border of Shoreditch Park was named Brafa Square in honour of Leiffer and his collective. Today, he is still focused on making music and the Blackstones recently enjoyed radio play on US reggae stations with their single Ting a Ling. Looking back, he feels a sense of achievement in what he, Gene Rondo, who died in 1994, and others did. 'We were well received, maybe not on the level of Band Aid, which I understand,' he says. 'We could have had more coverage. Of what we did, though, I am hugely proud. I remember the struggle, and all the good times.'
