Canurta Finalist at MedCity INVEST, Advances AI Therapeutics, and CEO Named Top 20 Under 40

Canurta Therapeutics Selected as a Finalist for MedCity INVEST Pitch Perfect 2025

We are proud to announce that Canurta Therapeutics has been selected as one of six finalists in the Biopharma Track at MedCity INVEST Pitch Perfect 2025, which will take place in Chicago from May 20–21.

This event, hosted by MedCity News, brings together the most promising companies in healthcare innovation to present their technologies to a panel of active investors, strategic partners, and life sciences leaders.

Canurta was selected for our pioneering work on antimicrobial resistance. Our research into virtual drug target interactions highlights the potential of cannflavins—a unique class of chemical compounds derived from cannabis—to inhibit biofilm-related enzymes, suggesting cannflavins could be repurposed as antibacterial and antifungal agents against resistant microbial infections.

We are honoured to represent Canadian biotech innovation on this global stage and look forward to engaging with the broader life sciences community at INVEST 2025.

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Driving Innovation Across AI, Bioinformatics, and Global Collaboration Initiatives

Canurta Therapeutics is participating in the Base Batch Global Buildathon, an international competition that brings together leading teams to develop the next generation of on-chain applications. This opportunity allows us to showcase our technical capabilities, engage with a global community of innovators, and compete for a place in the Base Batch incubator program, which offers mentorship, funding, and strategic resources to accelerate growth.

In parallel, our bioinformatics team has achieved major progress on the Polykye™ platform, integrating large language models (LLMs) and advanced deep learning techniques to drive faster, more precise drug discovery. The alpha release enhances target identification, predicts pharmacological properties, and streamlines early-stage development, bringing us closer to delivering next-generation, AI-driven botanical therapeutics.

We have also successfully automated several complex bioinformatics workflows, including RNA-seq differential gene expression analysis, significantly improving reproducibility and reducing manual workload. This advancement allows our scientific teams to focus on high-value discovery challenges, further accelerating Canurta’s research pipeline.

Advancing Biosynthesis and Natural Health Product Discovery

We are pleased to share a significant advancement in our research and development initiatives. Our team has successfully synthesized a key precursor required for the biosynthesis of a class of prenylated molecules, marking an important milestone in expanding our library of active plant-derived compounds.

Additionally, we are strategically diversifying our portfolio of active molecules by investigating new plant compounds, including alkaloids, for application in the natural health products sector. This positions us to unlock new categories of bioactive compounds with the potential to address unmet needs in health and wellness through plant-based innovation.

CEO, Akeem Gardner, Named One of Canada's Top 20 Under 40 in Life Sciences Winners

We are thrilled to announce that CEO, Akeem Gardner, has been recognized as one of Canada’s Top 20 Under 40 in Life Sciences for 2024. This award honours the next generation of leaders driving innovation, excellence, and impact across Canada's thriving life sciences sector. This recognition places Akeem with an exceptional inaugural group of Canadian visionaries, whose work shapes the future of healthcare, biotechnology innovation, and patient outcomes.

On behalf of the entire Canurta Therapeutics team, we congratulate Akeem on this well-deserved recognition and celebrate his leadership in advancing botanical therapeutics development and scientific excellence.

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Canada-Chicago Mentoring Program (C2MP) Update: Accelerating Strategic Growth

Following our second meeting on April 17, 2025, we are pleased to share that our participation in the Canada-Chicago Mentoring Program (C2MP) is delivering significant strategic insights. We are continuing to strengthen our capital strategy and refine investor targeting.

Mentor feedback is helping us sharpen our narrative, while outreach efforts are intensifying with upcoming engagements. Updates to our investor materials, targeted network introductions, and strategic partnerships are now underway. As we build on this momentum, we remain focused on delivering transformative botanical therapeutics to address urgent global health needs.

Stay tuned for further updates.