TAMPA, Fla. and IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — DnaK Therapeutics and GATC Health Corp jointly announced today a collaboration to use GATC’s proprietary artificial intelligence platform to evaluate and prioritize 16 innovative, potential cancer drug candidates. By applying GATC’s predictive AI platform early in the drug-development process, DnaK will be able to prioritize the most promising molecules for preclinical studies, obviating months off traditional experimental timelines and saving millions of dollars in research and development costs.
DnaK Therapeutics is pioneering potential treatments that target DnaK, a protein produced by tumor-associated bacteria that cause chemotherapy resistance in colorectal and gastric cancers, among others. The Company is investigating drug candidates that could consequently and substantially improve the effectiveness of existing cancer treatments by blocking or inhibiting DnaK.
“Drug development requires difficult decisions early in the process about where to invest time and resources,” said Dr. Rahul Gupta, president of GATC Health and former director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. “The earlier we can provide useful information about a candidate’s potential risks and benefits, the better those decisions can be before substantial resources are committed to laboratory studies and clinical development. We are honored and excited to have the opportunity to work with Dr. Gallo, one of the world’s most accomplished and renowned scientists, and the visionary leadership team of DnaK.”
“We have a number of potentially viable drug candidates, but we need to determine which are the most beneficial, effective, and safest before we invest substantial resources,” said Dr. Robert C. Gallo, co-founder of DnaK Therapeutics. “If this technology can give us useful information earlier and help us focus on the most promising candidates, it could considerably accelerate bringing these potentially groundbreaking drugs to the next stage of our research.”
GATC will evaluate DnaK’s 16 potential drug candidates using its predictive AI technology and Derisq™ reports, which assess factors including potential safety, efficacy and off-target effects. The analysis will help identify a smaller group of high-priority candidates for experimental testing, with initial results expected this fall. DnaK will use those findings as it works toward selecting a lead development candidate. If successful, DnaK and GATC expect to explore opportunities to apply the approach to additional drug targets and therapeutic programs.
In January 2025, DnaK Therapeutics was accepted into the University of South Florida’s USF CONNECT’s Tampa Bay Technology Incubator (TBTI). Through TBTI, DnaK has access to specialized facilities, shared laboratory resources, mentorship, business development support and connections designed to help move research toward commercialization.
About DnaK Therapeutics
Founded in 2024 by Dr. Robert C. Gallo, Dr. Davide Zella, and Dr. Francesca Benedetti, DnaK Therapeutics develops selective small-molecule inhibitors of bacterial DnaK, a chaperone protein produced by tumor-associated bacteria that is linked to colorectal and gastric cancers and chemotherapy resistance. Based at USF Connect in Tampa, Florida, and supported by a research grant from the Florida Department of Health, the company is advancing a therapeutic program alongside a companion diagnostic to measure DnaK in tumors and identify patients most likely to benefit from treatment.
About GATC Health
GATC Health is a tech-bio company revolutionizing drug discovery and development by simulating complex human biology to predict how drugs will perform in the body, achieving 91% specificity and 86% sensitivity. Trusted by the world’s largest insurance marketplace, biopharma, researchers, and investment partners, GATC Health’s risk prediction product, the Derisq™ AI report, accurately assesses and predicts drug candidate safety, efficacy, and non-obvious side effects prior to the commitment of development capital. GATC Health’s AI platform is also generative, creating novel intellectual property, extending pipelines, and optimizing assets. By uniting advanced AI, multiomics, and predictive modeling, GATC Health accelerates breakthroughs and reduces costly late-stage failures to bring safer, more effective therapies to patients worldwide. For more information, visit gatchealth.com.
Media Contacts
DnaK Therapeutics
Dipak Thakker
dipak@stellarit.com
GATC Health
Amanda Rice
arice@lifescicomms.com
