PETACH TIKVA, Israel--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. (NYSEAM:CANF) (TASE:CFBI), a biotechnology company advancing a pipeline of proprietary small molecule drugs that address cancer, liver and inflammatory diseases, today provided an update on its Phase II clinical trial with drug candidate Namodenoson (CF102) in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Ongoing close observation of enrolled subjects indicates a potentially favorable drug safety profile. The Company previously announced in August that it had successfully completed enrollment of 78 patients.
The global Phase II study is being conducted in the U.S., Europe and Israel. Patients with advanced HCC, Child Pugh B, who failed Nexavar (sorafenib) as a first line treatment are treated twice daily with 25 mg of oral Namodenoson or placebo using a 2:1 randomization. The primary endpoint of the Phase II study is Overall Survival (OS). Secondary endpoints include Progression Free Survival (PFS), safety, and the relationship between outcomes and A3AR expression.
Although the trial remains blinded to the Company, accumulated safety data to date indicate a potentially favorable drug safety profile without hepatotoxicity and possible positive clinical effects. There are now subjects treated for more than one year and in some cases, two years. To date, 15 subjects have completed at least 12 cycles of treatment (each cycle is 28 days of treatment) of which two completed 24 cycles. The Company anticipates data release to occur in 2H2018.
Can-Fite CEO Dr. Pnina Fishman commented, “We are pleased with the progress so far in our clinical trial for Namodenoson for the treatment of advanced HCC, the third leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, and look forward to data release later in 2018.”
Can-Fite received Orphan Drug Designation for Namodenoson in Europe and the U.S., as well as Fast Track Status in the U.S. as a second line treatment for HCC.
About Namodenoson
Namodenoson is a small orally bioavailable drug that binds with high affinity and selectivity to the A3 adenosine receptor (A3AR). Namodenoson is being evaluated in Phase II trials for two indications, as a second line treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma, and as a treatment for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). A3AR is highly expressed in diseased cells whereas low expression is found in normal cells. This differential effect accounts for the excellent safety profile of the drug.
About Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd.
Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. (NYSEAM:CANF) (TASE:CFBI) is an advanced clinical stage drug development Company with a platform technology that is designed to address multibillion-dollar markets in the treatment of cancer, inflammatory disease and sexual dysfunction. The Company's lead drug candidate, Piclidenoson, is currently in a Phase III trial for rheumatoid arthritis and is expected to enter a Phase III trial for psoriasis in early 2018. Can-Fite's liver cancer drug, Namodenoson, is in Phase II trials for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer, and for the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Namodenoson has been granted Orphan Drug Designation in the U.S. and Europe and Fast Track Designation as a second line treatment for HCC by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Namodenoson has also shown proof of concept to potentially treat other cancers, including colon, prostate and melanoma. CF602, the Company's third drug candidate, has shown efficacy in the treatment of erectile dysfunction in preclinical studies, and the Company is investigating additional compounds, targeting A3AR, for the treatment of sexual dysfunction. These drugs have an excellent safety profile, with experience in over 1,000 patients in clinical studies to date. For more information please visit: www.can-fite.com.
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