Can-Fite: Pancreatic Carcinoma Phase IIa Clinical Study with Namodenoson Received Regulatory Authorization from the Israeli Ministry of Health

On September 16, 2024 Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. (NYSE American: CANF) (TASE: CANF), a biotechnology company advancing a pipeline of proprietary small molecule drugs that address oncological and inflammatory diseases, reported that it received approval from the Israeli Ministry of Health (MoH) to conduct Phase IIa clinical trial with orally-administered Namodenoson in the treatment of pancreatic carcinoma (Press release, Can-Fite BioPharma, SEP 16, 2024, View Source [SID1234646645]).

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"We are very much encouraged by the excellent data in the pre-clinical studies demonstrating the impressive anti-cancer effect of namodenoson and definitive molecular mechanism of action against pancreatic carcinoma," stated Dr. Fishman, Can-Fite’s Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Chairman. "We are very keen to initiate the study in this devastating disease and are pleased with the regulatory approval of the Israeli MOH. We do hope that as we have shown efficacy in patients with advanced liver cancer studies, we will be able to demonstrate safety and efficacy in the pancreatic cancer patient population."

The Phase IIa is a multicenter open-label trial in patients with advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma whose disease has progressed on at least 1st-line therapy. The trial will evaluate the safety, clinical activity, and pharmacokinetics (PK) of Namodenoson in this patient population. All patients will receive oral Namodenoson 25 mg, administered twice daily for consecutive 28-day cycles. Patients will be evaluated regularly for safety. Approximately 20 evaluable patients will be enrolled. The primary objective of this trial is to characterize the safety profile of Namodenoson and the secondary objective is to evaluate the clinical activity as determined by the Objective Response Rate (ORR) using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST 1.1), Progression-Free Survival (PFS), Disease Control Rate (DCR), Duration of Response (DoR), and Overall Survival (OS).

The study will be conducted by Dr. Stemmer, a leading key opinion leader, at the Institute of Oncology, Rabin Medical Center, Israel and by Dr. Al Mutar from the UT Southwestern Medical Center in the US.

About Namodenoson

Namodenoson is a small orally bioavailable drug that binds with high affinity and selectivity to the A3 adenosine receptor (A3AR). Namodenoson was 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.