Can-Fite BioPharma announced that, following the approval by the Israel Ministry of Health and Rabin MC Ethics Committee, a phase-I/II clinical trial with CF102 for the treatment of liver cancer will now start enrolling patients.
The trial will investigate the safety and efficacy of CF102 in patients with liver cancer. This ascending-dose trial will be conducted at the Rabin Medical Center and include up to 40 patients.
Liver cancer is one of the five most common types of cancer globally, accounting for about 450,000 new diagnoses each year, and is highly prevalent in individuals with hepatitis B and C virus infection and in alcohol users. This type of cancer, which currently has no effective treatment, is particularly prevalent in Eastern countries. The chemotherapies that benefit patients with other types of cancers fail to affect liver cancer. The market potential of such a drug may be up to billions of dollars. Can-Fite is currently planning to develop CF102 for liver disease, including but not limited to liver cancer and hepatitis C. CF102, which is based on Can-Fite's technological platform, is a targeted drug that binds to the A3 adenosine receptor with high affinity.
This receptor is highly expressed on the surface of cancer and inflammatory cells but not on healthy cells. CF102 binds its target on affected cells and leads to apoptosis (programmed cell death). Preclinical trials have shown that CF102 is effective for the treatment of liver cancer.
In keeping with its financial reports, Can-Fite expects to release within weeks the results of a phase IIB clinical trial with CF101 for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and a phase IIA clinical trial with CF101for the treatment of Dry Eye Syndrome. Prof. Pnina Fishman, CEO of Can-Fite, said today that "CF102 represents another application of the unique technology developed by Can-Fite for cancer and inflammatory diseases. According to our tests, this technology is particularly appropriate for the treatment of liver cancer, which is currently considered to have very low chances of recovery and presents a massive global need for a cure"
CAN-FITE BIOPHARMA LTD is a public company traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. The Company, which commenced business activity in 2000, was founded by Prof. Pnina Fishman, an investigator from Rabin Medical Center, and patent attorney Dr. Ilan Cohn, a senior associate at Reinhold Cohn Patent Attorneys. Prof. Pnina Fishman serves as the CEO of Can-Fite. The Company was founded on the basis of scientific findings made by Prof. Pnina Fishman and focuses on the development of moleculebased drugs that bind to receptors on and inhibit the development of cancer or inflammatory cells.
Can-Fite's development pipeline currently has two drugs, CF101 and CF102. The company is simultaneously conducting several preclinical and clinical trials with the two drugs for various indications. CF101 is being studied for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, dry eye syndrome and psoriasis. Can-Fite has also entered the development of CF102 for the treatment of liver cancer, including liver cancer, hepatitis virus infections and liver tissue regeneration.