Can-Fite Concludes Successful Meeting with European Medicines Agency (EMA) Regarding Phase III Trial and Registration Plan for Namodenoson in the Treatment of Liver Cancer
Following meetings with both the U.S. FDA and EMA, Can-Fite is ready to submit its protocol and conduct one pivotal trial for registration in both markets
PETACH TIKVA, Israel--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. (NYSE American: CANF) (TASE:CFBI), a biotechnology company advancing a pipeline of proprietary small molecule drugs that address inflammatory, cancer and liver diseases, today announced it has successfully concluded a meeting with the Scientific Advice Working Party (SAWP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) regarding Phase III development of its drug candidate Namodenoson in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer.
Namodenoson is Can-Fite’s adenosine A3 receptor (A3AR) agonist which has recently been shown to prolong median overall survival (OS) in a selected patient population with HCC in a Phase II clinical trial. Can-Fite sought scientific advice from the EMA to complement previous input from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in its recent End-of-Phase II meeting regarding plans for a Phase III registration trial of Namodenoson in patients with HCC and Child Pugh Class B7 (CPB7) cirrhosis. Having completed its meeting with the SAWP, Can-Fite now has sufficient regulatory input to conduct a registration trial in accordance with the requirements of both the U.S. and the European Union.
The planned trial, a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled trial, will enroll approximately 450 patients with HCC and underlying CPB7 cirrhosis at multiple centers worldwide. Patients will be randomized to oral treatment with either Namodenoson 25 mg or matching placebo given twice daily. The primary efficacy endpoint of the trial is overall survival (OS), based on the favorable OS response seen in the Phase II trial in patients with HCC and CPB7 cirrhosis. Other oncology trial efficacy outcomes, such as tumor radiographic response rates and median progression-free survival, as well as standard safety parameters, will be assessed.
“We appreciate the EMA’s advice which, combined with the input we received last October from the U.S. FDA along with recommendations from our academic key opinion leaders, gives us excellent guidance for conducting a successful Phase III clinical and registration program,” stated Can-Fite CEO Dr. Pnina Fishman.
According to the American Cancer Society, liver cancer accounts for more than 700,000 deaths globally each year. HCC is commonly aggressive with poor survival rates. As new drugs that effectively and safely treat HCC are developed and approved, the market for HCC treatments is estimated by Delveinsight to reach $3.8 billion by 2027 for the G8 countries.
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 as a second line treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma, with a recently completed Phase II trial and planned Phase III trial in this indication. The drug recently concluded a Phase II trial which successfully achieved efficacy and safety endpoints in the 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. (NYSE American: CANF) (TASE: CFBI) is an advanced clinical stage drug development Company with a platform technology that is designed to address multi-billion dollar markets in the treatment of cancer, inflammatory disease and COVID-19. The Company's lead drug candidate, Piclidenoson, is currently in Phase III trials for rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. Piclidenoson has been approved for a pilot clinical trial in Israel to treat COVID-19 infected patients with moderate-to-severe symptoms. Can-Fite's liver drug, Namodenoson, is heading into a Phase III trial for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer, and successfully achieved its primary endpoint in a Phase II trial 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. These drugs have an excellent safety profile with experience in over 1,500 patients in clinical studies to date. For more information please visit: www.can-fite.com.
