On February 13, 2020 Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. (NYSE MKT: CANF) (TASE:CFBI), a biotechnology company with a pipeline of proprietary small molecule drugs that address inflammatory, cancer and liver diseases, reported it has submitted the study’s protocol design and registration plan for its pivotal Phase III liver cancer trial to the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Product and Human Use (CHMP) (Press release, Can-Fite BioPharma, FEB 13, 2020, View Source [SID1234554267]). The Phase III pivotal trial will evaluate the efficacy of its drug candidate Namodenoson in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), with underlying Child Pugh B7 (CPB7) cirrhosis, whose cancer has progressed on first line therapy
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The filing with the EMA follows Can-Fite’s successful conclusion of its End-of-Phase II meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in which the FDA agreed with Can-Fite’s proposed pivotal Phase III trial design to support a New Drug Application (NDA) submission and approval of Namodenoson in the treatment of HCC.
"Having submitted our study design to both U.S. and European regulators, we look forward to initiating this Phase III study. Should Namodenoson meet the study’s primary endpoint of improved overall survival for liver cancer patients, then we intend to file for concurrent approval of our drug in both the U.S. and Europe, two of the largest healthcare markets in the world," stated Can-Fite CEO Dr. Pnina Fishman.
DelveInsight estimates the HCC drug market will reach $3.8 billion in 2027 in the G8 countries. According to the American Cancer Society, in the U.S. liver cancer incidence has tripled since 1980, with an estimated 42,000 cases diagnosed and 32,000 deaths annually. Incidence of liver cancer is much higher in other countries, with more than 800,000 diagnoses and 700,000 deaths estimated globally each year.
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 is currently in an ongoing Phase II trial 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.