On February 28, 2018 Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. (NYSE American: CANF) (TASE:CFBI), a biotechnology company advancing a pipeline of proprietary small molecule drugs that address cancer, liver and inflammatory diseases, reported its Phase II clinical trial with drug candidate Namodenoson (CF102) in the treatment of NAFLD/NASH (Press release, Can-Fite BioPharma, FEB 28, 2018, View Source [SID1234524643]).

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The current Phase II study is being conducted in three Israeli sites including Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem and the Rabin Medical Center, Petach Tikva. Patients who suffer from NAFLD/NASH with evidence of active inflammation are treated twice daily with 12.5 or 25 mg of oral Namodenoson vs. placebo. The primary end point of the Phase II study is the anti-inflammatory effect of the drug, as determined by ALT blood levels, and the secondary end points include percentage of liver fat, as measured by MRI-PDFF (proton density fat fraction). The company anticipates the completion of patient enrollment toward the end of 2018 and data release in the first half of 2019.

Recent safety data showed that Namodenoson has a favorable profile and lack of hepatotoxicity in patients. Preclinical data demonstrate robust anti-inflammatory, anti-fibrogenic and anti-steatotic effects, supporting its development for the NAFLD/NASH indication.

Can-Fite CEO Dr. Pnina Fishman commented, "We are pleased with the progress so far in our clinical trial with Namodenoson for the treatment of NAFLD/NASH, and we look forward to data release later in H1/2019."

There is currently no U.S. FDA approved drug for the treatment of NASH, which is an addressable pharmaceutical market estimated to reach $35-40 billion by 2025.

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