On May 9, 2023 Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. (NYSE American: CANF) (TASE: CANF), a biotechnology company advancing a pipeline of proprietary small molecule drugs that address inflammatory, cancer and liver diseases, reported that it will initiate an open-label Phase 2 exploratory trial to assess the efficacy and safety of Namodenoson in the treatment of patients with pancreatic cancer who have received at least one previous systemic therapy (Press release, Can-Fite BioPharma, MAY 9, 2023, View Source [SID1234631234]).
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Patients will receive Namodenoson at a dose of 25 mg orally, twice daily. Efficacy endpoints will include objective response, progression-free survival, duration of response, disease control (defined as an objective response or stable disease), and overall survival. Safety will be assessed as well. The study will be conducted by Dr. Salomon Stemmer, an oncology key opinion leader and Professor at the Institute of Oncology, Rabin Medical Center, Israel.
Namodenoson is currently under a pivotal Phase 3 study for the treatment of advanced liver cancer and has completely cleared cancer in an advanced liver cancer patient who remains cancer-free 6 years after starting treatment.
"This relatively small exploratory trial is designed as an open-label study, enabling us to assess the potential efficacy of Namodenoson in pancreatic cancer. We’ve seen Namodenoson’s potent anti-cancer effects in treating people with liver cancer and believe that based on recent pre-clinical results, our drug may be equally effective in pancreatic cancer, an indication in need of more effective treatments," stated Can-Fite CEO Dr. Pnina Fishman.
The highest incidence rates for pancreatic cancer are in Asia, Europe, and North America. According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper), in 2020, an estimated 496,000 people were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer globally and an estimated 466,000 died from the disease. The 5-year survival rate for people with pancreatic cancer in the U.S. is 11%. Acumen Research estimates the global pancreatic cancer therapeutics market was valued at approximately $3.6 billion in 2021 and is projected to grow to approximately $6.6 billion by 2030.
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.