Full Press Release Details
Can Fite Reports on the Progress
of its Phase II Liver Cancer with Namodenoson
PETACH TIKVA, Israel, December 18, 2017
-- 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, today provided an update on its Phase II clinical trial
with drug candidate Namodenoson (CF102) in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Ongoing close observation
of enrolled subjects indicates a potentially favorable drug safety profile. The Company previously announced in August that it
had successfully completed enrollment of 78 patients.
The global Phase II study is being conducted in the U.S., Europe
and Israel. Patients with advanced HCC, Child Pugh B, who failed Nexavar (sorafenib) as a first line treatment are treated twice
daily with 25 mg of oral Namodenoson or placebo using a 2:1 randomization. The primary endpoint of the Phase II study is Overall
Survival (OS). Secondary endpoints include Progression Free Survival (PFS), safety, and the relationship between outcomes and A3AR
Although the trial remains blinded to the Company, accumulated
safety data to date indicates a potentially favorable drug safety profile without hepatotoxicity and possible positive clinical
effects. There are now subjects treated for more than one year and in some cases, two years. To date, 15 subjects have completed
at least 12 cycles of treatment (each cycle is 28 days of treatment) of which two completed 24 cycles. The Company anticipates
data release to occur in 2H2018.
Can-Fite CEO Dr. Pnina Fishman commented, "We are pleased
with the progress so far in our clinical trial for Namodenoson for the treatment of advanced HCC, the third leading cause of cancer
deaths worldwide, and look forward to data release later in 2018."
Can-Fite received Orphan Drug Designation for Namodenoson in
Europe and the U.S., as well as Fast Track Status in the U.S. as a second line treatment for HCC.
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.
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 sexual dysfunction. The Company's lead drug candidate,
Piclidenoson, is currently in a Phase III trial for rheumatoid arthritis and is expected to enter a Phase III trial for psoriasis
in early 2018. Can-Fite's liver cancer drug, Namodenoson, is in Phase II trials for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common
form of liver cancer, and 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 in preclinical studies and the
Company is investigating additional compounds, targeting A3AR, for the treatment of sexual dysfunction. These drugs have an excellent
safety profile with experience in over 1,000 patients in clinical studies to date. For more information please visit: www.can-fite.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
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statements, about Can-Fite's expectations, beliefs or intentions regarding, among other things, market risks and uncertainties,
its product development efforts, business, financial condition, results of operations, strategies or prospects. In addition, from
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forward-looking statements may be included in, but are not limited to, various filings made by Can-Fite with the U.S. Securities
and Exchange Commission, press releases or oral statements made by or with the approval of one of Can-Fite's authorized executive
officers. Forward-looking statements relate to anticipated or expected events, activities, trends or results as of the date they
are made. Because forward-looking statements relate to matters that have not yet occurred, these statements are inherently subject
to risks and uncertainties that could cause Can-Fite's actual results to differ materially from any future results expressed or
implied by the forward-looking statements. Many factors could cause Can-Fite's actual activities or results to differ materially
from the activities and results anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause our actual results to
differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: the initiation,
timing, progress and results of our preclinical studies, clinical trials and other product candidate development efforts; our ability
to advance our product candidates into clinical trials or to successfully complete our preclinical studies or clinical trials;
our receipt of regulatory approvals for our product candidates, and the timing of other regulatory filings and approvals; the clinical
development, commercialization and market acceptance of our product candidates; our ability to establish and maintain corporate
collaborations; the implementation of our business model and strategic plans for our business and product candidates; the scope
of protection we are able to establish and maintain for intellectual property rights covering our product candidates and our ability
to operate our business without infringing the intellectual property rights of others; estimates of our expenses, future revenues,
capital requirements and our needs for additional financing; competitive companies, technologies and our industry; statements as
to the impact of the political and security situation in Israel on our business; and risks and other risk factors detailed in Can-Fite's
filings with the SEC and in its periodic filings with the TASE. In addition, Can-Fite operates in an industry sector where securities
values are highly volatile and may be influenced by economic and other factors beyond its control. Can-Fite does not undertake
any obligation to publicly update these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.