Can-Fite receives patent in EU for treatment of liver function following surgery

The patent covers Can-Fite’s drug, CF102 in the treatment of the liver function following liver resection (surgery) by helping the liver to regenerate and repair itself.

In preclinical studies, CF102 has induced proliferation of hepatocytes following liver resection, increased liver weight, and reduced elevated levels of serum liver enzymes, reflecting improved liver status.

Can-Fite CEO Dr Pnina Fishman noted that while CF102 is now entering Phase II trials for the treatment of liver cancer, our preclinical studies have found it offers potential efficacy in protecting the liver and helping it to regenerate following surgery.

"We believe this would be beneficial not only for cancer patients after a tumor has been surgically removed from the liver, it may also offer important health and prolonged survival benefits following liver resection in patients with other kinds of liver diseases. Our intellectual property assets are a priority for us as we move our clinical development pipeline forward," Dr Fishman added.

This patent is currently pending in several other markets including the US, Israel, and other major markets. Can-Fite’s intellectual property portfolio consists of 150 patents issued and pending.

CF102 is a small orally bioavailable drug which binds with high affinity and selectivity to the A3 adenosine receptor. The latter is highly expressed in tumor cells whereas low expression is found in normal cells.

This differential effect accounts for the excellent safety profile of the drug. In our pre-clinical and clinical studies, CF102 induces a robust anti-tumor effect via de-regulation of the Wnt signaling pathway, resulting in apoptosis of liver cancer cells.