Potential liver repair drug CF102 issued US patent

Can-Fite BioPharma received a US patent for CF102, a drug under development to repair liver cells and function in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, according to a news release.

CF102, an oral molecular bioavailable drug, acts as an agonist at the A3 adenosine receptor and has demonstrated antitumor effects in multiple phase 1 and 2 clinical trials, resulting in liver cancer cell death, according to Can-Fite.

“The treatment of postsurgery liver function is an indication that would complement our current portfolio of indications in clinical trials,” Pnina Fishman, PhD, chief executive officer at Can-Fite, said in the release. “CF102 may offer important healing benefits for the liver not only to cancer patients, but also for patients who have other diseases or injuries of the liver.”

Can-Fite received orphan drug designation from the FDA for CF102 and a patent from the European Union earlier this year. A phase 2 clinical study is under way in the US, Europe and Israel with 78 participants dosed with placebo or CF102 as a second-line treatment for advanced HCC in patients who have failed treatment with sorafenib. The study will investigate the safety and efficacy of CF102 compared with placebo.

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, according to the release.