Exhibit 99.1
Can-Fite: New Phase III Psoriasis Data Showing Superior Safety & Improved Efficacy Presented by KOL Dr. Papp at the 31st European Academy of Dermatology
| ● | Dr. Papp: “The safety results on Piclidenoson and its progressive effectiveness over the study period position it as unique among the current treatment options especially given the chronic nature of psoriasis which can necessitate long-term treatment.” | |
| ● | Piclidenoson has a safety profile similar to placebo and is better tolerated than Otezla® | |
| ● | Efficacy of Piclidenoson is similar to Otezla in psoriasis patients with severe disease |
PETACH TIKVA, Israel, September 12, 2022 -- Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. (NYSE American: CANF) (TASE: CFBI), a biotechnology company advancing a pipeline of proprietary small molecule drugs that address inflammatory, cancer and liver diseases, announced today that Dr. Kim A. Papp, MD, PhD, presented new data from the Company’s recently completed Phase III COMFORT™ study at the late-breaking news session of the 31st European Academy of Dermatology and Venerology (EADV) Congress. Can-Fite previously reported the COMFORT™ study met its primary endpoint with Piclidenoson showing a statistically significant improvement over placebo in psoriasis patients. Piclidenoson is advancing into a pivotal Phase III psoriasis registration trial. The protocol, which is being designed by Dr. Papp, will be submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for market clearance of Piclidenoson in the treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis.
The following is a summary of key findings presented at EADV on September 10, 2022 in Milan, Italy during Dr. Papp’s presentation titled “Treatment of plaque psoriasis with piclidenoson: Efficacy and safety results from a phase 3 clinical trial (COMFORT)”:
| ● | The COMFORT™ Phase III study met its primary endpoint of superiority vs. placebo at 16 weeks, p=0.037 | |
| ● | Patients treated with Piclidenoson showed an improving progressive response over time, and as psoriasis is a chronic disease that may require long-term treatment, this is an important finding | |
| ● | Piclidenoson demonstrated an excellent safety profile, overlapping that of the placebo-treated group. | |
| ● | Piclidenoson had a significantly better tolerability profile than Otezla, as GI-related adverse events were 1% for Piclidenoson vs. 6% for Otezla, nervous system disorders were 0.7% for Piclidenoson, 9.9% for Otezla and 3.3% for the placebo. The discontinuation rate was significantly higher for Otezla vs. Piclidenoson | |
| ● | In the secondary endpoint of achieving a PASI 75 response (representing a 75% reduction in psoriasis severity) at week 32, in the whole patient population, Piclidenoson was inferior to Otezla; however, in a sub-group analysis of patients who had PASI>25 (more severe psoriasis) at baseline, Piclidenoson had a comparable response to Otezla | |
| ● | In the secondary endpoint of achieving psoriasis disability index (PDI) response at week 32, Piclidenoson was comparable to Otezla |
Dr. Papp commented, “The safety results on Piclidenoson and its progressive effectiveness over the study period position it as unique among the current treatment options especially given the chronic nature of psoriasis which can necessitate long-term treatment.”
Dr. Papps’s presentation was based on a study co-performed by numerous dermatology investigators, in Europe, Israel, and Canada.
Based in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, Dr. Papp has over 25 years’ experience as a Principal Investigator. Internationally renowned as a Key Opinion Leader in clinical research, Dr. Papp has conducted over 70 international dermatology studies on a wide range of dermatological disorders. The K. Papp Clinical Research center is considered one of the top clinical research centers in the world. Instrumental in improving and refining study designs, Dr. Papp has completed over 150 research studies on 50 compounds and has worked on new treatments that are now available and helping tens to hundreds of thousands of patients with their condition.
About Piclidenoson
Piclidenoson is a novel, first-in-class, A3 adenosine receptor agonist (A3AR) small molecule, orally bioavailable drug with an excellent safety profile demonstrating evidence of efficacy in Phase II clinical studies. The drug’s mechanism of action entails inhibition of the inflammatory cytokines interleukin 17 and 23 (IL-17 and IL-23) and the induction of apoptosis of patients’ skin cell keratinocytes involved with the disease pathogenicity.
About the Phase III COMFORT™ Study
The COMFORTTM CF101-301PS, is a Phase III randomized, double-blind, placebo- and active-controlled study of the efficacy and safety of daily Piclidenoson (CF101) administered orally in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. The primary objectives of this study are to evaluate the efficacy of oral Piclidenoson 2 mg or 3 mg twice daily (BID) in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, compared with placebo, as determined by the proportion of subjects who achieve a Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score response of ≥75% (PASI 75) at Week 16 (superiority); and evaluate the safety of oral Piclidenoson in this patient population. The secondary objectives of this study are to evaluate the efficacy of oral Piclidenoson 2 mg or 3 mg BID, compared with placebo, as determined by the proportion of subjects who achieve, respectively, PASI 50, Physician Global Assessment (PGA) score of 0 or 1, and improvement on the Psoriasis Disability Index (PDI) at Week 16 (superiority); evaluate the efficacy of oral Piclidenoson 2 mg or 3 mg BID, compared with Otezla (apremilast), as determined by the proportion of subjects who achieve PASI 75, PGA score of 0 or 1, PASI 50, and improvement in PDI at Weeks 16 and 32 (non-inferiority); and evaluate the efficacy and safety data for Piclidenoson through the extension period of up to 48 weeks of treatment.
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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, liver, and inflammatory disease. The Company's lead drug candidate, Piclidenoson recently reported topline results in a Phase III trial for psoriasis. Can-Fite's liver drug, Namodenoson, is being evaluated in a Phase IIb trial for the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and enrollment is expected to commence in a Phase III trial for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer. 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. These drugs have an excellent safety profile with experience in over 1,500 patients in clinical studies to date. For more information please visit: www.can-fite.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
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Contact
Can-Fite BioPharma
Motti Farbstein
info@canfite.com
+972-3-9241114
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