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The psoriasis market is estimated at $30 Billion by 2030 and has shifted significantly to oral drugs
Ramat Gan, Israel, March 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. (NYSE American: CANF) (TASE: CANF), a biotechnology company developing a pipeline of proprietary small molecule drugs targeting oncological and inflammatory diseases, today announced that it initiated a pivotal phase 3 psoriasis study of its oral drug Piclidenoson with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) - approved clinical study protocol. The study will enroll patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Patient enrolment will be initiated in Europe and US and Canada expected to follow.
The study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 aimed at demonstrating clinical safety and efficacy for the treatment of patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Patients will be treated with 3 mg twice daily orally Piclidenoson tablets or placebo. The co-primary efficacy objectives of this study are the proportion of subjects who achieve a Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score response of ≥75% (PASI 75) and the proportion of subjects who achieve a Static Physician's Global Assessment (sPGA) at of 0 or 1 at Week 16. The FDA requested two Phase 3 safety and efficacy studies and also encouraged the Company to enroll adolescent patients due to the strong safety profile of the drug demonstrated over the development history and prior clinical studies.
“We are excited to initiate the Phase 3 study and we believe that Piclidenoson’s oral dosage and excellent safety record, together with its progressive effectiveness over time, make it an ideal drug for the chronic treatment of psoriasis,” stated Can-Fite CEO Motti Farbstein.
Upon positive conclusion of the Phase 3 program, the Company plans to submit a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. FDA and Marketing Authorization Plan (MAA) to the EMA.
About Piclidenoson
Piclidenoson is a novel, robust anti-inflammatory 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 and Phase III 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 Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd.
Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. (NYSE American: CANF) (TASE: CANF) 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 reported topline results in a Phase III trial for psoriasis and commenced a pivotal Phase III trial. Can-Fite’s liver drug, Namodenoson, is being evaluated in a Phase III trial for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a Phase IIb trial for the treatment of MASH, and in a Phase IIa study in pancreatic 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 1,600 patients in clinical studies to date. For more information please visit: https://www.canfite.com/.