Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. (NYSE: CANF) began Monday in the green. The company, a clinical-stage biotechnology firm developing a pipeline of proprietary small molecule drugs targeting oncological and inflammatory diseases, announced new preclinical findings demonstrating that namodenoson enhances the anti-cancer effect of gemcitabine chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer.
The findings provide mechanistic support for the design of Can-Fite’s planned Phase IIb study evaluating namodenoson in combination with gemcitabine and additional standard-of-care therapy in patients with advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
In pre-clinical studies the combination of namodenoson and gemcitabine increased the level of a protein, cleaved caspase-3, a central mediator of cell death (apoptosis).
These findings indicate that namodenoson weakens the survival mechanisms of pancreatic cancer cells, thereby increasing their susceptibility to chemotherapy and enabling a stronger tumor cell-death response.
The new findings directly support the scientific rationale underlying Can-Fite’s planned randomized Phase IIb study in advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
The proposed study will evaluate namodenoson in combination with gemcitabine and additional standard-of-care therapy, Nab-paclitaxel, building upon the favorable safety profile and encouraging clinical activity observed with namodenoson monotherapy in the Company’s Phase 2a pancreatic cancer study.
Clinical results from Can-Fite’s Phase 2a study of namodenoson in advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma have been accepted for presentation at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2026.
CANF shares captured 8.5 cents, 2.5%, to $3.48.
