Sponsor: Can-Fite BioPharma (industry)
Phase: 3
Start date: March 15, 2023
Planned enrollment: 471
Namodenoson (CF102; Cl-IB-MECA) is an oral, highly selective adenosine A3 receptor (A3AR) agonist in clinical development primarily for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and non‑alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with or without steatohepatitis (NASH). A randomized, placebo‑controlled phase II trial in second‑line advanced HCC with Child–Pugh B (CPB) cirrhosis did not meet its primary endpoint of overall survival (OS) in the intent‑to‑treat population, but showed a prespecified signal in the CPB7 subgroup and a favorable safety profile. A randomized phase II study in NAFLD/NASH showed biochemical and noninvasive improvements and good tolerability. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, mdpi.com, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
Hepatocellular carcinoma (advanced, second‑line; CPB cirrhosis) - Phase I/II (open‑label, n=18): median OS 7.8 months overall; stable disease ≥4 months in 4 patients; correlation between higher baseline A3AR expression and longer OS reported. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, ascopubs.org) - Phase II (randomized, double‑blind, namodenoson 25 mg BID vs placebo; n=78): primary endpoint not met (median OS 4.1 vs 4.3 months; HR 0.82, p=0.46). In prespecified CPB7 subgroup, 12‑month OS was higher with namodenoson (44% vs 18%, p=0.028); median OS 6.9 vs 4.3 months (NS). Among assessable patients, partial response occurred in 8.8% (3/34) with namodenoson vs 0% (0/21) with placebo; disease control rate 58.8% vs 47.6% (assessable set). In ITT analysis, PR 6.0% and DCR 40.0% with namodenoson. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, mdpi.com)
NAFLD with or without NASH - Phase II (randomized, double‑blind; n=60; 12 weeks’ treatment + 4 weeks’ follow‑up): namodenoson reduced AST significantly vs placebo at week 12 and increased ALT normalization at week 16 (36.8% vs 10.0%; p=0.038). Dose‑dependent trends were seen for ALT reduction at week 12 (P=0.066 for 25 mg BID vs placebo). Noninvasive measures showed improvements in steatosis and FAST score within the namodenoson arms. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
Across clinical studies, namodenoson was generally well tolerated: - HCC phase I/II: no serious drug‑related adverse events or dose‑limiting toxicities observed across 1–25 mg BID. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) - HCC phase II: safety profile comparable to placebo; no treatment‑related deaths or withdrawals; one grade 3 treatment‑related event (hyponatremia). No hepatotoxicity signals; liver function parameters remained stable. (mdpi.com) - NAFLD/NASH phase II: no drug‑emergent severe adverse events, hepatotoxicity, or deaths; isolated possibly related AEs included myalgia, muscular weakness, and headache. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
Notes: Namodenoson remains investigational; efficacy signals to date are limited and context‑specific (e.g., CPB7 subgroup in HCC; biochemical/noninvasive endpoints in NAFLD/NASH). Larger, confirmatory trials would be needed to define clinical benefit and safety more precisely. (mdpi.com, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
Last updated: Sep 2025
Goal: Evaluate whether namodenoson improves overall survival versus placebo and characterize its safety in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and Child-Pugh Class B7 cirrhosis who have progressed after at least one prior systemic therapy.
Patients: Adults (≥18 years) with advanced, non-curable HCC (BCLC B or C) and Child-Pugh B7 cirrhosis, ECOG PS 0–1, measurable disease per RECIST v1.1, and progression after 1–2 prior systemic regimens; prior locoregional therapy allowed. Key exclusions include Child-Pugh A, B8/9, or C; hepatic encephalopathy; recent significant GI bleeding; uncontrolled infection or cardiovascular disease; recent major surgery, radiation, or locoregional therapy; and concomitant strong P-gp/BCRP interactions unless timed separation is feasible.
Design: Multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 study. Patients are randomized 2:1 to namodenoson or placebo. Treatment is given in 28-day cycles until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Imaging every two cycles; survival follow-up for all randomized patients. An open-label extension of namodenoson is offered to ongoing survivors after unblinding once required events are reached.
Treatments: Namodenoson 25 mg orally twice daily versus matching placebo. Namodenoson (CF102; Cl-IB-MECA) is an oral, highly selective adenosine A3 receptor agonist. A3AR is frequently overexpressed in tumors and inflamed hepatic tissue; downstream modulation of PI3K/AKT, NF-κB, and Wnt/β-catenin pathways is proposed to promote apoptosis and reduce proliferation/inflammation. In a prior randomized phase II study in second-line advanced HCC with CPB cirrhosis, the primary endpoint of overall survival was not met in the intent-to-treat population, but a prespecified CPB7 subgroup showed a survival signal and responses, with a generally favorable safety profile. Additional phase II data in NAFLD/NASH demonstrated biochemical and noninvasive improvements with good tolerability.
Outcomes: Primary: overall survival. Key secondary endpoints include progression-free survival by RECIST and mRECIST, objective response rate, safety and tolerability by CTCAE v5, and pharmacokinetics over 29 days. Additional endpoints include duration of response, disease control rate, and health-related quality of life using EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-HCC18.
Burden on patient: Moderate. Treatment is oral twice daily, which is convenient and avoids infusion visits. Monitoring includes clinic assessments for safety and imaging every 8 weeks (every two 28-day cycles), which is similar to standard second-line HCC care. There is a defined PK sampling period in the first month, adding extra blood draws. No protocol-mandated tumor biopsies are specified. Travel and visit frequency are typical for phase 3 oncology studies, with ongoing survival follow-up after treatment discontinuation. Overall burden is driven by regular imaging and safety labs plus initial PK assessments, but is less than infusion-based regimens.
Inclusion Criteria:
1. Males and females at least 18 years of age.
2. Diagnosis of HCC:
* For patients without cirrhosis at the time of diagnosis, histologic confirmation is required (archival tissue is acceptable).
* For patients with underlying cirrhosis at the time of diagnosis, diagnosis of HCC established according to the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Practice Guideline algorithm (Marrero 2018).
3. HCC is advanced (i.e., treatment-refractory or metastatic) and no standard therapies are expected to be curative.
4. HCC has progressed on at least 1, but no more than 2, prior systemic treatment regimens; prior locoregional therapy is allowed.
5. Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) Stage B or C (Llovet 1999).
6. Prior HCC treatment was discontinued for at least 2 weeks prior to the Baseline Visit.
7. Measurable disease by RECIST v1.1 (Eisenhauer 2009).
8. ECOG PS of ≤ 1.
9. Cirrhosis classified as CPB7; if ascites is used as a scoring criterion, it must be classified as Grade ≥2 by the Clinical Practice Guidelines of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL 2010).
10. The following laboratory values must be documented within ten days prior to the first dose of study drug:
* Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1.5 × 109/L
* Platelet count at least 75 × 10\^9/L
* Creatinine clearance at least 50 mg/dL (estimated glomerular filtration rate by the Cockcroft-Gault or the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease methods)
* AST and ALT ≤ 5 × the upper limit of normal (ULN)
* Total bilirubin ≤ 3.0 mg/dL
* Serum albumin ≥ 2.8 g/dL.
11. Life expectancy of ≥ 6 weeks.
12. For women of childbearing potential, negative serum pregnancy test result.
13. Provide written informed consent to participate.
14. Willing to comply with scheduled visits, treatment plans, laboratory assessments, and other trial-related procedures.
Exclusion Criteria:
1. Receipt of \>2 prior systemic drug therapies for HCC.
2. Receipt of systemic cancer therapy, immunomodulatory drug therapy, immunosuppressive therapy, or corticosteroids \> 20 mg/day prednisone or equivalent within 14 days prior to the Baseline Visit or concurrently during the trial.
3. Locoregional treatment within 4 weeks prior to the Baseline Visit.
4. Major surgery or radiation therapy within 4 weeks prior to the Baseline Visit.
5. Use of any investigational agent within 4 weeks prior to the Baseline Visit.
6. Concomitant use of P-glycoprotein (P-gp)/breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) inhibitors and/or substrates with a narrow therapeutic index unless the medication can be taken at least 3 hours before or after taking the investigational product (see Section 12.2).
7. Child-Pugh Class A, B8/9, or C cirrhosis.
8. Hepatic encephalopathy.
9. Occurrence of esophageal or other gastrointestinal hemorrhage requiring transfusion within 4 weeks prior to the Baseline Visit.
10. Uncontrolled or clinically unstable thyroid disease, per judgment of the Principal Investigator.
11. Active bacterial, viral, or fungal infection requiring systemic therapy or operative or radiological intervention.
12. Known human immunodeficiency virus- or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-related illness.
13. Liver transplant.
14. Active malignancy other than HCC.
15. Uncontrolled arterial hypertension or congestive heart failure (New York Heart Association Classification 3 or 4).
16. Angina, myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular accident, coronary/peripheral artery bypass graft surgery, transient ischemic attack, or pulmonary embolism within 3 months prior to initiation of study drug.
17. History of, or ongoing, cardiac dysrhythmias requiring treatment, atrial fibrillation of any grade, or persistent prolongation of the QTc (Fridericia) interval to \> 470 msec (patients with bundle branch block will not be excluded for QTc reasons).
18. Pregnant or lactating female.
19. Women of childbearing potential, unless they agree to use dual contraceptive methods which, in the opinion of the Investigator, are effective and adequate for the patient's circumstances while on study drug.
20. Men who partner with a woman of childbearing potential, unless they agree to use effective, dual contraceptive methods (i.e., a condom, with female partner using oral, injectable, or barrier method) while on study drug and for 3 months afterward.
21. Any severe, acute, or chronic medical or psychiatric condition, or laboratory abnormality that may increase the risk associated with trial participation or study drug administration; may interfere with the informed consent process and/or with compliance with the requirements of the trial; or may interfere with the interpretation of trial results and, in the Investigator's opinion, would make the patient inappropriate for entry into this trial.
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