Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd shares rose 13.3% on Friday after the company announced that the Japan Patent Office has allowed Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-049941. The allowance covers the use of Namodenoson and other A3 adenosine receptor agonists to induce fat loss and to treat obesity and related metabolic disorders.
The newly allowed Japanese patent extends intellectual property protection for Namodenoson into one of the world’s larger pharmaceutical markets. Can-Fite had previously secured patent protection for the same technology in the United States, Canada, Australia and Israel, and the Japanese allowance expands that geographic coverage.
Scientific support for the therapeutic approach is cited in the company’s release: peer-reviewed evidence published in the International Journal of Obesity documents Namodenoson’s anti-obesity activity. That body of evidence forms part of the company’s rationale for asserting a patentable invention tied to the drug’s mechanism.
Namodenoson is described by the company as an orally administered, highly selective A3 adenosine receptor agonist with an established safety profile from clinical studies. Can-Fite emphasizes the compound’s differentiated mechanism of action, noting that it targets pathways involved in adipogenesis, inflammation and metabolic regulation — processes relevant to fat accumulation and metabolic disease.
Commenting on the development, Dr. Pnina Fishman, Chairperson and Chief Scientific Officer of Can-Fite, said the patent allowance significantly strengthens the company’s global intellectual property portfolio and enhances the value of Namodenoson as a differentiated oral therapeutic candidate for obesity and metabolic diseases.
The company is a clinical-stage biotechnology firm developing a pipeline of proprietary small-molecule drugs focused on oncological and inflammatory diseases. The Namodenoson program represents a potential expansion of that pipeline into the obesity and metabolic disease space.
Market context included in the company announcement cites industry forecasts that project the global obesity therapeutics market to exceed $60 billion by 2030. The release also characterizes currently available obesity therapies as frequently associated with gastrointestinal side effects, injectable administration, treatment discontinuation and high cost — factors the company highlights when describing the potential advantages of an oral, small-molecule approach.
Investors reacted promptly to the Japanese patent allowance, driving the intraday share gain reported on Friday. The allowance strengthens Can-Fite’s patent estate in a significant jurisdiction and complements the company's existing granted patents elsewhere.
Bottom line: The Japan Patent Office allowance for the use of Namodenoson in treating obesity enlarges Can-Fite’s geographic IP footprint and coincided with a notable uptick in the company’s stock price. The decision is supported by published scientific evidence cited by the company and adds to patents already granted in several other countries.