Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. saw its shares rise 9.5% on Thursday following the company's announcement that a patient with advanced decompensated liver cirrhosis who received Namodenoson later underwent a successful liver transplantation.
The patient was treated under a compassionate use framework while experiencing liver disease and complications consistent with decompensated cirrhosis. According to the company, Namodenoson contributed to clinical stabilization that allowed the patient to remain a suitable candidate for transplantation until a compatible donor organ was located.
In a statement cited by the company, Prof. Ohad Etzion, Chief of Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases at Soroka Medical Center in Israel, described the development as an encouraging clinical observation in a patient with advanced liver disease. He cautioned that individual cases must be interpreted with care but noted that maintaining clinical stability in such a fragile patient population is meaningful.
Namodenoson is described by the company as an orally bioavailable A3 adenosine receptor agonist with anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic properties. The therapy is currently being evaluated across several clinical programs: a pivotal Phase III trial in advanced liver cancer, a Phase IIb trial for Metabolic Dysfunction-associated Steatohepatitis (MASH), and a Phase IIa study in pancreatic cancer.
The company also referenced market data estimating that the global liver cirrhosis treatment market could expand from roughly $7.6 billion in 2024 to more than $15 billion by 2031. In addition, the firm noted an estimated 10.6 million people worldwide were affected by decompensated cirrhosis in 2017.
What the company reported in this single-case compassionate use instance is clinical stabilization sufficient to bridge a patient to transplant. The announcement highlights the role of investigational therapies used outside of clinical trials in individual, high-need scenarios and comes as Namodenoson advances through larger, controlled studies intended to measure safety and efficacy across broader patient populations.
Investors reacted to the company's disclosure with a near-double-digit increase in the stock price on the NYSE American, reflecting market attention to both the patient outcome reported and the ongoing multi-trial development program for Namodenoson.
Key points
- Can-Fite shares rose 9.5% after reporting a compassionate-use patient with decompensated cirrhosis was stabilized and later received a liver transplant.
- Namodenoson is an oral A3 adenosine receptor agonist with anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic properties; it is in Phase III for advanced liver cancer and in Phase II trials for MASH and pancreatic cancer.
- The company cited projections that the global liver cirrhosis treatment market could grow from about $7.6 billion in 2024 to over $15 billion by 2031, and noted an estimated 10.6 million people had decompensated cirrhosis in 2017.
Risks and uncertainties
- The clinical observation described is from a single compassionate-use case, and the company itself and a quoted clinician noted that individual cases should be interpreted with caution.
- Namodenoson remains under investigation in ongoing clinical trials; broader safety and efficacy in larger populations have yet to be established by those trials.
- Market projections cited were provided by the company and do not guarantee future market dynamics or commercial success.