Investors in the pharma/biotech sector eagerly wait for pipeline updates as they play an important role in deciding whether or not to invest in a particular company. Pipelines are of prime importance as far as pharma/biotech companies are concerned. These companies spend significant sums in advancing their pipelines.
Last week, Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. (CANF) announced that it started dosing patients for a phase II study on its oncology candidate, CF 102. The company intends to enrol 78 patients for the study.
The phase II randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study will evaluate the efficacy and safety of the candidate as a second-line treatment for patients suffering from advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with Child-Pugh B who failed first line treatment with Bayer/Amgen’s (BAYRY/AMGN) Nexavar. The main objective of the study is to assess the overall survival of the patients.
Results from a phase I/II study, which evaluated the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of CF102 in patients suffering from advanced primary HCC, showed prolonged survival and stable disease in some of the patients. A favorable safety profile and lack of hepatotoxicity were also observed during the study.
CF 102 enjoys an orphan drug status in the U.S. for the HCC indication. Earlier in the year, the Israeli Ministry of Health (MOH) approved CF102 for a patient suffering from HCC. The approval came under the country’s Compassionate Use Program which allows doctor-initiated single-patient access to investigational treatments for innovative or investigational products not yet registered in any country worldwide.
We note that Nexavar is an approved product for the treatment of HCC. As per Bayer, Nexavar sales for the first nine months of 2014 came in at €591 million.
Can-Fite carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Some other attractive stocks in the healthcare space are Amgen and Affymetrix Inc. (AFFX). Both sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
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