Can-Fite BioPharma said namodenoson showed durable overall survival in a Phase IIa study of 20 patients with advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma who had progressed after standard therapies, with median OS exceeding 5 months in eight third-line patients who survived at least two months after treatment start. In the extended survival analysis, 62.5% of those patients lived at least 5 months, 37.5% survived at least 7 months, and one second-line patient remained alive beyond 18 months; the company said the study had previously met its primary safety endpoint.

Why It Matters To Oncology

• Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma remains one of the hardest-to-treat malignant neoplasms, especially after progression on standard therapy.

• Namodenoson targets the A3 adenosine receptor and is being positioned for heavily pretreated PDAC, where durable survival signals are closely watched.

• Can-Fite said preclinical data suggest the oral agent may enhance chemotherapy by inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin and Hedgehog signaling and reducing multidrug-resistance protein expression.

The Financials

• Can-Fite shares rose more than 40% Wednesday after the update.

• The company said the data support advancing namodenoson into a Phase IIb combination trial with chemotherapy.

• Beyond PDAC, namodenoson is also being studied in a pivotal Phase III trial in advanced liver cancer and a Phase IIb trial in MASH.

What They're Saying

• Study lead Salomon Stemmer said the next logical step is to evaluate namodenoson in combination with chemotherapy based on the survival findings and supportive preclinical evidence.

• Can-Fite said the drug was well tolerated, with a safety profile consistent with prior trials.

• The company also noted that the survival analysis excluded patients with rapidly progressive disease who were unlikely to benefit from systemic therapy.

What's Next

• Namodenoson is set to move into a Phase IIb trial in combination with chemotherapy in advanced PDAC.

• Key questions will be whether the survival signal holds in a larger study and whether combination therapy improves outcomes versus chemotherapy alone.

• Clinicians will also want clearer context on patient selection, including how excluding rapidly progressive disease may affect interpretation of efficacy.