Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. (TASE:CFBI; Bulletin Board: CANFY), which is developing drugs to treat inflammations and cancer, will soon enter the field of impotence treatments. In its anti-inflammation trials, the company discovered that the active-ingredient in its CF101 drug is suitable for treating impotence.
Can-Fite CEO Prof. Pnina Fishman said, "We saw that patients were not returning all the drugs at the end of the trial. When we clarified why this was, we found that some of the patients in the trial suffered from sexual dysfunction, and enjoyed a revival of their abilities when taking our drug, within six months of taking the treatment."
Did you see this in animals too?
"We understood in retrospect that our laboratory staff saw this phenomenon in animals and laughed but did not attribute much importance to it."
How does it work? What's the connection between anti-inflammation and impotence?
"Research carried out recently around the world found that Adenosine, the same substance that our treatment stimulates, is related to relaxing the blood vessels and this is part of the erection process."
Can-Fite is actually preparing to develop its CF602 treatment, which is a slightly different cocktail of the same active ingredients, for an indication of impotence. "The new drug is looking even safer in pre-clinical trials than CF101," Fishman said.
If you succeed in trials and register the drug what are the chances of competing in the saturated impotence market?
She said, "Existing drugs may cause side-effects affecting the heart and blood pressure and so a large percentage of patients are unable to be treated."
So those who take their main drug for arthritis may suffer from frequent erections?
"In trials, the product helped those who suffered sexual dysfunction problems but did not affect others, or at least nobody reported that it bothered them. But it's possible that that we will need to mention possible side effects."
Can-Fite's share price rose 4.9% on the TASE today to NIS 38.60.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on November 13, 2012
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