Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. (TASE:CFBI) has recently signed confidentiality agreements with 2-3 international companies concerning its drug CF-101 for the treatment of arthritis, sources inform "Globes". Phase 2 trial results for the drug are due to be released in the middle of this year.
The significance for CanFite is clear: a real possibility of signing a commercialization agreement with international companies, which of course have the data, including clinical data, to analyze as a basis for a decision.
The molecule of the arthritis drug is identical to the molecule the company uses in its psoriasis treatment, which is currently in Phase 3 clinical trials, having passed the interim report successfully. Recruitment of patients for the psoriasis trial will be completed by the end of 2013, and the results are due to be released in the first quarter of 2014.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a condition in which the body's immune system attacks the joints and other tissues, and causes chronic inflammation characterized by sensitivity, swelling, and severe pain in the affected joints, to the point of irremediable distortion of the structure of the joint and loss of movement in it.
The condition is estimated to affect about 1% of the world's population, with women affected three times more than men. About 50,000 patients a year are diagnosed with the condition in Israel. The global market for treatments is estimated to be worth billions of dollars, with a rapid rate of growth.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on February 25, 2013
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