Can-Fite Gets Approval For COVID-19 Clinical Trial For Piclidenoson In Israel

(RTTNews) - Israeli biotechnology company Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. (CANF) announced Monday that it has received approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at Rabin Medical Center to initiate a pilot clinical study of its drug candidate Piclidenoson for the treatment of moderate-to-severe symptoms in coronavirus (COVID-19) infected patients.

The company said Piclidenoson's anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, and anti-rheumatic properties combined with its excellent safety profile make it a strong candidate for the potential treatment of coronavirus.

The pilot trial is a randomized, open-label, 2-arm study of Piclidenoson plus standard supportive care, compared to standard supportive care alone, in 40 hospitalized COVID-19 infected patients with moderate-to-severe symptomatic disease. Patient enrollment and dosing will begin immediately.

Patients will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to one of the trial arms and treated for up to 4 weeks. Key efficacy measures include time to resolution of viral shedding, time to resolution of clinical symptoms, measures of respiratory function, need for ventilatory support, and overall mortality.

On March 23, 2020, Can-Fite submitted Piclidenoson for a COVID-19 compassionate use program to the IRB at Rabin Medical Center.