Can-Fite reports preclinical data on namodenoson-gemcitabine combination in pancreatic cancer

Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. announced on August 17, 2026 new preclinical findings showing that its drug namodenoson enhances the anti-cancer effect of gemcitabine chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer.¹ The company said the findings offer mechanistic support for the design of its planned Phase IIb study testing namodenoson alongside gemcitabine and additional standard-of-care therapy in patients with advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma.¹

In the preclinical work, the namodenoson-gemcitabine combination raised levels of cleaved caspase-3, a protein central to cell death, indicating that namodenoson weakens survival mechanisms in pancreatic cancer cells and makes them more susceptible to chemotherapy-induced death.¹

Can-Fite said the proposed Phase IIb trial will combine namodenoson with gemcitabine and Nab-paclitaxel, building on the safety and clinical activity results seen with namodenoson alone in the company's Phase 2a pancreatic cancer study.¹ Pnina Fishman, Can-Fite's Chief Scientific Officer and Chairperson, said the caspase-3 findings explain the enhanced anti-cancer effect and that namodenoson suppressed key survival pathways and increased apoptosis, supporting the combination approach used in the planned Phase IIb design.¹

Separately, Phase 2a data from the pancreatic cancer study have been accepted for presentation at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2026.¹

Namodenoson is also being tested elsewhere in Can-Fite's pipeline. It is in a pivotal Phase 3 trial for advanced liver cancer, has completed a Phase 2a pancreatic cancer study, and is enrolling patients in a Phase 2b trial for Metabolic Dysfunction-associated Steatohepatitis (MASH).¹ The drug has also received Orphan Drug Designation in the U.S. and Europe and Fast Track Designation as a second-line treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma from the FDA.¹