NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Israeli biotech firm Can-Fite BioPharma announced today an agreement with Smart Assays to develop a biomarker blood test kits for the A3 adenosine receptor (A3AR).
Molecular biology labs would be able to use Can-Fite's A3AR biomarker kit to identify a patient's response to the firm's drugs. A3AR is present in high concentrations in inflammatory cells and cancer cells, and Can-Fite's drugs target and bind to A3AR, causing cell apoptosis.
In December, Can-Fite reported favorable results from its Phase11b clinical trail for CF101, an A3AR agonist, directed at rheumatoid arthritis. CF101 met all primary efficacy endpoints and showed statistical superiority over placebo in reducing signs and symptoms of RA.
"By developing a biomarker test that can be used at any molecular lab, we offer doctors and their patients a simple method for determining which patients will benefit most from CF101," Can-Fite CEO Pnina Fishman said in a statement. "Because rheumatoid arthritis is a complex disease with a high degree of clinical heterogeneity, a personalized medicine approach is needed, and CF101 coupled with a biomarker test is designed to meet this need."
Financial and other terms of the agreement with Smart Assays were not disclosed.
Smart Assays, also headquartered in Israel, provides R&D services for biotech and pharmaceutical firms.