Benzinga | Mar 18, 2021 07:19AM EDT

Can-Fite Announces New Data Showing Topical Administration Of CF602 Resulted Statistically Significant Improvement In Erectile Dysfunction In Diabetic Model

Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. (NYSE:CANF) (TASE:CFBI), a biotechnology company advancing a pipeline of proprietary small molecule drugs that address inflammatory, cancer and liver diseases, today announced new data from a preclinical study of its drug candidate CF602 in the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) in diabetes experimental model.

The study evaluated the efficacy of topically applied CF602 in a 4-cohort study with diabetic Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats receiving placebo; 100nM CF602; 500nM CF602. Na?ve rats served as a comparative negative control. ED was assessed by tracing Intracavernuous Pressure (ICP) under cavernous nerve stimulation.

Treatment with CF602 at a dose of 500 nM resulted in statistically significant improvement of erectile dysfunction compared to vehicle treated controls when measured in a two-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni multiple comparisons post-hoc analysis (p<0.001). The improvement was even better than recorded for the na?ve animals group. Efficacy was dose-dependent.

"Based on these very compelling data, we believe CF602 is an ideal candidate for development due to the topical drug's proven efficacy in a diabetes pre-clinical model, and the massive size of the ED market. ED is a common complication of diabetes and is difficult to treat with systemic drugs due to the high risk profile of these patients. As a topical formulation, CF602 may offer distinct safety and efficacy advantages over oral ED drugs on the market today," stated Can-Fite CEO Dr. Pnina Fishman.

Diabetic patients reportedly experience more severe ED and are diagnosed 10--15 years earlier than the general population. According to the American Diabetes Association, approximately 30 million Americans have diabetes mellitus in the U.S. It is estimated that 35-75% of men with diabetes mellitus suffer from ED.

Grand View Research estimates the value of the ED therapeutic market will reach approximately $3.2 billion by 2022.