Dr. Llovet on Efficacy of Namodenoson in Child-Pugh B HCC

Josep M. Llovet, MD, PhD, founder and director of the Liver Cancer Program, full professor of medicine, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital, discusses a phase II, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial examining the efficacy and safety of namodenoson (CF102), an A₃ adenosine receptor agonist (A₃AR), as a second-line treatment for patients with Child-Pugh B advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

In patients with HCC, Child-Pugh B stands for a classification that defines the status of liver failure, Llovet explains.

Prior to this trial, the actions and mechanisms of namodenoson in patients with Child-Pugh B HCC were unknown because all the drugs had been tested in Child-Pugh A patients, according to Llovet. As a result, patients who have Child-Pugh B HCC do not have a standard frontline therapy. Most of the TKIs are toxic in these patients, Llovet explains. Namodenoson has a tolerable safety profile, according to Llovet, and the drug is only being used on Child-Pugh B patients with more preserved liver function.

Results showed that the median overall survival was 4.1 months with namodenoson and 4.3 months in placebo in the intent-to-treat population. Moreover, the median progression-free survival was 2.6 months with namodenoson and 1.9 months with placebo.