Cannabinoid collaboration advances patent application

PETACH TIKVA, Israel—Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd., in collaboration with Univo Pharmaceuticals Ltd., has announced new findings characterizing the effects of cannabinoids on diseases mediated through the A3 adenosine receptor (A3AR). Joint research shows that certain cannabinoid-based formulations exert a highly potent beneficial effect on diseased cells by binding to A3AR. These findings present new opportunities for the development of cannabinoids in the treatment of a variety of diseases involving overexpression of A3AR.

Can-Fite has filed a patent application entitled “Cannabinoids for use in treating A3 adenosine receptor-associated conditions” based on these findings. The patent will cover all the clinical indications in which A3AR is overexpressed. This may well prove lucrative for both companies, as the medical cannabis market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 29% to $56.7 billion by 2026, according to Adroit Market Research.

“This new patent application is an important addition to the different patent families containing issued patents and pending patent applications relating to the use of ligands that target the A3 adenosine receptor and which bind and activate the target to yield different therapeutic effects,” said Dr. Ilan Cohen, co-founder and chairman of the board at Can-Fite and a senior partner of Reinhold Cohn & Partners. “If issued, we expect this patent will be a very valuable addition to Can-Fite’s patent portfolio. We believe Can-Fite and Univo together are ideally positioned to lead in the invention and development of cannabinoid-A3AR drugs and the companies are establishing foundational IP assets for these inventions.”

“Our unique approach to developing cannabis derived pharmaceuticals, utilizing the A3 adenosine receptor as a filter, serves as an additional barrier of protection of our innovative findings for the use of cannabinoids for a variety of clinical applications. As the medical community is now recognizing the opportunities within this exciting area, it is important that we protect our innovative approach and the investments that we made along the way,” added Dr. Pnina Fishman, Can-Fite’s chief executive officer. “In addition to our small molecule drugs, Piclidenoson and Namodenoson, which are currently in Can-Fite’s advanced stage clinical pipeline, we now have the opportunity to develop a whole new class of cannabinoid-A3AR drugs in partnership with Univo.”

Can-Fite plans to develop cannabinoids for the treatment of large unmet medical needs within the framework of their collaboration with Univo. Can-Fite announced its strategic partnership with Univo in September 2019, and Univo’s chief executive officer Golan Bitton joined Can-Fite’s board of directors in December 2019.

“We are very pleased with the first success from the strategic partnership between Univo and Can-Fite. The new discovery and its potential is a testament to the research and development capabilities of both companies. We look forward to accelerating our collaboration to develop promising cannabinoid-based drugs,” noted Bitton.