Can-Fite BioPharma announced it has filed a patent application to protect the use of its drugs and other ligands which target the A3 adenosine receptor to treat cytokine release syndrome. CAR-T cell therapies are designed to treat certain cancers by modifying an individual patient's own immune cells to specifically target their cancer cells. CRS, which is caused by an overactive immune response to the treatment, has been identified as a potentially severe and life-threatening side effect of CAR-T cell therapies. Can Fite's platform technology selectively targets A3AR, which plays a central role in mediating the mechanism of inflammation by reducing elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6, IL-1beta, NF-Kbeta, TNF-alpha, and more. As such, the Company believes that A3AR targeting may serve as an important treatment option for patients in reducing the risk of CRS without limiting the utility of the underlying cancer immunotherapy. Current treatment for CRS includes aggressive immunosuppression through the use of high doses of corticosteroids to reverse the syndrome. However, while corticosteroids may control some of these toxicities, their potential to block T-cell activation and negate the clinical benefit of CART-T is a concern. ACTERMA, in August 2017 became the first FDA approved treatment for severe CRS induced by CAR-T, however it can mediate the immunosuppressive effect which could limit the efficacy of the immunotherapy.
