Hepanova

About Hepanova

Hepanova is a clinical-stage initiative focused on developing treatments for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common type of liver cancer. The core of its research is the HEPANOVA trial, a phase 2 study evaluating the safety and efficacy of combining Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) with the standard systemic therapy drug, sorafenib. TTFields are non-invasive electric fields tuned to a specific frequency (150 kHz) that disrupt the division process of cancer cells, a modality developed by the global oncology company Novocure.

The HEPANOVA study was a prospective, single-arm trial that enrolled patients with advanced, unresectable HCC who were not candidates for local treatments. The primary goal was to assess the overall response rate to the combination therapy compared to historical results for sorafenib alone. In July 2020, Novocure announced the final patient had been enrolled in the 27-patient trial. Final results, presented in 2021, showed a disease control rate of 76% and an objective response rate of 9.5% in the evaluable patient population, which was more than double the historical control of 4.5% for sorafenib monotherapy. For patients who received the TTFields treatment for at least 12 weeks, the objective response rate increased to 18%. The combination therapy was well-tolerated, with no new safety concerns or increase in systemic toxicity reported.

While the hepanova.com website describes its mission as providing "Innovative solutions to liver diseases," public information overwhelmingly points to the HEPANOVA clinical trial managed by Novocure as the entity's primary activity. This suggests Hepanova may be a project name or a subsidiary specifically for this trial rather than a fully independent startup with its own operational infrastructure. The trial's principal investigator was Professor Anca-Ligia Grosu of the University of Freiburg.