Arcturus Therapeutics to Receive Up to $3 Million from Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics to Advance a Novel LUNAR-Formulated mRNA CFTR Therapeutic
SAN DIEGO, May 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Arcturus Therapeutics, Inc. ("Arcturus" or the "Company"), a leading RNA medicines company, today announced that it has entered into a research agreement with Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics Inc. (CFFT), the nonprofit drug discovery and development affiliate of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in which CFFT will pay up to $3 million to advance LUNAR-CF, a novel messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutic formulated with Arcturus' LUNAR(TM) delivery technology.
"Arcturus is developing a potentially transformative broad-spectrum mRNA therapeutic. If successful, it has the potential to treat all CF patients - more than 1,700 different genetic variations of the disease," said Joseph E. Payne, President and CEO of Arcturus Therapeutics. "With the financial support from CFFT, we are now positioned to accelerate the development of our CF program and expand our LUNAR(TM) platform to include pulmonary delivery of nucleic acids."
The two-year agreement will support discovery and development of mRNA therapeutics that aim to enable cells of CF patients to restore the function of their cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, or CFTR, gene in their lungs. Arcturus' LUNAR(TM) delivery system will be advanced and optimized for pulmonary administration to allow for the development of novel nucleic acid based therapeutics for a variety of respiratory diseases.
About Arcturus Therapeutics, Inc.
Founded in 2013 and based in San Diego, Arcturus Therapeutics, Inc. is an RNA medicines company with enabling technologies -- UNA Oligomer chemistry and LUNAR(TM) nanoparticle delivery. Arcturus' versatile RNA therapeutics platform can be applied toward all types of RNA medicines including small interfering RNA, messenger RNA, antisense RNA, microRNA and gene editing therapeutics. The company owns LUNAR(TM) nanoparticle delivery and unlocked nucleomonomer agent (UNA) technology including UNA Oligomers, which are covered by its patent portfolio (80 patents and patent applications, issued in the U.S., Europe, Japan, China and other countries). Arcturus' proprietary UNA technology can be used to target any gene in the human genome, as well as viral genes, and other species for therapeutic purposes. The Company's commitment to the development of novel RNA therapeutics has led to significant partnerships with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., part of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical, Inc., and Takeda Pharmaceutical Inc. For more information, visit www.ArcturusRx.com.
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SOURCE Arcturus Therapeutics, Inc.
