Arcturus Therapeutics Announces Initiation of Dosing in Phase 2 Multiple Ascending Dose Studies for Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and Ornithine Transcarbamylase (OTC) Deficiency
January 06 2025 - 4:01PM
Business Wire
First participants initiated Phase 2 dosing for
both CF and OTC deficiency in December 2024
Phase 2 interim data for both mRNA therapeutic
programs on track for first half of 2025
Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc. (the “Company”, “Arcturus”,
Nasdaq: ARCT), a commercial messenger RNA medicines company focused
on the development of infectious disease vaccines and opportunities
within liver and respiratory rare diseases, today announced that
the first CF and OTC deficiency participants initiated dosing in
December 2024, in the Company’s Phase 2 multiple ascending dose
studies.
Each participant in the Phase 2 CF study (NCT06747858) is
expected to receive daily treatments of ARCT-032 over a period of
28 days.
The first OTC deficient participant receiving 0.5 mg/kg ARCT-810
initiated dosing in December 2024 in the United States. Each
participant is expected to receive five intravenous infusions
administered over two months. The Company previously announced the
completion of the dosing phase (N = 8; 0.3 mg/kg) in a
placebo-controlled European study enrolling OTC deficient
individuals and expansion of the Phase 2 clinical program of
ARCT-810 into the United States with an open-label multiple-dose
study (NCT06488313).
“We are very pleased with the recent progress in our Phase 2
studies in people with cystic fibrosis and OTC deficiency. ARCT-032
has the potential to address the significant unmet medical need in
the CF community for those who do not qualify for or benefit from
available treatment options,” said Dr. Pad Chivukula, Chief
Scientific Officer of Arcturus Therapeutics. “ARCT-810 is the only
mRNA therapy currently in clinical development intended to enable
liver cells to produce OTC enzyme and therefore address the
underlying cause of OTC deficiency.”
About Cystic Fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis is a life-shortening disease with a worldwide
prevalence. Mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane
conductance regulator (CFTR) gene result in a reduction or absence
of CFTR protein and/or function in the airways, causing disruption
of ion transport necessary to maintain airway surface homeostasis.
CF mucus is more difficult to clear, thus clogging the airways and
leading to infection, inflammation, and progressive lung damage
that may ultimately result in respiratory failure. Standard of care
for many CF individuals include CFTR modulators. Nearly 40,000
people in the U.S. and more than 105,000 people worldwide are
living with CF. Approximately 15% of individuals with CF do not
benefit from CFTR modulator medicines due to absent CFTR protein
and/or drug intolerance.
About ARCT-032
ARCT-032 is an inhaled investigational mRNA therapeutic designed
to express normal functional CFTR in the lungs of individuals with
CF. ARCT-032 has received Orphan Medicinal Product Designation from
the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and Orphan Drug Designation
along with Rare Pediatric Disease Designation from the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat cystic fibrosis. ARCT-032
utilizes Arcturus’ LUNAR® lipid-mediated aerosolized platform to
deliver CFTR messenger RNA to the lungs. Lung disease is the
leading cause of morbidity and mortality in people with CF.
Expression of a functional copy of the CFTR mRNA in the lungs of
people with CF has the potential to restore CFTR activity and
mitigate the downstream effects that cause progressive lung
disease. The ARCT-032 program is supported by preclinical data in
rodents, ferrets and primates, as well as the demonstration of
restoration of CFTR expression and function ex-vivo in human
bronchial epithelial cells.
About Ornithine Transcarbamylase Deficiency
Ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency is the most common
urea cycle disorder. Urea cycle disorders are a group of inherited
metabolic disorders that make it difficult for affected patients to
remove toxic waste products as proteins are digested. OTC
deficiency is caused by mutations in the OTC gene which leads to a
non-functional or deficient OTC enzyme. OTC is a critical liver
enzyme which catalyzes an early step in the urea cycle, a metabolic
process that converts ammonia to urea. This conversion does not
occur properly in patients with OTC deficiency. A deficiency of the
OTC enzyme in liver cells can result in high blood ammonia levels
and may cause seizures, progressive neurocognitive impairment,
coma, and death in untreated patients. OTC deficiency is an
inherited X-linked disorder that usually presents early in life,
but patients with less severe symptoms may present later in life,
as adults. There is currently no cure for OTC deficiency, apart
from liver transplant. However, this treatment comes with
significant risk of complications such as organ rejection, and
transplant recipients must take immunosuppressant drugs for the
rest of their lives. The current standard of care for OTC
deficiency patients is a well-controlled, but challenging to
maintain, low-protein diet and treatment with nitrogen scavenging
medications to try to prevent patients from accumulating ammonia.
These treatments do not address the underlying cause of disease. In
Europe and the U.S., approximately 10,000 people have OTC
deficiency.
About ARCT-810
ARCT-810 is an intravenously administered investigational mRNA
therapeutic designed to express normal functional OTC enzyme in the
liver of individuals with OTC deficiency. ARCT-810 has received
Orphan Medicinal Product Designation from the European Medicines
Agency (EMA), including an approved pediatric investigation plan
(PIP), and Orphan Drug Designation along with Rare Pediatric
Disease Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) for the treatment of ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency.
OTC is a key enzyme in the urea cycle which converts toxic ammonia
into urea. Elevated ammonia can lead to metabolic crises with
progressive and irreversible neurocognitive damage. A safe and
effective mRNA therapeutic may restore normal functional OTC enzyme
in the liver which could eliminate the risk of future metabolic
crises. ARCT-810 is based on Arcturus’ mRNA design construct and
proprietary manufacturing process. ARCT-810 also utilizes Arcturus’
extensive and propriety lipid library and employs the Company's
LUNAR® delivery platform to deliver OTC mRNA to hepatocytes.
About Arcturus
Founded in 2013 and based in San Diego, California, Arcturus
Therapeutics Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: ARCT) is a commercial mRNA
medicines and vaccines company with enabling technologies: (i)
LUNAR® lipid-mediated delivery, (ii) STARR® mRNA Technology
(sa-mRNA) and (iii) mRNA drug substance along with drug product
manufacturing expertise. Arcturus developed KOSTAIVE®, the first
self-amplifying messenger RNA (sa-mRNA) COVID vaccine in the world
to be approved. Arcturus has an ongoing global collaboration for
innovative mRNA vaccines with CSL Seqirus, and a joint venture in
Japan, ARCALIS, focused on the manufacture of mRNA vaccines and
therapeutics. Arcturus’ pipeline includes RNA therapeutic
candidates to potentially treat ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC)
deficiency and cystic fibrosis (CF), along with its partnered mRNA
vaccine programs for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) and influenza. Arcturus’
versatile RNA therapeutics platforms can be applied toward multiple
types of nucleic acid medicines including messenger RNA, small
interfering RNA, circular RNA, antisense RNA, self-amplifying RNA,
DNA, and gene editing therapeutics. Arcturus' technologies are
covered by its extensive patent portfolio (over 400 patents and
patent applications in the U.S., Europe, Japan, China, and other
countries). For more information, visit www.ArcturusRx.com. In
addition, please connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that
involve substantial risks and uncertainties for purposes of the
safe harbor provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995. Any statements, other than statements of historical
fact included in this press release, are forward-looking
statements, including those regarding strategy, future operations,
the likelihood of success (including safety and efficacy) of
ARCT-810 or ARCT-032, the timing for interim data for both studies,
the expected treatment regimens and periods in the studies, the
potential for ARCT-032 to benefit null patients or other CF
patients, the continued clinical development of ARCT-032 and
ARCT-810, the likelihood that preclinical or clinical results
received to date will be predictive of future clinical results, and
the impact of general business and economic conditions. Arcturus
may not actually achieve the plans, carry out the intentions or
meet the expectations or projections disclosed in any
forward-looking statements such as the foregoing and you should not
place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. These
statements are only current predictions or expectations, and are
subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other
factors that may cause our or our industry’s actual results, levels
of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different
from those anticipated by the forward-looking statements, including
those discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in Arcturus’ most
recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, and in subsequent filings with,
or submissions to, the SEC, which are available on the SEC’s
website at www.sec.gov. Except as otherwise required by law,
Arcturus disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise
any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date
they were made, whether as a result of new information, future
events or circumstances or otherwise.
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Arcturus Therapeutics Public Relations & Investor
Relations Neda Safarzadeh VP, Head of IR/PR/Marketing (858)
900-2682 IR@ArcturusRx.com
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