The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation announced that it has agreed to provide an additional $9 million in funding for development of Arcturus Therapeutics’ ARCT-032 inhaled mRNA therapy for the treatment of CF. The CF Foundation said that it has already provided $15.6 million for development of ARCT-032, which is based on Arcturus’ LUNAR lipid nanoparticle delivery platform.
ARCT-032 encodes for the CFTR gene and is expected to benefit all CF patients regardless of the type of mutation. The foundation says that a Phase 1a study of the nebulized formulation has completed dosing and that a Phase 1b trial is expected to be initiated before the end of the year, with a Phase 2 trial planned for 2024.
Arcturus Chief Scientific Officer Pad Chivukula commented, “We are thrilled to extend our productive relationship with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and we are grateful for their meaningful financial support. ARCT-032 has the potential to express fully functional CFTR protein in the lung, thereby addressing the root cause of cystic fibrosis. The resources and valuable expertise provided by the CF Foundation will support the continued clinical development of ARCT-032, including the completion of a Phase 1b study that we plan to initiate imminently in adults living with cystic fibrosis.”
CF Foundation Senior VP of Clinical Research JP Clancy said, “Messenger RNA therapy offers a way to treat all people with CF, especially those who can’t tolerate or don’t respond to modulator treatment. Delivering the therapy to the correct cells is a significant challenge, and we are excited by the progress Arcturus is making in this area.”
The CF Foundation has provided financial support for development of a number of inhaled gene therapies as part of its Path to a Cure initiative. In addition to Arcturus, companies receiving funding from the foundation for these products include ReCode Therapeutics, Spirovant, Splisense, Vertex, and 4D Molecular Therapeutics.
Read the Arcturus Therapeutics press release.
Read the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation press release.
