Arcturus Therapeutics Announces the Formation of its Vaccine Platform Scientific Advisory Board

Renowned experts in virology, infectious disease, vaccine development and public health to support Arcturus’ COVID-19 vaccine program, LUNAR-COV19

Company remains on track to begin clinical trial for COVID-19 vaccine this summer

SAN DIEGO, July 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc. (the “Company”, “Arcturus”, Nasdaq: ARCT), a leading clinical-stage messenger RNA medicines company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of therapeutics for rare diseases and vaccines, today announced the formation of its Vaccine Platform Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) comprised of world-leading experts in the fields of virology, infectious disease, vaccine development and public health.

“We are proud to have such an accomplished and diverse group of scientific, clinical and public policy experts joining our Scientific Advisory Board. The SAB’s expertise will be highly valuable to maximizing the development path and therapeutic potential of the Company’s COVID-19 vaccine program,” said Edward Holmes, M.D., Distinguished Professor of Medicine at the University of California, Vice Chancellor/Dean of Health Sciences Emeritus at the University of California, San Diego and member of Arcturus’ Board of Directors. 

“Our differentiated self-replicating mRNA-based approach has the potential to require only a single administration at very low doses to result in potent humoral and cellular immunity. I look forward to working closely with our SAB members to bring our promising vaccine approach forward to help address this global public health crisis. Our STARR™ technology is a versatile platform that can be readily adapted to rapidly develop vaccines for a wide range of diseases and with the guidance of our advisors we expect to select additional vaccine candidates for our portfolio,” said Pad Chivukula, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Arcturus Therapeutics.

Arcturus’ new SAB members:

• Jeff Colyer, M.D., CEO of Virtus Consultants; former Governor of Kansas
• Ooi Eng Eong, Ph.D., BMBS, FRCPath, Professor and Deputy Director of the Emerging Infectious Diseases Programme at the Duke-NUS Medical School
• Frederick G. Hayden, M.D., FACP, Professor Emeritus of Clinical Virology and Medicine at Virginia University School of Medicine
• Peter A. Patriarca, M.D., Principal of Immuno-Vax and Senior Affiliate Consultant with the Biologics Consulting Group
• Robert T. Schooley, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Senior Director of International Initiatives at the University of California San Diego
• Jonathan Smith, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer at VLP Therapeutics

Additional information and biographies are available at https://arcturusrx.com/about-arcturus/advisors/

About Arcturus Therapeutics
Founded in 2013 and based in San Diego, California, Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: ARCT) is a clinical-stage mRNA medicines and vaccines company with enabling technologies: (i) LUNAR^® lipid-mediated delivery, (ii) STARR™ mRNA Technology and (iii) mRNA drug substance along with drug product manufacturing expertise. Arcturus’ diverse pipeline of RNA therapeutic candidates includes programs to potentially treat Ornithine Transcarbamylase (OTC) Deficiency, Cystic Fibrosis, Glycogen Storage Disease Type 3, Hepatitis B, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and a self-replicating mRNA vaccine for SARS-CoV-2. Arcturus’ versatile RNA therapeutics platforms can be applied toward multiple types of nucleic acid medicines including messenger RNA, small interfering RNA, replicon RNA, antisense RNA, microRNA, DNA, and gene editing therapeutics. Arcturus’ technologies are covered by its extensive patent portfolio (191 patents and patent applications, issued in the U.S., Europe, Japan, China and other countries). Arcturus’ commitment to the development of novel RNA therapeutics has led to collaborations with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., part of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical, Inc., Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, CureVac AG, Synthetic Genomics Inc., Duke-NUS, Catalent Inc., and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. For more information visit www.ArcturusRx.com

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, including those regarding the Company’s expected performance, the Company’s development of any specific novel mRNA therapeutics, the Company’s efforts to develop a vaccine against COVID-19, and therapeutic potential thereof, based on the Company’s mRNA therapeutics, the forecasted safety, efficacy, characteristics or reliability of a vaccine against COVID-19, were one to be successfully developed based on the Company’s mRNA therapeutics, the timing and availability of a vaccine against COVID-19 were one to be successfully developed based on the Company’s mRNA therapeutics, the potential initiation of human trials of a vaccine against COVID-19 based on the Company’s mRNA therapeutics, the timing of initiation of human trials of a vaccine against COVID-19 based on the Company’s mRNA therapeutics, the potential market impact of a vaccine against COVID-19 based on the Company’s mRNA therapeutics and the impact of general business and economic conditions are forward-looking statements. 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. Such statements are based on management’s current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties, including those discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in Arcturus’ Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, filed with the SEC on March 16, 2020 and in subsequent filings with, or submissions to, the SEC. No assurances can be given that any results reported in pre-clinical studies can be replicated in further studies or in human beings, or that a vaccine can or will ever be developed or approved using the Company’s technology. 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.

Contact
Arcturus Therapeutics
Neda Safarzadeh
(858) 900-2682
IR@ArcturusRx.com

Kendall Investor Relations
Carlo Tanzi, Ph.D.
(617) 914-0008 
ctanzi@kendallir.com

Source: Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc.