CSL Seqirus to access Arcturus’ sa-mRNA vax tech

Through the collaboration and license agreement, CSL Seqirus will access Arcturus Therapeutics’ late-stage self-amplifying mRNA (sa-mRNA) vaccine platform technology. 

Arcturus will grant CSL Seqirus (part of CSL Limited) a license to its sa-mRNA technology in order to support the research, development, production, and commercialization of vaccines for SARS-CoV-2, as well as influenza, pandemic preparedness, and a further three global respiratory infectious diseases.

“This collaboration on next generation mRNA is another example of CSL’s relentless pursuit of disruptive innovation when public health and patients can benefit,” said CSL’s head of R&D and chief medical officer, Bill Mezzanotte.

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“We look forward to working closely with Arcturus to shape the future therapeutic landscape of influenza vaccines and also using this exciting scientific and strategic platform to develop and commercialize vaccines for other seasonal and pandemic respiratory viruses with high unmet need.”

The partnership will combine CSL Seqirus’ commercial scale global vaccine production capacity with Arcturus’ manufacturing knowledge and STARR sa-mRNA vaccine and LUNAR lipid nanoparticle (LNP) platform technologies.

Arcturus claims that its LUNAR platform tackles delivery problems typically associated with viral vectors and existing lipid vector technology by capturing therapeutic nucleic acids and safely moving them to target cells using an endocytosis process.

Additionally, under the terms of the deal, Arcturus is set to receive an upfront payment of $200 million from CSL Seqirus and potentially collect over $4 billion in development and commercial milestones.

Manufacturing network

CSL Seqirus has made various investments across its global production network, which includes completing a four-year $156 million expansion at its Holly Springs, North Carolina plant in June and it decided in November 2020 to invest $800 million to construct a manufacturing plant in Melbourne, Australia.

The firm also said that its research and development (R&D) facility located in Waltham, Massachusetts will operate with a focus on the sa-mRNA technology platform and its collaborations.

“Importantly, it is another step towards our long-term aim to advance public health by developing and commercializing enhanced vaccines for influenza and multi-pathogen pandemic preparedness. The collaboration also provides a pathway to offer a COVID-19 booster, providing another differentiated option to healthcare providers and governments around the world,” Steve Marlow, CSL Seqirus’ general manager said.