Dive Brief:
- San Diego-based biotech Arcturus Therapeutics, Inc. has inked a deal with J&J subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals, securing an upfront cash payment and R&D support from the big pharma just weeks after negotiating an agreement to go public through a reverse merger with Alcobra Ltd.
- Per the deal, Arcturus and Janssen will collaborate to develop nucleic acid-based medicines for the treatment of hepatitis B. Work will build on Arcturus chemistry and delivery platforms, and could eventually expand into other infectious and respiratory diseases.
- In addition to the upfront cash payment, Arcturus stands to receive pre-clinical, development and sales milestones if all goes according to plan. Specific financial details were not made public.
Dive Insight:
Arcturus Therapeutics started life at Johnson & Johnson Innovation's JLABS incubator in San Diego, which provided the company with the infrastructure and equipment to get off the ground.
In 2015, roughly two years after first opening up shop in JLABS, Arcturus signed a collaboration deal with Janssen for development of RNA-based drug products — the biotech's first major partnership. Since then, work has progressed on development of a targeting technology known as Unlocked Nucleomonomer Agent (UNA) and lipid-mediated delivery platform.
Arcturus has so far identified five preclinical assets using those platforms, including a LUNAR-HBV program that combines three UNA oligomers to target all hepatitis B virus genotypes.
As its preclinical work has advanced, Arcturus has build out new collaborations and partnerships. Earlier this year, for example, Arcturus signed a deal worth up to $3 million with Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics Inc. to develop cystic fibrosis messenger RNA therapeutics based on a pulmonary form of the LUNAR drug delivery system.
The biotech has also previously hooked up with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd. to develop RNA-based drugs for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and signed a research collaboration with Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc. for work in rare diseases.
More recently, Arcturus inked a deal with struggling Israeli pharma Alcobra Ltd, allowing Arcturus to go public through a reverse merger while keeping its name and CEO in place.