KING OF
PRUSSIA, Pa., Nov. 1, 2022
/PRNewswire/ -- CSL Limited (ASX:CSL; USOTC:CSLLY) today announces
that its subsidiary, CSL Seqirus, has entered into a collaboration
and license agreement with Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc
("Arcturus Therapeutics") to access their late stage
self-amplifying mRNA (sa-mRNA) vaccine platform technology.
Arcturus Therapeutics (NASDAQ: ARCT) is currently developing
next generation mRNA vaccines. It has developed a COVID-19 vaccine
candidate and has recently reported results from a large Phase III
vaccine efficacy study, meeting its primary and secondary endpoints
of prevention of infection and severe disease with a favorable
safety and tolerability profile.
"This collaboration is an exciting opportunity to complement
CSL's own next generation mRNA program with a partner who developed
a platform to deliver late stage clinical supplies at scale. These
combined capabilities will accelerate our journey in mRNA," said
CSL Chief Operating Officer Paul
McKenzie.
Steve Marlow, CSL Seqirus General
Manager, added "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."
CSL Seqirus is a global leader in influenza prevention and has a
longstanding heritage in influenza vaccines. This along with CSL
R&D's established capabilities in vaccine research and clinical
development, positions CSL well to make strategic investments in
both the development of the company's existing platforms and in
longer-term, high opportunity development activities.
CSL Seqirus produces influenza vaccines across its global
manufacturing network, which includes facilities in the U.S., U.K.
and Australia. CSL also continues
to grow its R&D footprint and is investing in a new facility
located in Waltham, Mass. that
will support the company's R&D portfolio, with a focus on the
sa-mRNA technology platform. This facility will serve as an R&D
center for current and future vaccine design, and collaborations
with stakeholders from across industry and academia.
CSL's Head of R&D and Chief Medical Officer, Dr Bill Mezzanotte said, "This collaboration on
next generation mRNA is another example of CSL's relentless pursuit
of disruptive innovation when public health and patients can
benefit. 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."
About COVID-19
COVID-19 is a disease caused by a virus named SARS-CoV-2 and is
highly contagious.1 COVID-19 may cause respiratory
symptoms – ranging from mild symptoms to life threatening severe
illness.1 Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure
to the virus.2 During the COVID-19 pandemic, there have
been over 95 million confirmed cases of the disease and over 1
million deaths in the United
States.3 The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) recommend COVID-19 vaccination for everyone ages 6
months and older in the United
States for the prevention of COVID-19.4 It is
recommended to stay up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccination by
completing a primary series vaccination and receiving the most
recent booster dose recommended for them by the
CDC.4
About Seasonal Influenza
Influenza is a common, contagious seasonal respiratory disease
that may cause severe illness and life-threatening complications in
some people.5 Influenza can lead to clinical symptoms
varying from mild to moderate respiratory illness to severe
complications, hospitalization and in some cases,
death.5 Because transmission of influenza viruses
to others may occur one day before symptoms develop and up to 5 to
7 days after becoming sick, the disease can be easily transmitted
to others.5 Estimates from the CDC report that
during the 2019/20 influenza season, there were an estimated
405,000 influenza-related hospitalizations in the U.S.6
The CDC recommends annual vaccination for individuals aged 6 months
and older, who do not have any contraindications.7 Since
it takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to
develop in the body that help protect against influenza virus
infection, it is recommended that people get vaccinated before
influenza begins spreading in their community.7 The
CDC recommends that people get vaccinated by the end of
October.7
About Pandemic Influenza
Pandemic influenza, is a contagious airborne respiratory disease
which is unpredictable in timing and severity.8 The risk
of influenza-associated morbidity and mortality is greater with
pandemic influenza than with seasonal influenza because there is
likely to be little or no pre-existing immunity to the virus in the
human population.9 Four influenza pandemics have
occurred over the past century, with the 1918 pandemic being the
most severe in recent history, estimated to have killed up to 50
million people worldwide.10 According to the CDC, a
novel influenza A virus such as the highly pathogenic avian A(H5N1)
strain can cause severe disease and have a high mortality
rate.11 If the influenza A(H5N1) virus were to change
and become easily transmissible from person to person while
retaining its capacity to cause severe disease, the consequences
for public health could be severe.8
About CSL
CSL (ASX:CSL; USOTC:CSLLY) is a leading global
biotechnology company with a dynamic portfolio of lifesaving
medicines, including those that treat hemophilia and immune
deficiencies, vaccines to prevent influenza, and therapies in iron
deficiency, dialysis and nephrology. Since our start in 1916, we
have been driven by our promise to save lives using the latest
technologies. Today, CSL – including our three businesses, CSL
Behring, CSL Seqirus and CSL Vifor – provides lifesaving products
to patients in more than 100 countries and employs 30,000 people.
Our unique combination of commercial strength, R&D focus and
operational excellence enables us to identify, develop and deliver
innovations so our patients can live life to the fullest. For
inspiring stories about the promise of biotechnology, visit
CSLBehring.com/Vita and follow us on Twitter.com/CSL.
For more information about CSL, visit www.CSL.com.
About CSL Seqirus
CSL Seqirus is part of CSL Limited (ASX: CSL). As one of the
largest influenza vaccine providers in the world, CSL Seqirus is a
major contributor to the prevention of influenza globally and a
transcontinental partner in pandemic preparedness. With
state-of-the-art production facilities in the U.S., the U.K. and
Australia, and leading R&D
capabilities, CSL Seqirus utilizes egg, cell and adjuvant
technologies to offer a broad portfolio of differentiated influenza
vaccines in more than 20 countries around the world. For more
information about CSL Seqirus, visit www.seqirus.com.
Media Contact
CSL R&D Communications
Greg Healy
Mobile: +1 610 906 4564
Email: Greg.Healy@cslbehring.com
CSL Seqirus Communications
Polina Miklush
Mobile: +1 908 608 7170
Email: Polina.Miklush@seqirus.com
CSL Financial Communications
Jimmy Baker
Mobile: +61 450 909 211
Email: Jimmy.Baker@csl.com.au
1 Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2021). Basics of
COVID-19. Retrieved from:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/about-covid-19/basics-covid-19.html#:~:text=COVID%2D19%20is%20caused%20by,East%20respiratory%20syndrome%20(MERS).
Accessed October 2022.
|
2 CDC.
(2022). Symptoms of COVID-19. Retrieved from:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html.
Accessed October 2022.
|
3 CDC.
(2022). COVID Data Tracker. Retrieved from:
https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home.
Accessed October 2022.
|
4 CDC.
(2022). Getting Your COVID-19 Vaccine. Retrieved from:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/expect.html?s_cid=11782:how%20soon%20after%20covid%20can%20you%20get%20vaccine:sem.ga:p:RG:GM:gen:PTN.Grants:FY22.
Accessed October 2022.
|
5 CDC.
(2022). Key Facts about Influenza. Retrieved
from https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/keyfacts.htm. Accessed
October 2022.
|
6 CDC.
(2022). Estimated Influenza Illnesses, Medical visits,
Hospitalizations, and Deaths in the United States – 2019-2020
Influenza Season. Retrieved
from: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/2019-2020.html.
Accessed October 2022.
|
7 CDC.
(2022). Who Needs a Flu Vaccine and When. Retrieved
from: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/vaccinations.htm.
Accessed October 2022.
|
8 CDC.
(2016). Pandemic Basics. Retrieved
from: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/basics/index.html.
Accessed October 2022.
|
9 WHO.
(2014). How pandemic influenza emerges. Retrieved from:
https://www.who.int/europe/news-room/fact-sheets/item/how-pandemic-influenza-emerges.
Accessed October 2022.
|
10 WHO.
(2017). Pandemic Influenza Risk Management: A WHO guide to inform
and harmonize national and international pandemic preparedness and
response. Retrieved from:
https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/259893/WHO-WHE-IHM-GIP-2017.1-eng.pdf;jsessionid=4421F16879D2F8B96481F8D0C745C7F3?sequence=1.
Accessed October 2022.
|
11 CDC.
(2015). Highly Pathogenic Asian Avian Influenza A(H5N1) in People.
Retrieved
from: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/h5n1-people.htm.
Accessed October 2022.
|
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SOURCE CSL