Arcturus Therapeutics, a company specializing in mRNA-based pharmaceuticals, quietly announced Monday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval for its Investigational New Drug (IND) application for ARCT-2304, a self-amplifying mRNA (sa-mRNA) injection targeting the H5N1 avian influenza “bird flu” virus.
The new Arcturus trial, funded by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), aims to assess ARCT-2304’s efficacy in preventing pandemic influenza and plans to enroll around 200 healthy adults across the United States.
Last month, Arcturus Therapeutics received a nearly $1 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for “vaccine development,” according to the Foundation’s website.