Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

West Bank Town Becomes ‘Big Prison’ as Israel Fences It In

2 days ago

Trump Says He’s Willing to Let Migrant Farm Laborers Stay in US

2 days ago

US Electric Vehicle Tax Breaks Will Expire on Sept. 30

3 days ago

Eyeing Arctic Dominance, Trump Bill Earmarks $8.6 Billion for US Coast Guard Icebreakers

3 days ago

Trump’s Sweeping Tax-Cut and Spending Bill Wins Congressional Approval

3 days ago

Americans Celebrate Their Independence With Record-Breaking Travel Numbers

3 days ago

US Supreme Court to Decide Legality of Transgender School Sports Bans

3 days ago

Nvidia Set to Become the World’s Most Valuable Company in History

3 days ago

Poll: 41% in US ‘Extremely Proud’ to Be American, Near Historic Low

3 days ago
'Darkhorse' Vaccine Developer in San Diego Quietly Gains Global Attention in COVID-19 Fight
TLBBHMAP3-U010ALB5ANM-348f959abae2-512-300x300-1
By Jim Jakobs, Digital Producer
Published 5 years ago on
July 31, 2020

Share

If the pursuit of a COVID-19 vaccine were a horse race, a company in San Diego is either the Seabiscuit or darkhorse candidate to win.

With a newly acquired $173 million dollars from Wall Street after a public stock offering, Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc. just gained some solid footing in the race.

Arcturus is a leading messenger RNA medicines company.

Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority has already approved clinical trials for a coronavirus vaccine candidate being developed by Arcturus.

As the famous race horse Seabiscuit was pushed to victory by jockey Red Pollard, Duke-NUS Medical School is hoping to ride with Arcturus in a partnership across the finish line.

A Race With Many Winners

Speaking to GV Wire℠ by Zoom, Arcturus CEO Joe Payne realizes his company is one of many developing vaccines.

I don’t think there’s one horse that wins this race. I think there’s several,” said Payne.

“I don’t think there’s one horse that wins this race. I think there’s several.” — Arcturus CEO Joe Payne

Payne believes his company’s advantage is in how much of its messenger RNA can be produced on a global scale.

In partnership with Catalent to make the vaccine, Payne believes the sky is the limit.

We have no limitations on capacity. I would say instead of a few million, we can now do potentially hundreds of millions of vaccine through 2020 and 2021,” said Payne.

Asked by GV Wire℠ if this vaccine candidate could also protect against future mutation of the COVID-19 virus, Payne explained that it covers a full length of spike protein, thus it would cover a mutation at either end.

We’re in a good place for protecting individuals in case there is a mutation or multiple mutations,” Payne said

Traditional vs. RNA Vaccines

Traditional vaccines work by mimicking an infectious agent, and by doing so, train our bodies to respond more rapidly and effectively against them.

But RNA vaccines, like those produced by Arcturus, work by introducing an mRNA sequence (the molecule which tells cells what to build) which is coded for a disease-specific antigen. Once produced within the body, the antigen is recognized by the immune system, preparing it to fight the real thing.

The process is very clean. Payne says, “We’re completely devoid of any viruses, any viral vectors or any adjuvants.”

According to the University of Cambridge, a major advantage of RNA vaccines is that RNA can be produced in the laboratory from a DNA template using readily available materials, less expensively and faster than conventional vaccine production, which can require the use of chicken eggs or other mammalian cells.

[covid-19-tracker]

Positive Pre-Clinical Data on Animals

Rodents were immunized with a single dose of the vaccine candidate, and 100% of them developed antibodies by day 19.

“If it reproduces what we’ve seen in animals, this is gonna be a very big deal,” Payne said

Catalent Manufacturing

Vaccine production is underway at Catalent Inc.‘s facility in Madison, Wisconsin.

“Catalent is proud to partner with Arcturus in the pursuit of a vaccine that could protect people against the coronavirus pandemic,” said John Chiminski, chair and CEO of Catalent, in a statement.

The COVID-19 vaccine program will take advantage of the facility’s manufacturing suite that can produce batches at multiple scales and support Arcturus’ proprietary mRNA manufacturing process.

Arcturus is also simultaneously working with labs across the globe to manufacture even more.

Israeli Ministry of Health

The Israeli Ministry of Health recently signed a deal with rights to stockpile and reserve doses of the Arcturus vaccine candidate.

The Israeli government will be responsible for distributing the vaccine to its citizens.

Payne says interest continues to grow: “It’s becoming more and more apparent that people would like to gain access and rights and begin to start to supply our vaccines.”

Singapore Early Supporter

For the vaccine development itself, the country of Singapore is funding it.

East Asia is where this epidemic broke out. And the government of Singapore reached out to us early in this process,” explained Payne.

The country then brought in the Duke Medical School and the University of Singapore to create the Duke-NUS Medical School.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

TikTok Building New Version of App Ahead of Expected US Sale, the Information Reports

DON'T MISS

Hamas Government Office Rejects US Accusation of Involvement in Gaza Aid Site Attack

DON'T MISS

Death Toll From Texas Floods Reaches 78, Trump Plans Visit

DON'T MISS

Trump Calls Musk’s Formation of New Party “Ridiculous” and Confusing

DON'T MISS

Fresno DUI Driver Slams Into CHP Motorcycle, Tow Truck on Highway 99

DON'T MISS

Russia Downs 120 Ukrainian Drones Overnight, Defense Ministry Says

DON'T MISS

Israel Sends Delegation to Qatar for Gaza Talks Ahead of Netanyahu Trip to US

DON'T MISS

San Luis Obispo’s Madre Fire Grows to Nearly 80,000 Acres, 30% Contained

DON'T MISS

Musk Announces Forming of ‘America Party’ in Further Break From Trump

DON'T MISS

Death Toll From Texas Floods Reaches 59, Including 21 Children

UP NEXT

Hamas Government Office Rejects US Accusation of Involvement in Gaza Aid Site Attack

UP NEXT

Death Toll From Texas Floods Reaches 78, Trump Plans Visit

UP NEXT

Trump Calls Musk’s Formation of New Party “Ridiculous” and Confusing

UP NEXT

Fresno DUI Driver Slams Into CHP Motorcycle, Tow Truck on Highway 99

UP NEXT

Russia Downs 120 Ukrainian Drones Overnight, Defense Ministry Says

UP NEXT

Israel Sends Delegation to Qatar for Gaza Talks Ahead of Netanyahu Trip to US

UP NEXT

San Luis Obispo’s Madre Fire Grows to Nearly 80,000 Acres, 30% Contained

UP NEXT

Musk Announces Forming of ‘America Party’ in Further Break From Trump

UP NEXT

Death Toll From Texas Floods Reaches 59, Including 21 Children

UP NEXT

California’s Politics Drifts Right While New York’s Leans Left

Trump Calls Musk’s Formation of New Party “Ridiculous” and Confusing

4 hours ago

Fresno DUI Driver Slams Into CHP Motorcycle, Tow Truck on Highway 99

10 hours ago

Russia Downs 120 Ukrainian Drones Overnight, Defense Ministry Says

11 hours ago

Israel Sends Delegation to Qatar for Gaza Talks Ahead of Netanyahu Trip to US

11 hours ago

San Luis Obispo’s Madre Fire Grows to Nearly 80,000 Acres, 30% Contained

11 hours ago

Musk Announces Forming of ‘America Party’ in Further Break From Trump

11 hours ago

Death Toll From Texas Floods Reaches 59, Including 21 Children

11 hours ago

California’s Politics Drifts Right While New York’s Leans Left

11 hours ago

How Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Will Make China Great Again

2 days ago

What’s Caitlin Clark Worth to the WNBA? A Lot More Than Her $78,066 Salary.

2 days ago

TikTok Building New Version of App Ahead of Expected US Sale, the Information Reports

TikTok is building a new version of its app for users in the United States ahead of a planned sale of the app to a group of investors, The I...

4 hours ago

A logo is displayed over a door at the U.S. headquarters of the social media company TikTok in Culver City, California, U.S. January 17, 2025. (Reuters File)
4 hours ago

TikTok Building New Version of App Ahead of Expected US Sale, the Information Reports

Boxes of aid are stacked as Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said it has commenced operations to begin distribution of aid, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, May 26, 2025. (Reuters File)
4 hours ago

Hamas Government Office Rejects US Accusation of Involvement in Gaza Aid Site Attack

A volunteer searches for flood victims after deadly flooding in Kerr County, Texas, U.S., July 6, 2025. REUTERS/Sergio Flores
4 hours ago

Death Toll From Texas Floods Reaches 78, Trump Plans Visit

Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk listens as US President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with House Republicans at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Washington, DC, U.S. on November 13, 2024. (Reuters File)
4 hours ago

Trump Calls Musk’s Formation of New Party “Ridiculous” and Confusing

A 22-year-old suspected DUI driver crashed into a parked CHP motorcycle and tow truck on Highway 99 near Fresno, narrowly missing an officer and bystanders, CHP said Saturday, July 5, 2025. (CHP)
10 hours ago

Fresno DUI Driver Slams Into CHP Motorcycle, Tow Truck on Highway 99

A service member of a drone unit of the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after King Danylo of the Ukrainian Armed Forces controls a heavy combat drone while it flies over positions of Russian troops, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk Region, Ukraine June 12, 2025. (Reuters File)
11 hours ago

Russia Downs 120 Ukrainian Drones Overnight, Defense Ministry Says

An Israeli tank maneuvers in Gaza, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, July 6, 2025. (Reuters/Amir Cohen)
11 hours ago

Israel Sends Delegation to Qatar for Gaza Talks Ahead of Netanyahu Trip to US

The Madre Fire near New Cuyama has burned nearly 80,000 acres as of Sunday, July 6, 2025, morning, prompting widespread evacuation orders and warnings across three counties. (CalFire)
11 hours ago

San Luis Obispo’s Madre Fire Grows to Nearly 80,000 Acres, 30% Contained

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend