Nature Communications Publishes Pivotal Data Demonstrating Efficacy and Tolerability of CSL and Arcturus Therapeutics' COVID-19 Vaccine

Core Insights - The article discusses the approval and efficacy of ARCT-154, the world's first self-amplifying mRNA COVID-19 vaccine for adults, which has shown superior immunogenicity against the Omicron variant compared to traditional mRNA vaccines [1][2][4]. Company Overview - CSL is a global biotechnology company with a diverse portfolio of lifesaving medicines, including vaccines and therapies for various conditions, and has been operational since 1916 [10]. - Arcturus Therapeutics, founded in 2013, specializes in mRNA medicines and vaccines, and has developed the first approved self-amplifying mRNA COVID-19 vaccine [11]. Study Results - The integrated phase 1/2/3a/3b study of ARCT-154 involved 1,001 participants in the phase 1/2/3a study and 16,100 participants in the phase 3b study, demonstrating the vaccine's safety and efficacy [5][6]. - ARCT-154 showed 100% efficacy against severe COVID-19 in healthy individuals aged 18-59 and over 90% efficacy in at-risk populations [2][7]. - The neutralizing antibody seroconversion rate was 94.1% four weeks after the second dose, with an overall efficacy of 56.6% against any COVID-19 infection [7]. Vaccine Technology - Self-amplifying mRNA vaccines, like ARCT-154, enhance the immune response by instructing the body to produce more mRNA and protein compared to standard mRNA vaccines [9]. Collaboration and Funding - The study was co-funded by Vinbiocare Biotechnology Joint Stock Company in Vietnam and Arcturus Therapeutics, highlighting the collaborative efforts in vaccine development [8].