Series A generates $5mm for Arcturus Therapeutics

Arcturus Therapeutics Inc. (RNAi-based treatments for rare orphan respiratory diseases) raised $5mm through its Series A venture round. Several investors from the US, Canada, and Japan led, with about 90% of the June 2013 seed round backers returning. The company will use the money to nominate its first clinical drug candidate next year and expand its team. Since the $1.3mm seed round, the start-up has acquired from Marina Biotech intellectual property related to an unlocked nucleobase analog platform--a gene silencing technology used to improve RNAi therapeutics while retaining their potency.