▼ Summary
– STORM Therapeutics has raised $56 million in a Series C funding round, which was supported entirely by its existing investors.
– Its drug STC-15 is the first RNA-modifying enzyme inhibitor to enter human trials, targeting the METTL3 enzyme.
– In a Phase 1 study, STC-15 showed durable tumor regression across multiple sarcoma subtypes.
– Sarcomas are difficult to treat and are believed to be particularly dependent on the METTL3-driven process that STC-15 inhibits.
– The company has dosed the first patient in a Phase 2 monotherapy trial for selected sarcomas and is also testing STC-15 in a combination study for other cancers.
A Cambridge biotech company has secured a significant $56 million investment to advance its pioneering work in RNA-modifying enzyme inhibitors for cancer treatment. STORM Therapeutics announced the completion of its Series C funding round, which was supported entirely by its existing syndicate of investors. This financial boost coincides with a major clinical milestone: the first patient has been dosed in a Phase 2 trial for the company’s lead candidate, STC-15, targeting specific sarcoma cancers.
The funding round saw continued backing from M Ventures, Pfizer Ventures, Taiho Ventures, IP Group, the UTokyo Innovation Platform, and the Fast Track Initiative. Their renewed commitment underscores confidence in STORM’s novel approach, which focuses on modulating RNA modifications to disrupt cancer progression. The company’s lead asset, STC-15, is an oral inhibitor of an enzyme called METTL3, a key player in a cellular process known as m6A mRNA methylation.
This mechanism is central to the biology of certain aggressive cancers. METTL3 adds chemical tags to messenger RNA, influencing how genetic instructions are read. In malignancies like sarcoma, this process is often corrupted, trapping malignant progenitor cells in a dangerous, undifferentiated state that fuels uncontrolled growth. By inhibiting METTL3, STC-15 aims to disrupt this hijacked system, reprogramming cancer cells toward apoptosis, or programmed cell death.
Sarcomas, which arise from bone or soft tissues, represent a critical area of unmet medical need. They account for roughly one percent of adult cancers but a substantial fifteen percent of paediatric cases. These tumours are notoriously challenging to treat because they frequently lack the clear driver mutations or immunogenic features that make other solid tumours amenable to newer targeted or immunotherapies. STORM’s research indicates that sarcomas may be uniquely dependent on METTL3 activity, making them a compelling initial target.
Early clinical data has been promising. In a Phase 1 study, STC-15 demonstrated durable tumour regression across multiple sarcoma subtypes. Patients received doses ranging from 60mg to 200mg taken three times weekly, and the therapy was well-tolerated. Full results from this initial trial are anticipated to be presented at a medical conference in 2026. The newly initiated Phase 2 monotherapy trial is designed to support a potential accelerated regulatory approval pathway for this first-in-class medicine.
Beyond sarcoma, STORM is exploring the broader potential of STC-15. The drug is also being evaluated in a separate Phase 1b/2 combination study with the PD-1 inhibitor LOQTORZI (toripalimab) from Coherus BioSciences. This collaboration, announced last year, is investigating the pairing in several oncology indications, including non-small cell lung cancer and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
Clinical investigators express optimism about the targeted approach. Dr. Jonathan Trent of the University of Miami’s Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, who is involved in the trial, notes that the mechanism targets sarcomas at their fundamental vulnerability. STORM CEO Jerry McMahon characterized the Phase 2 milestone as a pivotal step in addressing cancers driven by faulty cell differentiation, highlighting the urgent need for new options for sarcoma patients.
(Source: The Next Web)