Storm Therapeutics Secures $56M Series C to Advance First-in-Class METTL3 Inhibitor STC-15 in Phase II Sarcoma Trial
核心洞察
Storm Therapeutics (搜索) raised $56 million in Series C funding from investors including Pfizer Ventures (搜索), Taiho Ventures (搜索), and Fast Track Initiative (搜索) to advance STC-15, a first-in-class METTL3 (搜索) inhibitor.
The company has dosed the first patient in a Phase II monotherapy study evaluating STC-15 in select sarcoma (搜索) subtypes, with plans for a combination study with toripalimab.
STC-15 demonstrated durable tumor regression across multiple sarcoma (搜索) subtypes in Phase I trials by targeting METTL3 (搜索), an RNA-modifying enzyme critical for cancer stem cell differentiation.
British cancer biotech Storm Therapeutics (搜索) has secured $56 million in Series C financing to advance its lead sarcoma (搜索) therapy STC-15 through Phase II development, marking a significant milestone for the first-in-class METTL3 (搜索) inhibitor targeting RNA modifications in cancer treatment.
The funding round, backed by Pfizer Ventures (搜索), Taiho Ventures (搜索), Fast Track Initiative (搜索), and other existing investors including M Ventures and IP Group plc, will support Storm's Phase II study (NCT06975293) that recently dosed its first patient. The trial is evaluating STC-15 as a monotherapy in patients with select, relapsed sarcoma (搜索) subtypes, with a second arm planned to assess the drug in combination with Junshi Biosciences' checkpoint inhibitor Loqtorzi (toripalimab) in patients with metastatic or advanced unresectable sarcomas.
Novel Mechanism Targets Cancer Stem Cells
STC-15 represents a breakthrough approach to cancer treatment by inhibiting METTL3 (搜索), an RNA-modifying enzyme that regulates cancer stem cell differentiation through mRNA methylation. This mechanism is particularly relevant for sarcomas, which arise from transformed mesenchymal stem cells and depend on METTL3-driven methylation for growth and survival.
"Advancing our first-in-class METTL3 (搜索) inhibitor, STC-15, into Phase 2 clinical development marks a pivotal breakthrough in tackling cancers characterized by aberrant cell differentiation," said Jerry McMahon, Chief Executive Officer of Storm Therapeutics (搜索). "This milestone highlights our scientific innovation and the potential to create new therapeutic options for patients with substantial unmet needs."
In Phase I monotherapy studies, STC-15 demonstrated durable tumor regression across multiple sarcoma (搜索) subtypes, with results scheduled for presentation at an upcoming medical conference in 2026. The drug works by reprogramming malignant progenitor cells toward cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, targeting sarcomas at their fundamental vulnerability.
Addressing Critical Unmet Medical Needs
Sarcomas present significant treatment challenges due to their heterogeneity, rarity, and limited response to traditional therapies like chemotherapy. These cancers account for 1% of adult cancers and 15% of pediatric cancers, with many subtypes lacking approved targeted therapies due to the frequent absence of driver mutations or immunogenic features amenable to standard treatments.
The treatment landscape has been further complicated by recent setbacks, including Ipsen's withdrawal of Tazverik (tazemetostat) from the epithelioid sarcoma (搜索) market after trials revealed potential for secondary malignancies. This has left patients with epithelioid sarcoma without any targeted treatment options.
"The launch of the Phase 2 trial for STC-15 represents a significant advancement in the treatment landscape for sarcoma (搜索) and other tumors driven by METTL3 (搜索)," commented Jonathan Trent, MD of the University of Miami, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. "STC-15's novel mechanism of action targets sarcomas at their vulnerability, reprogramming malignant cells toward cell cycle arrest and apoptosis."
Strategic Development Pathway
Storm's Phase II study is strategically designed to support a potential accelerated approval pathway for STC-15 while establishing a foundation for subsequent clinical development across additional oncology indications. The company's approach builds on previous clinical and translational research in epitranscriptomic regulation, emphasizing the importance of RNA-modifying enzymes in maintaining stem cell-derived tumors.
The competitive landscape in sarcoma (搜索) drug development includes 40 Phase III trials currently being conducted globally, featuring various modalities including antibody-drug conjugates, fusion proteins, gene therapies, and kinase inhibitors. Notable developments include Adaptimmune's recently approved gene therapy Tecelra for metastatic synovial sarcoma (搜索) and Intensity Therapeutics' INT230-6, which demonstrated a 75% disease control rate across multiple cancer types including sarcoma in Phase I/II studies.
Storm's focus on RNA modifications represents a novel therapeutic approach in this crowded field, potentially offering advantages for patients whose tumors depend on METTL3 (搜索)-driven processes for survival and growth.