Ground-breaking discoveries on the characteristics of RNA
epigenetics unveiled novel targets to treat diseases
CAMBRIDGE, England,
June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- STORM
Therapeutics Ltd. (STORM), the clinical stage company pioneering
cellular reprogramming through RNA modifications to treat disease,
is delighted to announce that its Founder & Director and
Professor of Cancer Biology, University of
Cambridge, UK, Tony Kouzarides, PhD, FMedSci, FRS, will be
honored with a Knighthood for his global impact on disease
treatment. Professor Kouzarides, a world leading cancer biologist
with a career spanning over 25 years, will be awarded the
knighthood at the King's Birthday Honors, 2024, Investiture
ceremony.
Professor Kouzarides has been dedicated to the conversion of
science into patient benefit throughout his career.
STORM Therapeutics was spun out from the University of Cambridge in 2015 by Professor
Kouzarides and his colleague Professor Eric
Miska, following their groundbreaking work in RNA
epigenetics. Professor Kouzarides and his research group identified
the importance of RNA modifications during the development of
cancer, opening the pathway for STORM to develop first-in-class
drugs targeting this new mechanism. STORM's platform, eliciting
cellular reprogramming through RNA modification, has potential
beyond cancer in areas including neurodegenerative diseases,
inflammation and infectious diseases.
Professor Tony Kouzarides,
Founder & Director of STORM Therapeutics, said: "I am
honored to receive this award, which reinforces the importance
of translating basic research into therapies by engaging academic
researchers with healthcare businesses. STORM Therapeutics
represents a shining example of this principle."
Jerry McMahon, Chief Executive
Officer of STORM Therapeutics, commented: "STORM is delighted
to see Tony recognized nationally as a pioneer in the field of
cellular reprogramming through RNA modification. Receiving this
honor from the King is the pinnacle of a tremendous and productive
career. Tony's commitment, focus and dedication has been
unwavering, and we look forward to continuing to work with him as
STORM's programs advance into the clinic as effective treatments
for patients."
In addition to his role at STORM, Professor Kouzarides is
Professor of Cancer Biology at the University
of Cambridge and a Senior Group Leader at the university's
Gurdon Institute, specializing in developmental biology and
cancer biology. He is also the Director and Co-Founder of the
Milner Therapeutics Institute at the University of Cambridge, which focuses on building
scientific collaborations to transform therapies. Professor
Kouzarides also has his own laboratory in Cambridge, The TK LAB and has been studying
epigenetic modifications for many years, starting with the
identification of the first human enzymes to modify chromatin in
1996. His lab has identified and characterized many chromatin
modification pathways and showed their involvement in cancer. The
lab is now investigating the functions of mRNA modifications and
their connections to cancer. In close collaboration with STORM
Therapeutics, The Kouzarides Lab is targeting RNA modification
pathways with small molecule inhibitors, to develop drugs against
cancer and other diseases.
Professor Kouzarides is also the Founder and Director of
Cambridge Gravity, an organization for the promotion of science at
the University of Cambridge. He is
Founder and Patron of the Spanish cancer charity Vencer el
Cancer ("Conquer Cancer"). Professor Kouzarides is Co-Founder
and ex-Director of antibodies and reagents company Abcam, which was
sold to the Danaher Corporation for US$5.7
billion (£4.5bn) in 2023. He was also Co-Founder and
ex-Director of Chroma Therapeutics, a drug discovery company based
in Oxford.
Professor Kouzarides is an elected member of the European
Molecular Laboratory Organization (EMBO), fellow of the British
Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci), fellow of the Royal Society
(FRS), fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS)
and fellow of the Cyprus Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts. He
has also been awarded the Bodossaki Foundation prize in Biology,
the Wellcome Trust Award for Research in Biochemistry Related to
Medicine, the Tenovus Medal, the Bijvoet Medal, the Biochemical
Society Novartis Medal and Prize, the Heinrich Wieland Prize, the
Cyprus Excellence in Science Award and the Nemitsas Prize. Find out
more about Professor Kouzarides on his Wikipedia page, here.
NOTES TO EDITORS
About STORM Therapeutics
STORM Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company
pioneering cellular reprogramming through RNA modifications to
treat disease. Its world leading understanding of RNA modifying
enzymes (RME) has led to the discovery of breakthrough small
molecule drugs that precisely reprogram cells through RNA biology
for the treatment of cancer, inflammation, viruses and CNS
diseases.
STORM's lead product, STC-15, is the first RNA modifying enzyme
inhibitor to enter human clinical development. STC-15 is currently
being evaluated in a Phase 1 study in patients with advanced solid
tumors, establishing a data set allowing development in future
clinical studies. Preclinical data have revealed that METTL3
inhibition stimulates immune cells and activates interferon
pathways, leading to the destruction of tumor cells. Additional
preclinical studies have demonstrated enhanced anti-tumor
properties in combination with checkpoint inhibitors, supporting
clinical development in tumor types where an augmented immune
response may result in anti-cancer activity. STORM is building on
its first-mover advantage by positioning additional RME inhibitor
programs to advance into IND-track activities in 2024. STORM is
seeking partners to collaborate and accelerate development of these
novel drugs for disease applications outside of oncology.
STORM's specialist healthcare investors include M Ventures,
Pfizer Ventures, Taiho Ventures LLC, Seroba Life Sciences,
Cambridge Innovation Capital Limited, IP Group plc, UTokyo
Innovation Platform Co., Ltd. and the Fast Track Initiative
(FTI).
For more information, please visit
www.stormtherapeutics.com.
About STC-15
STORM's lead product, STC-15, is the first RME inhibitor to
enter human clinical evaluation. This agent is an oral small
molecule that inhibits METTL3, an RNA methyltransferase implicated
in oncology and other diseases. Certain RNA methyltransferases are
important regulators of RNA sensing and innate immune activation
and, as such, represent novel immune-regulatory targets.
STC-15 has also been shown preclinically to inhibit tumor growth
through mechanisms involving anti-cancer immune responses, such as
changes in interferon signaling and synergy with T cell checkpoint
blockade.
STORM is studying the safety and pharmacology of STC-15 in a
Phase 1 clinical study in patients with solid tumors. Details of
the study can be found on clinicaltrials.gov under the
identifier NCT05584111.
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