STORM Therapeutics has entered a new collaboration with US‑based AlidaBio to accelerate the development of cancer therapies that target RNA modifications.
The partnership will combine STORM’s clinical expertise with AlidaBio’s next‑generation sequencing platforms to deepen understanding of how inhibiting the RNA‑modifying enzyme METTL3 affects cancer biology.
The agreement will see STORM use AlidaBio’s EpiPlex and EpiScout technologies to detect and measure transcript‑specific N6‑methyladenosine RNA modifications arising from METTL3 inhibition. These analyses will be carried out in clinical samples from patients receiving STC‑15, STORM’s first‑in‑class METTL3 inhibitor currently being evaluated in phase 1/2 trials.
Post‑transcriptional RNA modification, including m6A, plays a central role in regulating RNA metabolism, influencing synthesis, stability, maturation, transport and translation. METTL3 inhibition reduces global m6A levels, disrupting these regulatory processes. By examining m6A dynamics in patient samples, the companies aim to link molecular changes with clinical outcomes.
The collaboration will also investigate whether baseline m6A patterns can predict which patients are most likely to respond to METTL3 inhibition. The partners intend to validate m6A‑regulated genes and cell types affected by treatment, supporting the development of biomarkers that could guide patient selection in future studies.
Eric Martin, Chief Development Officer at STORM Therapeutics, said: “AlidaBio has demonstrated exceptional expertise and leadership in the field of RNA modification analysis, particularly through the development of advanced NGS technologies capable of detecting key epitranscriptomic modifications in both healthy and diseased settings.
Through this collaboration, our shared goal is to extend our understanding of transcript-specific m6A changes in relation to clinical benefit and patient response, to improve outcomes for cancer patients treated with STC-15.”
Gudrun Stengel, Chief Executive Officer of AlidaBio, explained: “By applying the advanced features of our EpiPlex and EpiScout platforms, we aim to advance the clinical development and efficacy evaluation of STC-15 through comprehensive m6A biology analysis in patient samples. Our collaborative efforts are focused on generating deeper insights to ultimately deliver greater benefits for patients.”
The partnership underscores the growing role of epitranscriptomics in precision oncology, combining targeted enzyme inhibition with advanced molecular profiling to support next‑generation cancer therapeutics.
