— Selective SIK2 inhibitors reduced disease activity in a mouse model of rheumatoid arthritis to levels comparable to approved therapies etanercept and upadacitinib —
BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Nimbus Therapeutics, LLC (“Nimbus Therapeutics” or “Nimbus”), a computational drug discovery company developing breakthrough small molecule medicines through advanced structure-based design and AI-enabled chemistry, today announced that it will present new preclinical data from its highly selective salt-inducible kinase 2 (SIK2) inhibitor program in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) at ACR Convergence 2026, the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology, taking place November 6–11, 2026, in Orlando, Florida.
SIK2 regulates transcriptional programs involved in inflammatory responses and resolution, particularly in myeloid cells such as macrophages, which contribute to joint inflammation in RA. The preclinical data show that Nimbus’ highly selective SIK2 inhibitors act on two mechanisms relevant to RA: inflammatory responses in human immune cells and the differentiation of osteoclasts, the cells responsible for bone erosion. In a mouse collagen-induced arthritis model, selective SIK2 inhibitors dosed after disease onset reduced paw swelling, joint inflammation, and synovial hyperplasia to levels comparable to the TNFα inhibitor etanercept and the JAK1 inhibitor upadacitinib, both approved treatments for RA.
“These data show that the activity of selective SIK2 inhibition may translate to differentiated efficacy in rheumatoid arthritis, addressing two distinct mechanisms of the disease: inflammation driven by myeloid cells and bone loss driven by osteoclasts,” said Peter Tummino, Ph.D., President of Research and Development at Nimbus. “Together with our earlier preclinical findings in inflammatory bowel disease, these latest results support selective SIK2 inhibition as a novel oral therapeutic approach across immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. We look forward to sharing these results with the rheumatology community at ACR Convergence.”
Poster Presentation Details:
Abstract Title: Selective SIK2 Inhibition Suppresses Inflammation and Disease in Mouse and Human Models of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Abstract Number: 0088
Session: Rheumatoid Arthritis – Translational Models and Mechanisms, Poster Session A
Date and Time: Sunday, November 8, 2026, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. ET
Location: Room WB1&2
Presenter: Scott Daigle, Senior Director, Translational Medicine
The poster will be available on the Nimbus website here following the presentation.
About Nimbus Therapeutics
Nimbus Therapeutics is a leader in computational drug discovery, developing breakthrough small molecule medicines against well-validated, difficult-to-drug targets. Nimbus brings together deep expertise in structure-based drug discovery and advanced computational chemistry with AI- and machine learning-enabled predictive modeling in a proven drug discovery engine designed to create differentiated medicines across multiple therapeutic areas.
Nimbus’ pipeline includes NDI-219216, a Werner syndrome helicase (WRN) inhibitor in Phase 1/2 clinical development for microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) solid tumors; a salt-inducible kinase 2 (SIK2) inhibitor program for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases; and multiple preclinical programs across oncology, immunology, and metabolic diseases. Nimbus is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. To learn more, visit www.nimbustx.com.
Contacts
Media Contact
Cindy Fung, Ph.D.
Nimbus Therapeutics
[email protected]
