Supported by recent clinical data from the first-ever clinical study of an oral dendritic cell (DC) modulator in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Rise Therapeutics is expanding into a second autoimmune indication, Sjögren's Disease (SjD)

Rise Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a novel class of oral targeted immunotherapies, announced it will be initiating clinical evaluation of R-2487 in SjD.

The new SJD study will be funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) and builds on emerging clinical and biomarker data from Rise's ongoing clinical trial of R-2487 in RA.

R-2487 is a first-in-class targeted immune modulator delivered orally to induce tolerogenic dendritic cells, promoting immune homeostasis and peripheral tolerance, mechanisms known to be dysregulated in rheumatologic diseases. Backed by a strong safety profile and emerging clinical activity in RA, biomarker data indicate a unique, antigen-independent tolerizing mechanism of action capable of restoring innate immune balance. Clinical findings demonstrated in RA validate the product's first-in-class immunomodulatory mechanism, and gut-restricted oral delivery.

"When DC function is impaired, it leads to breakdown of tolerance and the onset of autoimmune diseases such as RA and SjD" said Christian Furlan Freguia, Senior Vice President of Research at Rise Therapeutics. "R-2487 engages a key DC receptor promoting selective expansion and activation of regulatory T cells (Tregs), correcting the immune dysfunction underlying overreactive self-immune response that causes autoimmunity. R-2487 is disease-modifying, focusing on long-term immune correction rather than short-term symptom relief".

With the evolution of its Oral Immune Biomodulator platform, Rise is advancing its pipeline of oral targeted immunotherapies designed to address autoimmune disease at its root cause.