In the United States today, about 1 in 10 people aged 50 years and older have osteoporosis, putting them at risk for bone fracture and other health problems. Although commonly thought of as a women’s disease (1 in 2), osteoporosis affects 1 in 4 men, according to the National Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation (BFOF), which predicts the number of adults with osteoporosis or low bone mass to reach over 71 million by 2030.
Harrington scholar, Marc Wein, MD, PhD, hopes to bring to market a new therapeutic strategy for treating osteoporosis that can vastly improve management of this chronic, life-complicating condition.
Dr. Wein, an endocrinologist, previously studied how parathyroid hormone (PTH) triggers changes in osteoblasts, the bone cells that lead to bone formation. Closely observing the bone-building process, he discovered that the PTH signaling cascade blocks the activity of enzymes called salt inducible kinases (SIK). This led him to wonder if small molecule SIK inhibitors could be a new way to build bone for patients with osteoporosis.
In 2018, Harrington advisors helped Dr. Wein and his team at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), along with collaborators at Dana Farber Cancer Institute and the Broad Institute of Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), to identify novel small molecule SIK inhibitors. In 2022, the new compound, named SK-124, was patented and licensed to the biopharmaceutical company, Radius®.
“Once-daily PTH injections of teriparatide and abaloparatide medications are effective for treating osteoporosis,” Dr. Wein explains. “But we believe anabolic (bone building) oral formulations are less burdensome for patients, who are more likely to adhere to taking a pill or capsule than giving themselves a shot every day.”
In addition to reducing bone loss and stimulating bone growth, Dr. Wein and his team had another goal – minimizing any side effects of a new treatment. They have completed a “lead optimization” campaign to identify analogs of SK-124 and are testing the compounds in rodent osteoporosis models. These efficacy and toxicology studies will enable the scientists to identify and advance the most promising drug candidate for clinical trials in human osteoporosis patients.
Osteoporosis and related bone breaks cost patients, their families and the healthcare system about $19 billion annually, BFOF figures show. For 2025, experts predict 3 million osteoporosis-related fractures at a cost of $25.3 billion.
Public education and screening campaigns are succeeding in raising awareness about the importance of nutrition, exercise, and fall prevention, as well as spotting early signs of osteoporosis that can lead to treatment. An effective and safe osteoporosis therapeutic is bound to have significant impact.
“Our hope is that older people can simply take a pill to avoid bone loss, broken bones, and stay more whole, healthy and active,” Dr. Wein says.
Endocrine, Musculoskeletal
Massachusetts General Hospital
Harrington Scholar-Innovator