Good News! Curis-Hedgehog Patent

[Guest guest]

(Good news for those of us watching Curis for CMT neurological treatment

and arrestment!) ~ Gretchen

Curis Issued U.S. Patent Covering Hedgehog Pathway Agonists

Compounds under therapeutic development for the treatment of

neurological disorders, alopecia, and cardiovascular disease

CAMBRIDGE, MA, January 27, 2004 - Curis, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRIS) today

announced that it has been issued U.S. patent 6,683,192, entitled “Small

Organic Molecule Regulators of Cell Proliferation.” The claims of this

patent cover specific small molecule compounds that are activators

(agonists) of the Hedgehog signaling pathway, one of the major

regulatory mechanisms the body uses to develop and maintain various

tissues. These compounds are under development as novel drugs for the

treatment of neurological disorders, cardiovascular disease, and

alopecia.

On January 12, Curis licensed this patent and other related patents and

patent applications associated with Hedgehog pathway activation to Wyeth

Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth (NYSE: WYE), for therapeutic

applications in the treatment of neurological and certain other

disorders. As part of the agreement, Curis has retained development and

licensing options for selective therapeutic applications of the Hedgehog

activator technologies, including topical applications for hair growth,

local delivery applications for treatment of cardiovascular disease, and

those applications that qualify as orphan drug indications, such as

spinal cord injury or ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Wyeth has an option to

acquire the cardiovascular application and the orphan drug indications,

pending particular success criteria.

Dr. Lee Rubin, Curis’ Chief Scientific Officer, said, “The development

of the small molecule Hedgehog pathway agonists has been one of Curis’

most important scientific advances and one of our most significant drug

candidate developments. Many of these small molecule agonists are orally

available and can enter into the brain, thus making them a very

attractive new class of drug development candidates for neurological and

other disorders. At the same time, we are also continuing research

efforts to identify other compounds and methods of activating this

important regulatory pathway.”

Passeri, Curis’ President and Chief Executive Officer, stated,

“The potential therapeutic applications of these small molecule agonists

in the fields of neurological disorders, cardiovascular disease, and

alopecia represent substantial pharmaceutical markets. The partnership

with Wyeth will ensure that the neurological aspects of these compounds

are fully evaluated. At the same, we will continue to assess the

therapeutic potential of these agonists for the treatment of alopecia

and for cardiovascular indications.”