New Reports of Positive Preclinical Results using Small Molecule Hedgehog Agonists

[Guest guest]

(For all who have been following the Hedgehog research, here's the

latest. If you're new to and need some background on Hedgehog and

CMT, go to our Files: then to the Research Folder. Open the folder and

scroll down to the Sonic Hedgehog Protein article. This also appeared in

an old issue of the the CMTWorld magazine (if you've still got yours) ~

Gretchen

October 25, 2004

New Reports of Positive Preclinical Results using Small Molecule

Hedgehog Agonists

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 25, 2004-- Abstracts presented

at annual neuroscience meeting demonstrate efficacy in models of stroke,

Parkinson's disease, and spinal cord injury

Curis, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRIS), a therapeutic drug development company,

today announced that three new studies on small molecule Hedgehog

pathway agonists are being presented at the 34th annual meeting of the

Society for Neuroscience being held in San Diego, California, from

October 23-27. These studies report positive results in preclinical

models of stroke, Parkinson's disease, and spinal cord injury upon

treatment with small molecule activators of the Hedgehog signaling

pathway.

The Hedgehog signaling pathway regulates the normal development of the

brain and spinal cord. Curis has identified and developed several

promising small molecule compounds that can activate the Hedgehog

signaling pathway and thereby promote nervous system repair. These small

molecules are orally available and can enter into the brain and spinal

cord, thus making them a very attractive new class of drug development

candidates for neurological disorders.

In January 2004, Curis entered into an agreement to license Hedgehog

pathway agonist technologies to Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of

Wyeth (NYSE: WYE) on an exclusive worldwide, royalty-bearing basis. The

agreement provides for the development and commercialization of

pharmaceutical products based on these technologies for therapeutic

applications in treatment of neurological disorders, such as stroke,

Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury, and other disorders.

Dr. Lee Rubin, Curis' Chief Scientific Officer, commented, " Curis'

success in discovering small molecules that can stimulate the Hedgehog

signaling pathway has provided a significant opportunity to develop a

novel class of drugs for the treatment of damaged nerve tissues. These

new studies offer an excellent illustration of the potential breadth of

neurological indications for which the Hedgehog agonists may have

therapeutic benefit. We believe that our partnership with Wyeth will

provide a very effective path forward for the clinical development of

these exciting drug candidates. "

About Curis, Inc.

Curis, Inc. is a therapeutic drug development company. The Company's

technology focus is on regulatory pathways that control repair and

regeneration. Curis' product development involves the use of proteins or

small molecules to modulate these pathways. Curis has successfully used

this technology and product development approach to produce several

promising drug product candidates in the fields of kidney disease,

neurological disorders, cancer, alopecia, and cardiovascular disease.

For more information, please visit the Curis web site at www.curis.com.