Curis and AGY Therapeutics Announce Collaboration to Discover Small Molecule Drugs for CNS, Oncology, Neurodegenerative Diseases, and Diabetes
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. & SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--Jan. 17, 2002--Curis, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRIS - news) and AGY Therapeutics, Inc., a privately held biopharmaceutical company, today announced that the two companies have formed a strategic collaboration to discover and develop novel small molecule drugs from stem cells for therapeutic, diagnostic and other applications relevant to neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, oncology, and central nervous system (CNS) diseases.
Under the terms of the agreement, Curis will share its stem cell and developmental biology expertise with AGY, who will apply its proprietary imAGYne(TM) technology platform to identify, analyze and validate novel small molecule targets. Products of this collaboration will be used by both companies to further their own internal drug development programs, as well as in partnerships with third parties. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
``This collaboration with AGY represents an unprecedented opportunity to elucidate the genes responsible for key factors affecting tissue regeneration,'' said Daniel R. Passeri, President and Chief Executive Officer of Curis. ``This knowledge should lead to greater insights of gene function and development of effective therapies that are based on the body's ability to repair itself.''
Karoly Nikolich, Ph.D., AGY's Chief Executive Officer, said, ``The access to Curis' thorough understanding of stem cells and their role in the regenerative process, specifically in the area of neurodegenerative disease, allows us to identify and select novel targets for CNS and other diseases. Over the last few years, we have validated and filed patents on over 150 genes, each a potential target for various CNS diseases. With this collaboration, we expect to see these figures significantly increase and our understanding of these complex diseases greatly improve.''
Together the companies will generate a biological atlas elucidating the molecular basis of tissue formation, maintenance, and regeneration, through a systematic profiling of the biology associated with stem cell proliferation and differentiation along pathways of therapeutic interest, and to facilitate target and drug discovery in regenerative medicine.
About Curis, Inc.
Curis, Inc. is developing products based on technologies in the emerging field of regenerative medicine. The Company is combining insights gained through the study of developmental biology with high-throughput screening capabilities, proteins, cells and biocompatible materials to facilitate the development of new regenerative medicine therapies. For more information, please visit the Curis web site at www.curis.com.
About AGY Therapeutics
AGY Therapeutics, Inc. is dedicated to discovering and developing novel treatments for CNS diseases, including stroke, Alzheimer's disease, depression, brain tumors and obesity. With its proprietary imAGYne(TM) platform, the company has identified and characterized a vast number of promising drug targets to treat or diagnose these diseases. The imAGYne(TM) platform was developed by AGY to define the intra- and extra-cellular signaling pathways that underlie the pathological progression of disease, so novel, high-quality, therapeutic targets could be identified and qualified for further investigation. The imAGYne(TM) platform begins with animal models that replicate the same disease found in humans. Regulated genes are identified, and multiple expression profiles are quantified over a period of time in order to distinguish genes that are unique in the disease process. After delineating the pathways that underlie the disease process, pharmaceutically, high-quality targets are functionally validated. For additional information, please visit www.agyinc.com. |
