Curis Issued U.S. Patent Covering Methods to Inhibit Hedgehog Pathway and Prevent the Growth of Certain Cancers
Thursday February 5, 8:49 am ET
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 5, 2004--Curis, Inc. (Nasdaq:CRIS - News) today announced that it was issued U.S. patent 6,686,388, entitled "Regulators of the Hedgehog Pathway, Compositions and Uses Related Thereto." The claims of this patent cover methods of inhibiting the altered growth of cells that occurs as a result of abnormal activation of the Hedgehog signaling pathway. Abnormal Hedgehog pathway activation has been implicated in the progression of several cancers, including basal cell carcinoma, lung cancer, medulloblastoma, pancreatic cancer, cancers associated with gastrointestinal tract, and others.
In June 2003, Curis exclusively licensed this patent and other related patents and patent applications associated with Hedgehog pathway inhibition to Genentech, Inc. (NYSE:DNA - News). Under the terms of the agreement, Genentech paid Curis a license fee and will make cash payments to Curis upon the successful achievement of clinical development and drug approval milestones. Genentech will also pay Curis a royalty on potential future net product sales.
As part of the agreement with Genentech, Curis has retained a co-development option for the field of basal cell carcinoma in the U.S. market, pursuant to which both Curis and Genentech would co-fund program development and share a percentage of any operating profit. Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of cancer in the United States, with more than 800,000 new cases diagnosed each year.
Dr. Lee Rubin, Curis' Chief Scientific Officer, commented, "All of the preclinical evidence that we have to date indicates that inhibition of the Hedgehog pathway in cells where it is being abnormally activated results in the selective and specific death of the tumor cells while conferring no harm to adjacent normal cells. This selectivity contrasts with more traditional cancer treatments that often kill both cancer cells and normal cells. We believe that the ability to selectively kill cancer cells while leaving healthy cells intact represents the next generation of cancer treatments that are in development."
Daniel Passeri, Curis' President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "We are very pleased that the development of the Hedgehog pathway inhibition technologies is under the direction of Genentech. Genentech's proven expertise in the development of specifically targeted cancer therapeutics should provide the most effective clinical path forward for Curis' 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.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements concerning Curis' or management's intentions, plans, expectations or predictions of future events. Such statements may contain the words "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "plans", "estimates" or similar expressions. Forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results to be materially different from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. Actual results can be affected by, among other things, uncertainties relating to product development, clinical trials, regulatory actions or delays, the ability to obtain or maintain patent or other proprietary intellectual property protection, changes in or an inability to execute Curis' realigned business strategy and other risk factors identified in Curis' most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Curis disclaims any intention or obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release.
Contact:
For Curis, Inc.
Michael Gray, 617-503-6632
or
Marc Charette, 617-503-6629
Source: Curis, Inc. |
