Curis Issued U.S. Patent Covering Methods of Treating Motor Neuron Disorders such as Spinal Cord Injury and ALS
Thursday April 22, 9:15 am ET
Patent part of BMP technology portfolio licensed to Ortho Biotech for multiple therapeutic applications
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 22, 2004-- Curis, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRIS - News) today announced that it was issued U.S. patent 6,723,698, entitled "Methods and compositions for the treatment of motor neuron injury and neuropathy." The claims of this patent recite methods of treating motor neuron disorders by activation of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) pathway through the administration of a BMP-7 related protein. Among the nerve disorders claimed are spinal cord injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease), and peripheral neuropathies caused by injury or disease.
In November 2002, Curis exclusively licensed this patent and other related patents and patent applications associated with the BMP pathway to Ortho Biotech, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. Ortho Biotech has sole responsibility for the development of BMP product candidates for the clinical indications mentioned above.
Regulatory signaling pathways, such as the BMP pathway, are one of the major means by which tissues and organs exchange instructional messages that regulate specific biological functions. The ability to activate certain signaling pathways is of great interest to biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies as studies in preclinical models of human disease have indicated that these pathways have the potential to stimulate the repair and regeneration of many tissues, including tissues of the brain and peripheral nervous system.
Daniel Passeri, Curis' President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "The currently issued patent is part of a portfolio of BMP patents and patent applications that was developed by Curis and licensed to Ortho Biotech for applications in neurological disorders, kidney disease, and other fields. We are very pleased that the future development of the technologies associated with the BMP patent portfolio is under the direction of Ortho Biotech. Ortho Biotech's proven expertise in the development of protein based therapeutics should provide the most effective path forward for the BMP 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. |
