Curis Issued U.S. Patent Covering Methods for Treating Chronic Kidney Disease
Wednesday March 2, 8:30 am ET
Patent part of BMP technology portfolio licensed to Ortho Biotech for multiple therapeutic applications
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 2, 2005-- Curis, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRIS - News) today announced that it was issued U.S. patent 6,861,404, entitled "Novel Therapies for Chronic Renal Failure." The claims of this patent recite methods for improving kidney function by activation of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) pathway through the administration of BMP-7 or a related protein. The patent also specifies a method for delaying the need for, or reducing the frequency of, chronic dialysis treatment associated with end-stage renal disease. The United States Renal Data System estimates that there are currently 423,000 patients in the U.S. with end-stage renal disease.
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In November 2002, Curis exclusively licensed this patent, 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 the kidney.
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 cancer (under partnership with Genentech, which also includes a co-development collaboration between Curis and Genentech for a basal cell carcinoma product candidate), kidney disease (licensed to Ortho Biotech, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson), neurological disorders (partnered with Wyeth Pharmaceuticals), hair growth, and cardiovascular disease. For more information, please visit the Curis web site at |
