Curis Collaboration with Wyeth Highlighted in Current Issue of BusinessWeek Magazine; Collaboration Seeks to Develop Treatments for Damaged Brain Tissues.

Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 18, 2004

Curis, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRIS), a therapeutic drug development company, today announced that the current issue of BusinessWeek magazine contains an article entitled "Biotech Frontier: Repairing the Engines of Life." The article highlights a collaboration between Curis and Wyeth (NYSE: WYE) to develop new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of brain tissues that are damaged as result of injury or disease.

In January 2004, Curis entered into an agreement to license certain technologies related to the Hedgehog signaling pathway to Wyeth on an exclusive worldwide, royalty-bearing basis. This agreement provides for the development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products for the therapeutic applications in treatment of neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, stroke, and other disorders.

Using preclinical models of stroke, scientists at Curis have demonstrated that treatment with a small molecule Hedgehog agonist can provide significant protection to brain cells that have been compromised as a result of stroke. This protection can reduce the overall area of a stroke by up to 40 percent, depending on the time of administration.

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in most developed countries and is the leading cause of disability in adults. Stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is suddenly interrupted, most typically by a blood clot. Brain cells die when they no longer receive oxygen and nutrients from the blood. With timely treatment, a significant portion of these brain cells can be saved.

Dr. Lee Rubin, Curis' Chief Scientific Officer, said, "The positive effects of the Hedgehog agonists in these disease models is due to neuroprotection that is induced by activation of the Hedgehog signaling pathway. In addition, we also know that activation of the Hedgehog pathway results in an increased proliferation of brain stem cells. We believe that increasing the number of stem cells in the brain may confer an additional benefit by leading to the replacement of some of the lost cells."

Mr. Daniel Passeri, Curis' President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "With approximately 700,000 new cases of stroke every year in the United States alone and with very limited existing treatment options, successful development of a new therapy offering neuroprotection to stroke patients would be a great advance. We are very pleased to be collaborating with Wyeth Pharmaceuticals in the development of Hedgehog-based stroke compounds."

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 about Curis' drug discovery and development programs. Such statements may contain the words "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "plans", "seeks", "estimates" or similar expressions. These forward looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause Curis' actual results to be materially different from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. Actual results can be affected by a number of important factors including, among other things: adverse results in Curis' and its strategic partners' product development programs; difficulties or delays in obtaining or maintaining required regulatory approvals; Curis' ability to obtain or maintain the patent and other proprietary intellectual property protection necessary for the development and commercialization of products based on its technologies; changes in or Curis' inability to execute its realigned business strategy; the risk that Curis does not obtain the additional funding required to conduct research and development of its product candidates and execute on its business plan; unplanned cash requirements and expenditures; risks relating to Curis' ability to enter into and maintain important strategic partnerships, including its ability to maintain its current collaboration agreements with Genentech, Ortho and Wyeth; the risk that competitors will discover and develop signaling pathway-based therapeutics faster and more successfully that Curis and its collaborators are able to; and other risk factors identified in Curis' most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Report on 10-Q and any subsequent reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, any forward-looking statements represent the Company's views only as of today and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date. Curis disclaims any intention or obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.