Curis Issued U.S. Patent on Antibodies to Hedgehog Signaling Proteins; Claims Cover Antibody Drug Candidates under Development as Cancer Therapeutics.Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 10, 2003 The United States Patent and Trademark Office The United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO or USPTO) is an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that provides patent protection to inventors and businesses for their inventions, and trademark registration for product and intellectual property today issued a patent to Curis, Inc. (NASDAQ NASDAQ in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on :CRIS) covering antibodies that bind to and block the function of Hedgehog signaling proteins. Hedgehog proteins hedgehog proteins a family of secreted signaling proteins that are involved in the embryogenesis; mutations in these proteins are implicated in some birth defects and cancers. control a signaling pathway that is a critical component of normal healthy development in humans. Recent data has demonstrated that this pathway is highly reactivated during the formation and progression of various types of cancer, including small cell lung cancer Lung Cancer, Small Cell Definition Small cell lung cancer is a disease in which the cells of the lung tissues grow uncontrollably and form tumors. Description Lung cancer is divided into two main types: small cell and non-small cell. . Activated Hedgehog signaling then acts to accelerate tumor growth. Curis is developing Hedgehog antibodies as drug candidates to block the Hedgehog pathway under those circumstances when the pathway is abnormally activated. Dr. Lee Rubin, Curis' Chief Scientific Officer, commented, "Anti-Hedgehog antibodies offer the unique potential of both blocking the signaling initiated by the Hedgehog proteins present on tumor cells and killing the tumor cells themselves. These antibodies have shown very exciting results in preclinical models of cancer." U.S. Patent 6,576,237, entitled "Vertebrate Pattern Inducing Proteins, and Uses Related Thereto," contains claims encompassing one of several classes of Hedgehog pathway antagonists that are being developed by Curis as cancer treatments. The Company is also evaluating small molecule antagonists as another means of blocking the Hedgehog signaling pathway The hedgehog signaling pathway is one of the key regulators of animal development conserved from flies to humans. The pathway takes its name from its polypeptide ligand, an intercellular signaling molecule called Hedgehog (Hh) found in fruit flies of the genus Drosophila. . The current patent provides broad coverage for different types of antibodies, antibody variants, and antibody fragments that bind to Hedgehog proteins. Daniel Passeri, Curis' President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "This patent is another in a series of composition and method patents that further provide broad intellectual property coverage to Curis' Hedgehog pathway inhibition technologies. We believe that methods of inhibiting the Hedgehog signaling pathway will constitute a significant new therapeutic approach for the treatment of cancer." 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 Kidney Disease Definition Kidney disease is a general term for any damage that reduces the functioning of the kidney. Kidney disease is also called renal disease. , neurological disorders This is a list of major and frequently observed neurological disorders (e.g. Alzheimer's disease), symptoms (e.g.back pain), signs (e.g. aphasia) and syndromes (e.g. Aicardi syndrome). , cancer, and alopecia alopecia (ăl'əpē`shēə): see baldness. (hair loss). 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 The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA) implemented several significant substantive changes affecting certain cases brought under the federal securities laws, including changes related to pleading, discovery, liability, class representation and awards fees and of 1995. Statements concerning Curis' or management's intentions, plans, expectations or predictions of future events are forward-looking statements. 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 Form 10-K A report required by the SEC from exchange-listed companies that provides for annual disclosure of certain financial information. Form 10-K See 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. |
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