Curis Receives Extended Cancer Program Funding from Genentech.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Additional $2 million provided for extension of research and development on applications of Hedgehog pathway inhibitors to treat solid tumors

Curis, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRIS), a therapeutic drug development company, today announced that it has amended its first agreement with Genentech, Inc. (NYSE: DNA) to extend Genentech's funding of the cancer therapeutic development collaboration that is ongoing between the two companies. An additional $2 million will be provided to support Curis personnel and other third party resources dedicated to developing Curis' Hedgehog inhibition technologies for the treatment of solid tumor cancers.

In June 2003, Curis established a collaboration with Genentech for the development of a set of technologies based on inhibition of the Hedgehog signaling pathway, including small molecule Hedgehog pathway inhibitors. Genentech's support of Curis personnel and other third-party resources dedicated to the collaboration was due to terminate in June 2005. The amended agreement provides for a six-month extension of support for Curis personnel with an option for an additional six-month extension.

Daniel Passeri, Curis' President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "We are very pleased that Genentech has elected to extend the funding for our collaboration on the Hedgehog pathway inhibition cancer technologies. We feel that this is validation of the valuable contribution that our scientists have made in advancing the systemic Hedgehog inhibition drug candidates towards clinical testing."

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 collaboration with Genentech, which also includes a co-development agreement 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 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 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 collaborations, including its ability to maintain its current collaboration agreements with Genentech, Ortho Biotech Products and Wyeth; the risk that competitors will discover and develop signaling pathway-based therapeutics faster and more successfully than 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.