Hedgehog Protein Update from Curis

[Guest guest]

(For those of you new to , we have been following the developments

of Curis and Sonic Hedgehog Protein in regards to helping with

neurological disorders. This news was just presented yesterday and is

very hopeful for peripheral neurological disorders, in which category

CMT fits. You might wish to spend some time reading more about Curis at

http://curis.com andd go back in the posts to read my simplified version

of Sonic Hedgehog Protein. ~ Gretchen)

First Report of Curis' Small Molecule Hedgehog Agonists' Therapeutic

Efficacy in a Model of Neurological Disease

CAMBRIDGE, MA, July 28, 2003 - Curis, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRIS), a therapeutic

drug

development company, today announced that two medical research groups

directed by

Drs. Nigel Calcutt and Mizisin of the University of California at

San Diego have presented data which demonstrates that orally-available,

drug-like, small molecule agonists of the Hedgehog signaling pathway can

reduce damage and significantly improve neurological function in an

experimental model of diabetic neuropathy.

Curis, which provided the compounds for the study, has been developing

small molecule

Hedgehog pathway agonists for the treatment of various neurological

disorders and other medical needs. Dr. Mizisin presented the report,

entitled " Therapeutic Efficacy of Oral Hedgehog Agonists in Experimental

Diabetic Neuropathy, " on Sunday July 27, 2003 at the meeting of the

Peripheral Nerve Society in Banff, Alberta, Canada.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, at least one

third of diabetes

sufferers are afflicted with severe peripheral neurological disorders.

The ability of small molecule agonists of the Hedgehog pathway to

stimulate recovery from diabetes-induced neurological deficits is

consistent with earlier observations from these investigators and Curis

collaborators showing that administration of the Hedgehog protein has

significant benefits in models of diabetic neuropathy.

Dr. Lee Rubin, Curis' Chief Scientific Officer, commented, " This is the

first of what we expect will be several independent validations of

Curis' small molecule Hedgehog agonist portfolio showing efficacy in

different models of various neurological diseases. We, at Curis, believe

that manipulation of the Hedgehog signaling pathway constitutes a

significant new opportunity for the development of drugs to treat

nervous system disorders. "

Passeri, Curis' President and Chief Executive Officer, said,

" This is an important milestone for Curis. The demonstration that our

small molecule agonist drug candidates are effective in promoting

neurological recovery represents an important step forward in our own

drug development activities. Neurological disorders are one of the most

significant areas of unmet medical need in the pharmaceutical world.

This report is an important milestone towards achieving our objectives

of capitalizing on that unmet need.

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, and alopecia (hair loss).