[March 02, 2005]

Curis Issued U.S. Patent Covering Methods for Treating Chronic Kidney Disease

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. --(Business Wire)-- March 2, 2005 --

Patent part of BMP technology portfolio licensed to Ortho Biotech for multiple therapeutic applications

Curis, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRIS) 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.

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 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

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