Wyeth extends Hedgehog agonist agreement with Curis

Wyeth has chosen to extend funding of research into Curis’ Hedgehog agonist, the latter company announced on Monday.

An agreement, signed between the two companies in 2004, gives Wyeth the option to extend testing of the drug. Wyeth paid Curis an upfront fee to begin developmental research into drugs for neurological disorders, and provided its own research funding.

Wyeth agreed to extend the current research period by a year to Febuary 2007. Curis said that it expects Wyeth to finalise a development candidate in the next year and a half, and will publish an investigational new drug (IND) proposal a year after.

“We are encouraged by the continued dedication that Wyeth has shown to the Hedgehog agonist program for neurological disorders. The extension of funding for the program serves as a validation of the progress made to date,” said Daniel R Passeri, CEO of Curis.

“By meeting with Wyeth scientists on a quarterly basis, Curis is able to learn more about the late preclinical development process, which may prove to be invaluable at a later date,” he added.

Curis develops drugs which focus repair and regeneration regulatory pathways, using small molecules or proteins. It says that it has developed several drug candidates through the approach.

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