Curis, Inc. Announces Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Japan)'s Exercise of Japanese Development Rights for GDC-0449

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Curis, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRIS), a drug development company seeking to develop next generation targeted small molecule drug candidates for cancer treatment, today announced that Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (TSE: 4519) has exercised its right of first refusal for the development and commercialization in Japan of GDC-0449, a Hedgehog pathway inhibitor, under an existing agreement with F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Ltd (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY). GDC-0449 is being developed by Genentech, Inc., a wholly owned member of the Roche Group, under the 2003 collaboration agreement between Genentech and Curis.