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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 425
FILED BY CURIS, INC.
PURSUANT TO RULE 425 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
SUBJECT COMPANY: CURIS, INC.
Date of Report: July 5, 2000
The statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-
looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties including, without
limitation, risks associated with the inherent uncertainty of pharmaceutical
research, product development, regulatory approval and commercialization, the
impact of competitive products, patents, patent litigation, product liability,
third party reimbursement, required stockholder approvals and other risks and
uncertainties associated with the biotechnology industry and merger transactions
generally.
INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE ADVISED TO READ THE JOINT PROXY
STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS REGARDING THE BUSINESS COMBINATION TRANSACTION REFERENCED
IN THE FOREGOING INFORMATION BECAUSE IT WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. SUCH
JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS HAS BEEN FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION BY CURIS, INC. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS MAY OBTAIN A FREE COPY
OF THE JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED BY CURIS, INC.
AT THE COMMISSION'S WEB SITE AT WWW.SEC.GOV. THE JOINT PROXY
STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND SUCH OTHER DOCUMENTS MAY ALSO BE OBTAINED DIRECTLY FROM
CURIS, INC., CREATIVE BIOMOLECULES, INC., ONTOGENY, INC. AND REPROGENESIS, INC.
CONTACTS
Doros Platika, M.D.
Ontogeny, Inc.
617/876-0086 x237
George A. Eldridge
Ontogeny, Inc.
617/876-0086 x216
Renee Connolly
Noonan/Russo Communications
212/696-4455 x227
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ONTOGENY REGAINS RIGHTS TO HEDGEHOG PROTEIN PRODUCTS
CAMBRIDGE, MA - July 5, 2000 - Ontogeny, Inc., a privately held biotechnology
company announced today that Biogen, Inc. (Nasdaq: BGEN) has elected to return
to Ontogeny the rights to develop and commercialize hedgehog protein products
following a portfolio review. Hedgehog proteins are a class of novel human
proteins that are responsible for inducing the formation or regeneration of
tissues.
"Biogen has been a superb partner," said Doros Platika, M.D., Ontogeny's
president and chief executive officer. "This has been a very productive
relationship. The protein appears to be efficacious in relevant models of
neuropathy. We understand Biogen's decision is based primarily on business and
portfolio considerations and not on the scientific achievements of the
collaboration. Ontogeny has regained a potentially very valuable asset. We are
committed to the program and we anticipate moving forward with the development
of this molecule, and its analogs, in neurological indications. Upon completion
of the pending merger of Ontogeny, Creative BioMolecules, Inc. (Nasdaq: CBMI)
and Reprogenesis, Inc. to form Curis, Inc., which was announced February 15,
2000, the hedgehog protein project will be part of the extensive Curis product
portfolio. This portfolio spans the spectrum from early product opportunities,
such as hedgehog, to late stage development products such as Chondrogel and OP-1
that are approaching the marketplace."
"I have been most impressed with the progress made by Ontogeny and Biogen in
producing biologically active proteins," said Doug Melton, Ph.D., Chairman of
Harvard University's Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and the Chair
of Ontogeny's Scientific Advisory Board. "To date, the data strongly support the
potential utility of hedgehog in diabetic neuropathy as well as other
neurological disorders."
The merger of Ontogeny with Creative BioMolecules and Reprogenesis to form a new
public company named Curis is pending shareholder approval, and is expected to
close at the end of July. Curis intends to be a leader in the emerging field of
regenerative medicine. Curis will combine insight gained through the study of
developmental biology with high-throughput screening capabilities, proteins,
cells and biocompatible materials to facilitate the development of new
regenerative medicine therapies. Curis' pipeline will include: 1) a product
which is currently under regulatory review in the United States, Europe and
Australia; 2) multiple products in late-stage clinical development; 3) numerous
early clinical and advanced preclinical products; and 4) a discovery engine that
combines functional genomics and developmental biology across multiple medical
indications. These products have the potential to change the way degenerative
disease, cancer and other disorders associated with loss of function are
treated. Curis will be a publicly held company located in Cambridge,
Massachusetts. For more information, please visit the Curis web site at
http://www.curis.com.
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The statements in this news release that are not historical facts are forward-
looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties including, without
limitation, risks associated with the inherent uncertainty of pharmaceutical
research, product development, regulatory approval and commercialization, the
impact of competitive products, patents, patent litigation, product liability,
third party reimbursement, required stockholder approvals and other risks and
uncertainties associated with the biotechnology industry and merger transactions
generally. For additional factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially, please refer to the risk factors section of the Curis joint proxy
statement/prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June
19, 2000.
Investors and security holders are advised to read the joint proxy
statement/prospectus regarding the business combination transaction referenced
in the foregoing information, because it will contain important information.
Such joint proxy statement/prospectus was filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission by Curis, Inc. on June 19, 2000. Investors and security holders may
obtain a free copy of the joint proxy statement/prospectus and other documents
filed by Curis, Inc. at the Commission's web site at www.sec.gov. The joint
proxy statement/prospectus and such other documents may also be obtained
directly from Creative BioMolecules, Inc., Ontogeny, Inc. and Reprogenesis, Inc.
