Wyeth dumps once-promising Curis collaboration

Back in 2004, Wyeth considered a project with Curis to develop small molecule and protein Hedgehog agonists--which promised new therapies for stroke and cardiovascular ailments--worth potentially more than $170 million in milestone payments.

That was then.

This morning, Curis announced that Wyeth is pulling out of the pact. "Our speculation is that Wyeth has decided to re-prioritize," a Curis spokesman told the Boston Globe. Curis pocketed a $3 million upfront payment in the Wyeth deal. Since then, Curis has repositioned itself as well, focusing on new cancer therapies.

- see this release from Curis
- read the story in the Boston Globe