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PHARMALEADS has developped an original technology for the identification of fluorigenic substrates for any kind of enzyme. Today this technology is applied to proteases (see below Fluofast® Protease),but the technology can also be applied for the development of substrates for phosphatases.
 Is Pharmaleads a service company?
Pharmaleads’ business is to develop novel molecules that meet the special requirements of the pharmaceutical industries. Our strategy is focussed on the high added value R&D phases that lead to intellectual property. Although we have some limited production capabilities, and therefore we can provide customers with some amount of substrates or inhibitors, our main objective is to licence property rights on these molecules through multi-year licencing agreements.
Why is Pharmaleads not involved in genetic engineering or molecular biology as most of the biotechs are ?
The recent advent of proteomics has brought to light the necessity of novel tools like specific substrates and inhibitors, a priority that Pharmaleads is ideally positioned to serve.
What are the different families of Proteases ?
There are four families of proteases based on the nature of their active site and on their reaction mechanism:
1) Metalloprotease
2) Serine protease
3) Aspartyl protease
4) Cysteine protease
Proteases can also be subdivided in exopeptidases and endopeptidases depending on where the cleavage site is located: exopeptidase for a cleavage of the terminal amino acid (it can then be aminopeptidase or carboxypeptidase), endopeptidases otherwise.
Pharmaleads know-how is on Zinc metallopeptidase; it has been extended to a large number of other proteases.
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