leadXpro

Founded in 2015 as a spin-off from the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), leadXpro AG operates as a contract research organization focused on structure-based drug discovery for membrane protein targets. The company was co-founded by Michael Hennig, who now serves as CEO. His extensive background includes 20 years at Roche, where he was the Global Head of Discovery Technologies, contributing to the development of notable drugs like Tamiflu. This deep experience in pharmaceutical research and structural biology shaped the company's direction.

leadXpro's business model is twofold. The primary operation involves providing contract research services to a client base of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, as well as academic partners. These collaborations are structured to support various stages of drug discovery, from initial hit finding to the optimization of preclinical compounds. Revenue is generated through these research partnerships and collaborations. Additionally, the company develops its own proprietary preclinical compounds, focusing on areas such as oncology and infectious diseases.

The firm's core service revolves around elucidating the structure of membrane proteins, which are critical yet notoriously difficult targets for drug development. By understanding the three-dimensional structure of these proteins, leadXpro facilitates a more rational design of drug candidates. The technology platform integrates a suite of advanced methods, including Cryo-Electron Microscopy (Cryo-EM), X-ray crystallography, and computational chemistry for virtual screening of vast molecular libraries. Services offered encompass the entire workflow from gene-to-protein production, biophysical characterization of molecular interactions, high-resolution structure determination, and computational chemistry to accelerate discovery. This integrated approach enables the firm to tackle complex projects and provide actionable data for its partners' drug discovery programs.

Keywords: structure-based drug discovery, membrane proteins, contract research organization, CRO, cryo-EM, X-ray crystallography, biophysics, computational chemistry, lead discovery, GPCR, ion channels, transporters, pharmaceutical partnerships, biotech services, drug design, preclinical compounds, Michael Hennig, Paul Scherrer Institute, structural biology, hit finding, lead optimization, virtual screening