ProQinase and CRELUX collaborate on protein kinase inhibition

Collaboration agreement

ProQinase, a spin-out from the Tumor Biology Center Freiburg, has announced a collaboration with specialist crystal structure provider CRELUX, of Martinsried, to optimise protein kinase inhibitor development. The agreement will expand the production of quality-controlled, customer-specific crystal-grade kinase protein or crystal structures.

Under the terms of the agreement marketing will be exclusive to ProQinase, while CRELUX will benefit from privileged direct access to the protein kinase structures.

ProQinase has introduced more than 150 highly active human recombinant kinases to the market using its proprietary Integrated Protein Kinase Technology Platform. The company also provides in vitro testing services using more than 220 protein kinases.

CRELUX uses an integrated technology platform to solve three-dimensional structures of target compound complexes, using target cloning and expression, high-throughput crystallisation and X-ray crystallography. CRELUX also has an off-the-shelf programme which provides crystallisation conditions of specific therapeutic targets to customers.

Michael Schäffer, CEO of CRELUX, said: “This new joint crystal-grade kinase platform offers tremendous advantages: it enables us to continue to focus on our core expertise – complex structure solution – while leveraging the expertise of ProQinase to significantly strengthen our capacities in protein expression.”

Christoph Schächtele, CEO of ProQinase, said: “The combination of CRELUX’s expertise in protein crystallography and PrQinase’s know-how in kinas cloning and expression makes the two companies the partners of choice for all customers interested in kinase crystallography.”