ESPIKEM s.r.l.
Espikem s.r.l. is a Contract Research Organization founded in 2003 by A.M. Papini, P. rovero, F. Lolli e M. Chelli as a spin off company of the University of Florence that works in tight collaboration with the Interdepartmental Research Unit of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology – PeptLab. Its activities are centred on the design, synthesis, characterization and commercialization of peptides and their analogues of pharmaceutical, biomedical and cosmeceutical interest.
The company operates under an agreement with PeptLab through annual third-party research contracts, which are administratively managed by DICUS offering services such as preparation of high purity peptides and amino acids analysis.
In 2012 Espikem srl lead a project funded by Regione Toscana (POR CREO FESR 2007/2013) for the development of new active ingredients of pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical interest, and in 2016 started a collaboration with Apotech peptidi & cosmesi srl for the design and development of peptides of cosmeceutical interest.
Apotech , a start-up founded by the members of EspiKem, focused on the commercialization of cosmeceutical products based on Serpin A1-derived peptides developed by PeptLab in collaboration with EspiKem. Since July 2020, it has contributed to the technology transfer to RELIFE (Menarini Group) of the anti-aging cosmeceutical product DEFINISSE KP1, which was launched on the market on September 23, 2023 (https://www.relife.ie/aesthetic-medicine/definisse-kp1/redensifying-cream/). A new analogue of the Serpin A1 peptide (a physiological inhibitor of collagen degradation) is claimed in an international patent filed by the University of Florence in collaboration with EspiKem. The inventors are A.M. Papini, P. Rovero, L. Giovannelli, and F. Errante, and the technology is currently being valorized.
Last update
12.06.2025