diff --git a/backend/apps/owasp/models/common.py b/backend/apps/owasp/models/common.py
index 79193122f7..e095236a9c 100644
--- a/backend/apps/owasp/models/common.py
+++ b/backend/apps/owasp/models/common.py
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-import itertools
 import logging
 import re
 from urllib.parse import urlparse
@@ -197,18 +196,26 @@ def get_leaders(self):
             return []
 
         leaders = []
+        # Compile regex patterns once per method call (before loop).
+        re_bracketed_pattern = re.compile(
+            r"[-*]\s{0,3}\[\s{0,3}([^\]\(]{1,200})(?:\s{0,3}\([^)]{0,100}\))?\s{0,3}\]"
+        )
+        re_plain_pattern = re.compile(r"\*\s{0,3}([\w\s]{1,200})")
+        re_parenthetical_cleanup_pattern = re.compile(r"\s{0,3}\([^)]{0,100}\)\s{0,3}$")
         for line in content.split("\n"):
-            leaders.extend(
-                [
-                    name
-                    for name in itertools.chain(
-                        *re.findall(
-                            r"[-*]\s*\[\s*([^(]+?)\s*(?:\([^)]*\))?\]|\*\s*([\w\s]+)", line.strip()
-                        )
-                    )
-                    if name.strip()
-                ]
-            )
+            stripped_line = line.strip()
+            names = []
+
+            names.extend(re_bracketed_pattern.findall(stripped_line))
+            names.extend(re_plain_pattern.findall(stripped_line))
+
+            cleaned_names = []
+            for raw_name in names:
+                if raw_name.strip():
+                    cleaned = re_parenthetical_cleanup_pattern.sub("", raw_name).strip()
+                    cleaned_names.append(cleaned)
+
+            leaders.extend(cleaned_names)
 
         return leaders