The pharmaceutical industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by the evolution of treatment paradigms, and the gravity of unmet needs, as well as the growing importance of technologies such as pharmacogenomics, digital therapeutics, and artificial intelligence. In the last three years alone, there have been over 136,000 patents filed and granted in the pharmaceutical industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Cell & gene therapy in pharma: gene therapy viral vectors. Buy the report here.
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over 730,000 patents to analyze innovation intensity for the pharmaceutical industry, there are 80+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Gene therapy viral vectors is a key innovation area in cell & gene therapy
Gene therapy viral vectors refer to viral vectors that are designed to deliver therapeutic genes to targeted cells to treat genetic disorders or diseases. Gene therapy can be used to replace missing or defective genes, provide new instructions to cells, or kill diseased cells. Viral vectors are often used in gene therapy because they can insert therapeutic genes into specific cells, making the treatment more targeted and effective.
GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 1050+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established pharmaceutical companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of gene therapy viral vectors.
Key players in gene therapy viral vectors – a disruptive innovation in the pharmaceutical industry
‘Application diversity’ measures the number of applications identified for each patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.
‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of countries each patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.
Sanofi is a major pharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development, manufacturing, and marketing of a wide range of medicines and vaccines. Its portfolio includes medicines for the treatment of cancer, rare diseases, multiple sclerosis, and others; as well as human vaccines for protection against various bacterial and viral diseases. Adeno associated virus (AAV) is the predominantly used vector for the development of gene therapies. Voyager Therapeutics and Sangamo Therapeutics are some of the other key patent filers in gene therapy viral vectors.
In terms of application diversity, Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical leads the pack, while UniQure and E. Merck stood in the second and third positions, respectively.
By means of geographic reach, Vascular Biogenics held the top position, followed by Akamis Bio and Esteve Pharmaceuticals.
To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the pharmaceutical industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Pharmaceutical.
Data Insights
From
The gold standard of business intelligence.
Blending expert knowledge with cutting-edge technology, GlobalData’s unrivalled proprietary data will enable you to decode what’s happening in your market. You can make better informed decisions and gain a future-proof advantage over your competitors.

