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 Innovation in pharma: neuroprotective drugs. Buy the report here.
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However, not all innovations are equal and nor do they follow a constant upward trend. Instead, their evolution takes the form of an S-shaped curve that reflects their typical lifecycle from early emergence to accelerating adoption, before finally stabilizing and reaching maturity.
Identifying where a particular innovation is on this journey, especially those that are in the emerging and accelerating stages, is essential for understanding their current level of adoption and the likely future trajectory and impact they will have.
80+ innovations will shape the pharmaceutical industry
According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which plots the S-curve for the pharmaceutical industry using innovation intensity models built on over 730,000 patents, there are 80+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Within the emerging innovation stage, engineered multi-specific antibodies, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and mutant DNA polymerases are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Peptide pharmacophores, antibody-drug conjugates, and neuroprotective drugs are some of the accelerating innovation areas where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are amyloid precursor targeted therapies and modified vector HIV-1 vaccines, which are now well established in the industry.
Innovation S-curve for the pharmaceutical industry
Neuroprotective drugs is a key innovation area in the pharmaceutical industry
Neuroprotective drugs are a class of medications or compounds designed to protect nerve cells (neurons) from damage, degeneration, or death in various neurological conditions and diseases. These drugs aim to preserve the structure and function of the nervous system, potentially slowing down disease progression or mitigating the effects of neurodegenerative disorders. Neuroprotective drugs include anti-Alzheimer's, anti-Parkinson's, and anti-ischemic drugs. Ongoing research is continuously exploring new compounds and therapies with neuroprotective properties, aiming to improve the treatment of various neurological disorders.
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 480+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established pharmaceutical companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of neuroprotective drugs.
Key players in neuroprotective drugs – 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’.
F. Hoffmann-La Roche is one of the leading patent filers in neuroprotective drugs. F. Hoffmann-La Roche, commonly referred to as Roche, is a multinational pharmaceutical company known for its extensive involvement in research and development across various therapeutic areas, including neurology. While Roche has a diverse range of pharmaceutical products, it has also been active in the field of neuroprotective drugs, particularly in relation to neurodegenerative diseases. Ocrelizumab is a biologic drug developed by Roche for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). Roche has collaborated with various academic institutions, research organizations, and other pharmaceutical companies to advance research in neuroprotection.
In January 2023, Belharra Therapeutics announced a multi-year collaboration with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, to discover and develop small molecules in multiple therapeutic areas including oncology, immuno-oncology, autoimmune, and neurodegenerative diseases. AC Immune and Biogen are some of the other key patent filers in neuroprotective drugs.
In terms of application diversity, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital leads the pack, while Proteome Sciences and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals stood in second and third positions, respectively.
By means of geographic reach, Zinfandel Pharmaceuticals held the top position, followed by C2N Diagnostics and Phoenix Biotechnology.
To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the pharmaceutical industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Pharmaceutical.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
