The pharmaceutical industry continues to be ahotbed 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: peptide pharmacophores. 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

Peptide pharmacophores is a key innovation area in the pharmaceutical industry
Peptide pharmacophores, also known as peptide-based pharmacophores or peptidomimetics, are molecules or structures that mimic the binding properties and functions of peptides in drug design and development. They are designed to interact with specific biological targets, such as proteins or enzymes, similarly to natural peptides, but with enhanced properties like improved stability, bioavailability, or selectivity. Peptide pharmacophores have gained significance in drug discovery due to their potential therapeutic applications and versatility.
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 210 companies, spanning technology vendors, established pharmaceutical companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of peptide pharmacophores.
Key players in peptide pharmacophores – 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’.
Hangzhou DAC Biotech is one of the leading patent filers in Peptide pharmacophores. Hangzhou DAC Biotech, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on developing conjugate of monoclonal antibody and small molecular cytotoxic drugs. The company has multiple PCT international applications and more than 500 patent applications, of which 23 have been authorized in the US alone. Pfizer and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute are some of the other key patent filers in peptide pharmacophores.
In terms of application diversity, Nekonal leads the pack, while E. Merck and Shanghai LIDE Biotech stood in the second and third positions, respectively.
By means of geographic reach, F. Hoffmann-La Roche held the top position, followed by Ellipses Pharma and SignalChem Lifesciences.
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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