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: polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccines. 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
Polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccines is a key innovation area in the pharmaceutical industry
Polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccines are a type of vaccine that combine a polysaccharide (a complex carbohydrate) from the surface of certain bacteria with a carrier protein. The combination enhances the vaccine's effectiveness in stimulating the immune system, particularly in providing protection against bacterial pathogens. These vaccines have been highly successful in preventing infections caused by specific bacteria, especially in children and infants.
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 320 companies, spanning technology vendors, established pharmaceutical companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccines.
Key players in polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccines – 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’.
Patent volumes related to polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccines
| Company | Total patents (2021 - 2023) | Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies |
| GSK | 1875 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Pfizer | 1367 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Merck | 512 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Zoetis | 307 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Sanofi | 286 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Novartis | 275 | Unlock Company Profile |
| C. H. Boehringer Sohn | 195 | Unlock Company Profile |
| SK | 173 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Selecta Biosciences | 112 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Molecular Templates | 106 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Biological E | 96 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Johnson & Johnson | 66 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Max Planck Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Wissenschaften | 62 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Children's Medical Center | 59 | Unlock Company Profile |
| National Research Council of Canada | 58 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Hilleman Laboratories | 53 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Max Planck Society | 44 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Bharat Biotech | 44 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Intervet | 42 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Inventprise | 42 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Vaxcyte | 40 | Unlock Company Profile |
| TheVax Genetics Vaccine | 39 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Fina Biosolutions | 36 | Unlock Company Profile |
| IRCCS Policlinico San Donato | 30 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Mariposa Health | 29 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Calliditas Therapeutics | 25 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Matrivax | 23 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Scandinavian Biopharma | 23 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Genocea Biosciences | 23 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Kerry Group | 22 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Omniose | 21 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Longhorn Vaccines and Diagnostics | 21 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Immunology Laboratories | 21 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Qu Biologics | 20 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique | 20 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Aeterna Zentaris | 20 | Unlock Company Profile |
| CanSino Biologics | 20 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Meiji | 19 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Vaxdyn SL | 19 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Panacea Biotec | 18 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Inmunova | 17 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Hillhouse Capital Group | 16 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Vaxil Bio | 15 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Alopexx | 15 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Baxter International | 15 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Minervax ApS | 15 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Aileens Pharma | 15 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Idorsia Pharmaceutical | 15 | Unlock Company Profile |
| U.S. Department of Defence | 14 | Unlock Company Profile |
| GPN Vaccines | 14 | Unlock Company Profile |
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is one of the leading patent filers in polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccines. GSK is a major pharmaceutical company that has been actively involved in the development and production of polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccines. The company has a significant portfolio of vaccines, several of which are based on their conjugate vaccine technology. These vaccines have been crucial in preventing serious bacterial infections. GSK continues to invest in research and development to improve existing vaccines and develop new ones in the field of conjugate vaccines and beyond. Pfizer and Merck are some of the other key patent filers in polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccines.
In terms of application diversity, TheVax Genetics Vaccine leads the pack, while Fina Biosolutions and Scandinavian Biopharma stood in second and third positions, respectively.
By means of geographic reach, Selecta Biosciences held the top position, followed by TheVax Genetics Vaccine and Fina Biosolutions.
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.
