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: recombinant virus-like particles (VLPs). 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
Recombinant virus-like particles (VLPs) is a key innovation area in the pharmaceutical industry
Recombinant virus-like particles (VLPs) are engineered structures that mimic the structure of natural viruses but lack the genetic material necessary for replication. They are designed by expressing one or more viral structural proteins in a host expression system, such as bacteria, yeast, insect cells, or mammalian cells, using recombinant DNA technology. These VLPs can serve various purposes, particularly in the fields of vaccinology and virology. Their safety and ability to induce a strong immune response make them a promising platform for the prevention and study of various infectious diseases.
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 215+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established pharmaceutical companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of recombinant virus-like particles (VLPs).
Key players in recombinant virus-like particles (VLPs) – 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 recombinant virus-like particles (VLPs)
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Mitsubishi Chemical Group is one of the leading patent filers in recombinant virus-like particles (VLPs). Mitsubishi Chemical (MCHC) is leading integrated chemical company based in Japan, and the MCHC Group includes four core operating companies, namely Mitsubishi Chemical, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma, Mitsubishi Plastics, and Mitsubishi Rayon. The group serves customers by using their chemistry-based technology platforms to develop a wide range of technologies and products in the fields of performance products, healthcare, and industrial materials. In February 2023, Mitsubishi Chemical Group announced that it will cease all its operations at Medicago, a Canadian biopharmaceutical company specializing in the research and development of new vaccines using plant-based virus-like particles (VLP) technology. Merck and Sanofi are some of the other key patent filers in recombinant VLPs.
In terms of application diversity, UniQure leads the pack, while Genethon and Nitto Boseki stood in the second and third positions, respectively.
By means of geographic reach, Mitsubishi Chemical Group held the top position, followed by UniQure and Genethon.
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.
