The pharmaceutical industry continues to be a hotbed of innovation, with activity driven by the evolution of new 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 633,000 patents filed and granted in the pharmaceutical industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Targeted therapies in Pharmaceuticals: Photodynamic cancer therapy drugs.

According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over 756,000 patents to analyse innovation intensity for the pharmaceutical industry, there are 110 innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.

Photodynamic cancer therapy drugs is a key innovation area in targeted therapies

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a class of therapy that uses light (photosensitising agent) to activate the drug (photosensitiser) to destroy cancer cells. PDT is highly precise and is used to target the cancer cells without affecting the normal cells. The drug is activated only on the cancer cells by using certain kinds of lasers,light-emitting diodes (LEDs), or radiation. It does not cause scarring, which makes it a good alternative to surgery.

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 110+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established pharmaceutical companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of photodynamic cancer therapy drugs.

Key players in photodynamic cancer therapy drugs  

‘Application diversity’ measures the number of different applications identified for each relevant patent and broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.

‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of different countries each relevant patent is registered in and reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.

Patent volumes related to photodynamic cancer therapy drugs

Company Total patents (2010 - 2021) Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies
Nanobiotix 191 Unlock company profile
PCI Biotech Holding 95 Unlock company profile
Vertex Pharmaceuticals 89 Unlock company profile
Merck & Co 73 Unlock company profile
MagForce 69 Unlock company profile
Rakuten Medical 62 Unlock company profile
Nanobacterie 58 Unlock company profile
Immunolight 51 Unlock company profile
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 42 Unlock company profile
Immunophotonics 41 Unlock company profile
Mayo Clinic 41 Unlock company profile
Aura Biosciences 39 Unlock company profile
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center 37 Unlock company profile
MorEx Development Partners LLP 37 Unlock company profile
PT Soho Global Health Tbk 35 Unlock company profile
Lunella Biotech 32 Unlock company profile
Biolitec Unternehmensbeteiligungs II 32 Unlock company profile
Boston Scientific 31 Unlock company profile
MagForce Nanotechnologies 31 Unlock company profile
Rmw Cho Group 30 Unlock company profile
National Cancer Center 30 Unlock company profile
Luzitin 28 Unlock company profile
Biolitec Pharma Marketing 26 Unlock company profile
United States Of America 25 Unlock company profile
Health Research 25 Unlock company profile
Universidade de Coimbra 24 Unlock company profile
Agios Pharmaceuticals 23 Unlock company profile
Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical 23 Unlock company profile
NH TherAguix 21 Unlock company profile
NewPhase 21 Unlock company profile
AbbVie 21 Unlock company profile
Diffusion Pharmaceuticals 20 Unlock company profile
Enovis 18 Unlock company profile
Endomagnetics 17 Unlock company profile
Massachusetts General Hospital 17 Unlock company profile
Commissariat a l'Energie et aux Energies Alternatives 17 Unlock company profile
CDH Investment Management Company 16 Unlock company profile
Calidi Biotherapeutics 16 Unlock company profile
Fumedica 16 Unlock company profile
Molteni Farmaceutici 16 Unlock company profile
SBI Holdings 16 Unlock company profile
Otsuka Holdings 16 Unlock company profile
Nanoquantum Sciences 15 Unlock company profile
Gilead Sciences 15 Unlock company profile
Antikor Biopharma 15 Unlock company profile
Soricimed Biopharma 14 Unlock company profile
On Target Laboratories 14 Unlock company profile
Siemens 14 Unlock company profile
International Research Council 13 Unlock company profile
DIATECH KOREA 13 Unlock company profile

Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics

Nanobiotix is one of the leading patent filers in photodynamic cancer therapy drugs. The company is involved in designing and manufacturing nanoparticles that safely enhance radiation therapy's efficacy in cancer treatment. The company’s lead asset is NBTXR3, which is based on hafnium oxide nanoparticle that is designed to destroy tumors when activated by radiotherapy..

In terms of application diversity, Merck is the top company, followed by GlycoMira Therapeutics and Vertex Pharmaceuticals. By means of geographic reach, Lunella Biotech holds the top position. Massachusetts General Hospital and Calidi Biotherapeutics are in second and third positions, respectively.

To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the pharmaceutical industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Immuno-Oncology – Thematic Research.

GlobalData

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.