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 Microbiome in pharma: bacteriophage therapy.
According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over 730,000 patents to analyze innovation intensity for the pharmaceutical industry, there are 80+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Bacteriophage therapy is a key innovation area in microbiome
Bacteriophage therapy, also known as phage therapy, is a type of treatment that uses naturally occurring viruses called bacteriophages to target and kill harmful bacteria in the body. Bacteriophages are specific to the type of bacteria they target, making them a potential alternative to antibiotics and a promising option for treating bacterial infections.
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 75+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established pharmaceutical companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of bacteriophage therapy.
Key players in bacteriophage therapy – 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’.
iNtRON Biotechnology is one of the leading patent filers in bacteriophage therapy. The drug development company focuses on biotechnology and genetic engineering, which can be used to treat human diseases. Its technologies include endolysin, bacteriophage, and biofilm. The company’s endolysin technology is an antibiotic substance that destroys the cell walls of bacteria. The company also develops infectious disease drugs. Snipr Technologies and CJ are some of the other key patent filers in bacteriophage therapy.
In terms of application diversity, Nestle leads the pack, while DSM-Firmenich and Intralytix stood in the second and third positions, respectively.
By means of geographic reach, Snipr Technologies held the top position, followed by Phico Therapeutics and Industria Tecnica Farmaceutica.
PHAGElogist 