Five years of drug patenting

Abstract

A preliminary analysis of almost 34,000 pharmaceutical patents is presented, based on data from the Investigational Drugs database (IDdb). International (PCT) applications currently account for almost 80% of the qualifying innovations, compared with only 50% in 1994. Anti-infectives and antineoplastics are the two most popular targets, and metabolic modulation is the class of action encountered most frequently. Over the five-year period, Merck & Co. is the most prolific patent applicant, followed by SmithKline Beecham (SKB) and Lilly; the US Government and the University of California are also ranked in the top twenty. In a sample company profile, SB is seen to be targeting anti-infectives and cardiovascular disorders rather than cancer.

• analysis
• innovation
• patent applications
• pharmaceutical
• therapeutic targets