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Data Insights Innovation in pharma: cancer combination therapy

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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

Cancer combination therapy is a key innovation area in the pharmaceutical industry

Cancer combination therapy refers to the use of multiple drugs or treatment modalities in combination to increase the efficacy of cancer treatment and improve patient outcomes. This may involve the use of different drug classes or therapies that target different aspects of cancer cells, such as angiogenesis inhibitors, chemotherapy agents, and immunotherapies.

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 1540+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established pharmaceutical companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of cancer combination therapy.

Key players in cancer combination 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’.

Patent volumes related to cancer combination therapy

F. Hoffmann-La Roche is one of the leading patent filers in cancer combination therapy. The company is conducting various combination therapy studies particularly in the field of cancer. Atezolizumab is one such drug where multiple combination therapy studies are being carried out to identify potential treatments for cancer.

In terms of application diversity, Vertex Pharmaceuticals leads the pack, while Massachusetts General Hospital and Ono Pharmaceutical stood in the second and third positions, respectively.

By means of geographic reach, ADC Therapeutics held the top position, followed by Pierre Fabre Foundation and C. H. Boehringer Sohn.

To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the pharmaceutical industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Pharmaceutical.

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.