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 Innovation in Pharmaceuticals: Peptide-based inhibitors for cancer treatment. 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 stabilising 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. 

110 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 756,000 patents, there are 110 innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry. 

Within the emerging innovation stage, cell therapy for ocular disorders, coronavirus vaccine components, and DNA polymerase compositions are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Adeno-associated virus vectors, alcohol dehydrogenase compositions, and antibody serum stabilisers are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are anti-influenza antibody compositions and anti-interleukin-1, which are now well established in the industry. 

Innovation S-curve for the pharmaceutical industry 

Peptide-based inhibitors  are a key innovation area for cancer treatment

Peptide-based inhibitors penetrate tumours/tissues and their chemical modifications and production facilitate improved stability and pharmacokinetics. In comparison to proteins and antibodies, peptides are simpler to synthesise in various cells, can be coupled to a variety of substances, and can be modified in a variety of ways. Peptides have a longer shelf life due to their simplicity and ease of transport. As molecular targeting peptides, anti-cancer peptides penetrate the plasma membrane, nuclear membrane, and mitochondrial membrane of cancer cells, exerting pharmacological activity through various mechanisms (such as inhibiting DNA synthesis and cell division), thus causing apoptosis of cancer cells.

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 80+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established pharmaceutical companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of peptide-based inhibitors for cancer treatment.

Key players in peptide-based inhibitors for cancer treatment – a disruptive innovation in the pharmaceutical industry

‘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 peptide-based inhibitors for cancer treatment

Seagen is the leading patent filer in peptide-based inhibitors for cancer treatment. Seagen, formerly Seattle Genetics, develops and markets monoclonal antibody-based therapies for the treatment of cancer. Seagen’s products are based on its ADC and SEA technology, which focuses on the identification of monoclonal antibodies. The company sells its products through specialty distributors, with its headquarters being in Bothell, Washington, US. Besides Seagen, Takeda Pharmaceutical and Immatics are the other key patent filers of peptide-based inhibitors for the treatment of cancer.

In terms of application diversity, Ascentawits Pharmaceuticals is the top company, followed by OBI Pharma and Mabwell Shanghai Bioscience. By means of geographic reach, Onxeo holds the top position. Whilst Gilead Sciences and the German Cancer Research Center 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 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.