The pharmaceutical industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is 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 136,000 patents filed and granted in the pharmaceutical industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Genomics in pharma: zinc-finger nucleases. Buy the report here.

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Data Insights Innovation in Pharmaceuticals: Zinc-finger nucleases

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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.

Zinc-finger nucleases is a key innovation area in genomics

Zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) are tools used in genetic engineering to cleave a chosen genomic sequence. It is a chimeric endonuclease, which consists of a custom-designed ZF DNA-binding domain and the non-specific nuclease domain from the FokI restriction enzyme. ZFNs are also used to create a new generation of genetic disease models called isogenic human disease models. They are the smallest type of programmable nuclease.

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 270 companies, spanning technology vendors, established pharmaceutical companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of zinc-finger nucleases.

Key players in zinc-finger nucleases – 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 zinc-finger nucleases

Sangamo Therapeutics is the leading patent holder for zinc-finger nucleases. By using its proprietary zinc finger platform, the company is engaged in the development of various pipeline candidates. The company's lead asset involving this technology is isaralgagene civaparvovec (ST 920). The company’s R&D is also focused on drugs for central nervous system, infections and genetic disorders. Furthermore, it is exploring various options for multiple other therapy areas and has filed several patents based on zinc finger nucleases.

In terms of application diversity, Precigen is the top company, followed by Corteva and Generation Bio.

By means of geographic reach, Precigen holds the top position. While Corteva and Generation Bio 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 Genomics.

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.