Five years of drug patenting

A preliminary analysis of almost 34,000 pharmaceutical patents is presented , based on data from the Investigational Drugs database (IDdb). Internation al (PCT) applications currently account for almost 80% of the qualifying in novations, compared with only 50% in 1994. Anti-infectives and antineoplast ics 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, SE is seen to be ta rgeting anti-infectives and cardiovascular disorders rather than cancer.