Who are the leading innovators in oncolytic viral proteins for the pharmaceutical industry?

MEEFRO May 15, 2023

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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 Immuno-oncology in Pharmaceuticals: Oncolytic viral proteins.

According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over 756,000 patents to analyse innovation intensity for the pharmaceutical industry, there are 110 innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.

Oncolytic viral proteins is a key innovation area in immuno-oncology

Oncolytic viruses (OVs) work by two main mechanisms: direct lysis of virus-infected cancer cells and release of tumour antigens as viral bursts. OVs can be attenuated natural viruses or recombinant viruses. A major strategy for OV development is genetic manipulation to weaken virus pathogenicity, enhance target selectivity, reduce adverse reactions, and/or insert exogenous therapeutic genes into the virus genome.

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 120+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established pharmaceutical companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of oncolytic viral proteins.

Key players in oncolytic viral proteins – 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 oncolytic viral proteins

Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics

PsiOxus Therapeutics is the leading patent filer in oncolytic viral proteins. Akamis Bio, formerly PsiOxus Therapeutics, develops and discovers therapies for the treatment of cancer and other related diseases. The company utilises T-SIGn, a tumour-specific immuno gene platform to develop gene therapies for primary and metastatic solid tumours. Its platform has capabilities to be used in combination with CAR-T and other cell therapies to overcome poor immune cell infiltration, immunosuppressive properties of tumour microenvironment, and systematic toxicity issues. The company has an operational presence in the US and the UK (headquartered in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, UK). Sillajen and Advaxis are the other key patent filers of oncolytic viral proteins.

In terms of application diversity, Agenus is the top company, followed by Elicio Therapeutics and Selecta Biosciences. By means of geographic reach, Turnstone Biologics holds the top position. Rubius Therapeutics and Pathovax 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 Immuno-Oncology – Thematic Research.