Who are the leading innovators in genetically modified animal models for the pharmaceutical industry?

MEEFRO February 16, 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 Innovation in Pharmaceuticals: Genetically modified animal models.

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 therapies, which are now well established in the industry.

Innovation S-curve for the pharmaceutical industry

Genetically modified animal models is a key innovation area in the pharmaceutical industry

A genetically modified animal is one whose genetic material has been altered by adding, changing, or removing certain DNA sequences to introduce a new trait or change a characteristic such as the disease resistance of an animal. These animals have been used as a key tool in functional genomics to generate models for human diseases and to validate new drugs. The methodologies used for transfecting the gene include zinc fingers nucleases (ZFN), transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN), and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR).

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 190+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established pharmaceutical companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of genetically modified animal models.

Key players in genetically modified animal models – 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’.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals is one of the leading patent filers in the generation of genetically modified animal models. The Regeneron Genetics Center (RGC) is an integrated research initiative that improves patient care by using genomic approaches to expedite drug discovery and development. By using its VelociSuite technology platform, the company enabled the development of one in five of all original, FDA-approved fully human monoclonal antibodies currently on the pharmaceutical market. VelociSuite technologies provides vital services to assist in the drug discovery and development process.

In terms of application diversity, Eli Lilly is the top company, followed by C. H. Boehringer Sohn, and Omeros. By means of geographic reach, Ligand Pharmaceuticals holds the top position, while Ozgene, and C. H. Boehringer Sohn are in the second and third position, respectively.

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