Red Biotech (Biopharma)

Red Biotech (Biopharma) Technology Overview

Biopharma, also known as ‘red’ biotech, encompasses biotechnological inventions for use in pharmaceutical research. Unlike ‘green’ plant biotechnology and ‘white’ industrial biotechnology, biopharma is dedicated to the development and production of pharmaceuticals and therapies. This includes drug delivery systems utilising responsive peptides and nanoparticles, vaccine development for viral infections and animal diseases, and monoclonal antibody creation for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. There have also been advancements in gene therapy and methods for detecting and treating cancers, as well as the use of engineered proteins and peptides for various medical conditions. Patented innovations in this field highlight novel compounds and formulations for treating metabolic disorders and autoimmune diseases and for enhancing immune responses.

Global Development of world class patents in red biotech (biopharma)

The patent analysis shows that red biotech (biopharma) is a major research area in terms of patent activity. The number of world class patents has risen steadily over the last 10 years.

Top 25 Countries

World class patents in biopharma are dominated by US-based researchers. The EU is in second position ahead of China and Japan.

Top 25 Companies

The Swiss company Roche holds the largest number of world-class patents in biopharmaceutical research. Its key research sites are located in Switzerland and the US. Other leading innovators include Bristol-Myers Squibb, Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co. and Novartis. The top research universities in terms of world-class patents are the University of California and Harvard.

Key connected technologies

Key research areas within biopharma research include immunotherapies, MRNA- and gene therapies, precision medicines, biomarkers and vaccines. Some biopharmaceutical research activities also overlap thematically with adjacent fields, such as green biotechnology, functional foods and advanced materials.

Key connected technologies for red biotech (biopharma) – country activities

The following chart shows which countries are active in key research areas or adjacent fields of red biotech. As can be seen, the US is the leading research location for all key biopharmaceutical technologies. Individual countries can be activated or deactivated by clicking on the corresponding circle in the legend.

Reading example: the number next to the listed technologies indicates the number of world-class patents in 2024. Immunotherapies are the most important area in terms of world-class patents, with the US responsible for over 70% of global world-class research. Patent applications involving researchers from more than one country are assigned to the countries of those researchers. Consequently, the total number of top research locations exceeds 100%.