The Race of mRNA therapy: Evidence from Patent Landscape

mRNA therapy is gaining worldwide attention as an emerging therapeutic approach. The widespread use of mRNA vaccines during the COVID-19 outbreak has demonstrated the potential of mRNA therapy. As mRNA-based drugs have expanded and their indications have broadened, more patents for mRNA innovations have emerged. The global patent landscape for mRNA therapy has not yet been analyzed, indicating a research gap in need of filling, from new technology to productization. This study uses social network analysis with the patent quality assessment to investigate the temporal trends, citation relationship, and significant litigation for 16,101 mRNA therapy patents and summarizes the hot topics and potential future directions for this industry. The information obtained in this study not only may be utilized as a tool of knowledge for researchers in a comprehensive and integrated way but can also provide inspiration for efficient production methods for mRNA drugs. This study shows that infectious diseases and cancer are currently the primary applications for mRNA drugs. Emerging patent activity and lawsuits in this field are demonstrating that delivery technology remains one of the key challenges in the field and that drug-targeting research in combination with vector technology will be one of the major directions for the industry going forward. With significant funding, new organizations have developed novel delivery technologies in an attempt to break into the patent thicket established by companies such as Arbutus. The global mRNA therapeutic landscape is undergoing a multifaceted development pattern, and the monopoly of giant companies is being challenged.