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23 February 2021Big PharmaMuireann Bolger

COVID-19 spurs medical and pharma rise in ‘Top 100 Global Innovators’ report

Innovation by medical and pharma sectors has increased over the past year in the wake of the pandemic, a new report by IP services company Clarivate has confirmed.

In the 10th edition of the “Top 100 Global Innovators 2021” report, released today, 23 February, the US has retained its top spot with 42 organisations listed, trailed by Japan with 29 listed organisations.

Amid COVID-19, the medical, biotech and pharma industries have increased their weight in this year’s Top 100, with medical and biotech companies comprising 4% of the list. Pharma companies made up 6% of this year’s listed companies, an increase of 2% since 2019.

Biotech Roche has emerged as the sole company from these sectors to have made the Top 100 list for 10 consecutive years. Roche is the world's number largest biotechnology company with 17 biopharmaceuticals on the market.

Abbott, Bayer,  BD, Boston Scientific, Bristol Myers Squibb, Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic, Novartis and Philips also make the list.

The annual report identifies companies at the forefront of the global innovation landscape and this year, the top 100 companies come from three continents and 14 countries/regions.

The survey is based on data derived from Clarivate’s patent solutions: Derwent World Patents Index (DWPI) and Derwent Patent Citations Index (DPCI) and uses four factors: volume of patents, influence, success and globalisation.

But this year the report also recorded two fewer entries from France and three fewer from Japan.

The report stated that the companies that have remained on the Top 100 list for the past ten years display significant growth well above both market averages and the companies that have exited the list—even as patent activity remains comparable. This study pointed to the influence and novelty of these companies' patented research.

Jeff Roy, president of the IP group at Clarivate, said: “We congratulate this year’s Top 100 companies, particularly the 29 all-time recipients, that have consistently raised the bar of innovation excellence.”

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