To mark World Cancer Day, the European Patent Office (EPO) publishes today a study on national contributions to cancer innovations between 2002 and 2021. In France, Servier is third in the ranking of the most innovative players. This achievement testifies to our ongoing commitment to shaping innovations that can significantly impact the lives of patients with rare and hard-to-treat cancers.
This third place reflects our ambition to be an innovative player in oncology
In the EPO report, which ranks Europe’s leading contributors to innovation in oncology, Servier is recognized as one of France’s three most innovative leaders in the fight against cancer.
Patents filed between 2002 and 2021 were included in the study. Most notably, they demonstrate our successful commitment to oncology, which has accelerated since 2018. Our portfolio now includes seven medicines available to patients that target cancers with a high unmet medical need. Our focus on oncology is also reflected in a robust pipeline of thirty-five R&D projects as of January 2024.
In line with our ambition to innovate for patients, we now allocate over 70% of our R&D budget to oncology, with the aim of developing innovative therapeutic solutions for patients with unmet or inadequately met medical needs.
“This ranking is a clear reflection of Servier’s determination to shape the future of oncology healthcare. Of all the patents we have filed since 2002, almost half have been filed between 2017 and 2022, tangible proof of our ongoing commitment to scientific innovation in oncology. They attest to our commitment to make a significant impact on patients’ lives, reinforcing our position as pioneers in the field of oncology research.”
Walid Kamoun, Director Oncology R&D at Servier
Cancer: Constant need to innovate for patients
According to the European Cancer Information System (ECIS), 31% of men and 25% of women in the European Union will be diagnosed with cancer before the age of 75. Cancer is the second leading cause of mortality in the world1, and it is steadily increasing. Therapeutic needs are therefore considerable, which is why scientific innovation is so important for patients.
The study published by the EPO highlights that, over the last two decades, innovations in the oncology sector have helped to save more than five million patients in the European Union alone.
+70 %
The number of innovations to fight cancer has increased by 70% since 2015, according to the EPO’s study “Patents and innovation against cancer”.
France has contributed to the filing of 5,078 international patent families2, making it the third most innovative country in Europe.
More specifically, French innovation is driven by three main sectors: personalized medicine, vaccines, and radio sensitization, as well as more recently by immunotherapy and targeted therapy – a field in which Servier is particularly innovative.
Targeted therapies as cancer treatments
As oncology moves towards increasingly personalized therapeutic approaches, targeted therapies are providing solutions tailored to patients’ needs, particularly for difficult-to-treat cancers where there are still too few therapeutic options.