This study of SmithKline Beecham over 4 years shows that the company's patenting activity has increased strongly in recent years, as a proportion of total pharmaceutical patents published. The patent protection for a majority of their inventions is only sought in a relatively modest range of 15-20 countries, with heavy emphasis on Western Europe, the US and Japan. There has been a shift towards the US as the priority country of choice - it now accounts for just under 50% of all first filings. The company's collaboration with academia seems strong relative to other pharmaceutical company's output. The main therapeutic field is anti-infectives. companies, and their long standing relationship with Human Genome Sciences continues to yield a substantial number of patent filings. The top 34 inventors (10 or more inventions each) account for just over 60% of the company's output. The main therapeutic field is anti-infectives.
