The development trends of antineoplastics targeting PD-1/PD-L1 based on scientometrics and patentometrics

BackgroundThis paper aims to show the scientific research and technological development trends of antineoplastics targeting PD-1/PD-L1 based on scientometrics and patentometrics. Methodology/Principal FindingsPublications and patents related to antineoplastics targeting PD-1/PD-L1were searched and collected from the Web of Science (WoS) and the Derwent Innovation Index (DII) respectively. Totally, 11244 publications and 5501 patents were obtained. The publications were analyzed from the annual number, the top countries/regions and organizations to describe the scientific research trends in this field. The patents were analyzed from the annual number, the top priority countries and patent assignees to reveal the characteristics and status of technological development. As well as the identification of scientific research focus and technological development focus was based on the title and abstract of the publications and patents, using the freely available computer program VOSviewer for clustering and visualization analysis. The number of scientific publications and patent applications showed obvious increase of 29.84% and 33.46% in recent ten years (2009-2018), respectively. Results suggested that the most productive countries/regions publishing on antineoplastics targeting PD-1/PD-L1 were USA and China, and the top three productive organizations were all from USA, including Harvard University, VA Boston Healthcare System (VA BHS) and University Of California System. There were four scientific research focus: (1) immune escape mechanism, (2) biomarkers related to efficacy and prognosis, (3) immune-related adverse event, and (4) drug design and preparation, and five technological development focus: (1) testing methods and apparatus, (2) indications related to carcinoma, (3) biomarkers related to diagnosis and prognosis, (4) small molecule inhibitors, and (5) indications other than carcinoma. Conclusions/SignificanceThe results of this study presents an overview of the characteristics of research status and trends of antineoplastics targeting PD-1/PD-L1, which could help readers broaden innovative ideas and discover new technological opportunities, and also serve as important indicators for government policymaking.