The presentation focuses on evolution of patenting trends with evolution of chickenpox virus, post development of first vaccine by Dr. Michiaki Takahashi

1. CHICKEN POX AND
IP
RESEARCH AND DATA COMPILATION BY
SUSHMA KC
NARENDRA BHATTA HL
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COURTESY: DOODLE FROM GOOGLE

2. A LITTLE BACKGROUND FOR THE UNINITIATED
The relationship between Viruses and humans, can be traced back to the
emergence of human civilization.
The nature, form and complexities of the viruses have co-evolved along
with the human race.
Time and again, the human intellect is challenged on many fronts to
mitigate the onslaught of these viruses, just like any political wars that
have occurred.
Casualties here too have been dramatic in many instances, just like the
war.
A major difference here, is the enemy is not hiding behind the lines but
waging a war from within.
Like in any war, having heroes, here too heroes emerged fighting the war
within. One such war is against Chicken pox, an infection caused by the
varicella-zoster virus having a molecular mass of about 8 to 35 kDa.
one such hero, who gave the world, its first dose from freedom, from the
virus, was Japanese Virologist Dr. Michiaki Takahashi.
Born on 17th February 1928, in Osaka, Japan, Dr. Michiaki developed
the first vaccine in the year 1974 against the chicken pox disease from
the Oka strain.
We have traced the evolution of patents, along with the evolution of virus,
that has a history of over four decades.
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3. Geographical distribution of patents related
to chicken pox vaccine
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The topmost country to file around 800 patent applications is Japan,
followed by US and China to file patent applications above 300 for
inventions related to chicken pox vaccine.
Japan still stands first among the top 10 countries filing patents related
to chicken pox vaccine. Dr. Michiaki Takahashi, had filed more than 10
patents related to chicken pox vaccines.
:

4. The top ten inventors for patents related to chicken pox vaccine, along
with Dr. Michiaki, is depicted in the graph
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Country wise distribution of patents of Dr. Michiaki shows that US was
the first country in which the patent was filed in 1991.
Subsequently, after a gap of nearly 8 years, one application was filed in
Canada and the filing trend continued till 2008.
An increase in the filing trend was witnessed in the year 2004 in multiple
countries, so did the era for vaccination drive too began to increase.
PATENTS DISTRIBUTION

5. 5
Inferences:
The surge in patent filing, that occurred by 2001, lagged the surge in
invention through various waves of infection plateauing after 2007.
Initially patent grants ranging between 20 to 40 per year are observed
between 2004 to 2010. Subsequently, an increase between 75 to 100
patents per year was observed by around 2011 to 2020.
Comparison of Filing and Grant trend (1980 to 2020) with virus infection
trend during same period
Source: Declining incidence of chickenpox in the absence of universal childhood
immunisation | Archives of Disease in Childhood (bmj.com)
PATENTS DISTRIBUTION

6. 6
The clusters bubbles denote the top technologies in which the patent
applications were filed by Dr. Michiaki Takahashi.
TECHNOLOGY DISTRIBUTION
Overall technology landscape shows spread of
technology with the evolution of virus, a majority of
them being around the core technologies covered by

7. 7
Facts and Figures:
Chicken pox resulted in 7,000 deaths in 2013, and resulted in 6,400
deaths globally in 2015 from about 8,900 in 1990. With the
development of vaccines the no. of deaths so far have gradually
reduced.
Moreover, with the increase in National Immunization Programmes the
death from chicken pox has reduced from 88% to 97%, along with the
increase of vaccine efficiency up to 90%.
Resource database- Relecura
Conclusion:
The self adaptability of the virus to thrive at variable temperature range,
acute stress environment and to even thrive in space is what makes it
superior above all.
The prevalent surroundings definitely enabled these viruses to engineer
themselves and evolve continuously with greater resistance to its
antagonists.
Dr. Michiaki’s efforts in developing the first ever vaccine from the Oka
strain and his continued efforts to develop technologies surrounding the
core technology has resulted in increased Patent filings, the trend that
co-evolved with the evolution of the virus, resulting in diversification of
technology areas, leading to multi-disciplinary activity. His contribution
shall be remembered for centuries to come
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VIRUS v VACCINE…. The war continues