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Emory among top 100 worldwide universities granted U.S. patents

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Holly Korschun

Emory University is ranked 47th in the world among universities granted U.S. utility patents in 2018, according to a new report released by the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) and the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO). According to the report, Emory was granted 50 patents in 2018. 

The report, based on data obtained from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, recognizes the important role patents play in university research. The NAI and IPO compile the rankings each year by calculating the number of utility patents granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that list a university as the first assignee on the printed patent. For more information, view the full report of the Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted Patents in 2018 here.

Emory has been ranked in the top 100 for each of the six years the report has been issued. This year’s ranking of 47th is its highest, tying with Georgia Tech Research Corporation.

The ongoing success of our patent program reflects the high quality of our faculty and their research, as well as the expertise of Emory’s Office of Technology Transfer and its in-house patent group,” says Deborah W. Bruner, RN, PhD, Emory senior vice president of research administration. “We are proud to be included in these rankings by the National Academy of Inventors for the 6th year.”

Emory obtained patents covering a variety of biomedical technologies including:

  • Potential drugs to treat viral infections including zika, West Nile, and dengue

  • Potential drugs to treat cancers, including those typically resistant to traditional chemotherapies

  • Potential drugs to treat neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s as well as depression

  • Additives to extend the storage of donated platelets

  • MRI-based software to help plan cardiovascular surgery

  • New adjuvants to improve the effectiveness of vaccines

  • Surgical instruments to improve intra-heart surgeries

The NAI and IPO have published the Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents report annually since 2013. The information provided in this report is based on data obtained from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and the rankings are based upon the number of utility patents granted in the 2018 calendar year. When a patent is assigned to one or more entities, credit is given to the first named entity. For the purposes of this report, a university is defined as an institution that grants undergraduate-level degrees.

About the National Academy of Inventors

The National Academy of Inventors is a member organization comprising U.S. and international universities, governmental and non-profit research institutes, and federal agencies with over 4,000 individual inventor members and Fellows spanning more than 250 institutions. It was founded in 2010 at the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL to recognize and encourage inventors with patents issued from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, enhance the visibility of academic technology and innovation, encourage the disclosure of intellectual property, educate and mentor innovative students, and translate the inventions of its members to benefit society.

About the IPO

The Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO), established in 1972, is a trade association for owners of patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets. IPO is the only association in the U.S. that serves all intellectual property owners in all industries and all fields of technology. IPO advocates for effective and affordable IP ownership rights and provides a wide array of services to members, including: supporting member interests relating to legislative and international issues; analyzing current IP issues; information and educational services; and disseminating information to the general public on the importance of intellectual property rights.


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