International Drug Repurposing Patent Landscaping, Part 2: The Early Months of Covid-19

This study presents and discusses international patent applications claiming known pharmaceutical agents for repurposed use in the treatment of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19). These applications were published by the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) during the second half of 2021, corresponding to filings made during the first six months of the pandemic (January to June 2020). Of the 93 identified documents, 46 claimed agents that had been approved, were in development, or had been discontinued as antiparasitics, antibiotics, anticancer agents, or immunomodulators. The remaining 47 documents concerned a wide variety of other original uses, from psychiatry to osteoporosis, and correspondingly diverse mechanisms of action. The most significant patent applications are presented and discussed in brief. The landscape of patent applications seeking to repurpose pharmaceutical agents for use in the treatment of Covid-19, filed during the early stages of the pandemic, is impressive. It provides insight into the intellectual property track pursued by industry, academia, and government organizations during these tumultuous months.