Despite advances in research and technology, cancer remains a global threat to health. According to the European Cancer Information System (ECIS), almost one in three men (31%) and one in four women (25%) in the European Union (EU) is diagnosed with cancer before they reach the age of 75. In the EU alone, more than five million lives have been saved thanks to inventions in oncology. To mark World Cancer Day on February 4, the European Patent Office (EPO) has published a new study on patents and innovations in the fight against cancer. It examines technological progress in this field. Between 2015 and 2021, inventions in the fight against cancer increased by 70% - measured by the annual number of international patent families (IPF) in this field. Austria has also contributed to this development. In the last 20 years, 647 international patent families have been filed by Austrian companies and research institutions. The country ranks eleventh in Europe for patented cancer-fighting technologies.
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01. February 2024