Analysis of patents related to technology to combat bioterrorism and biological warfare

Resumo

The use of biological weapons in terrorist acts is not a recent phenomenon. Since ancient times, several countries have experienced the devastation caused by the use of biological material harmful to human and animal health and the environment. In recent years, however, the imminent risk of bioterrorist attacks worldwide has reignited the debate on public policies to address this problem. In this sense, this study aimed to map and analyze patents related to combating bioterrorism and biological warfare, focusing on the virus as a biological agent due to its high intercontinental transmissibility. The method used for this consisted of structured searches in the Espacenet® database, resulting in 352 patent deposits between 1996 and 2021. The results showed that 41.8% of the deposits had companies as holders. It was also noted that the United States dominates the market for technologies to combat bioterrorism and biological warfare, with 61.4% of patent deposits made. The technological field ranges from the early detection and disinfection of pathogens to pharmaceutical compositions for treating people or affected areas. Thus, it became evident that efforts are being made to develop different technological solutions to prevent or neutralize the harmful effects of biological weapons used for terrorist purposes.