The attached PDF file provides counts on the number of patents with various search terms in the specification (spec/”search term”), and the number of those patents that declare either government rights in the patents (govt/government), an assignment to the US government (an/”united states of america”), or both. The complete counts are in the PDF file. The queries were done by Claire Cassedy on December 5, 2014.
Among other things, the data provide a rough idea of the percentages of patents with government rights where the patent holder has declared a US government interest, due to US funding of the work that led to the invention. In one past audit of the Scripps Research Institute, DHHS found significant under-reporting of NIH funding of patented inventions (only about half the NIH funded inventions disclosed government funding), so this is probably an understatement.
As expected, the government’s interest in patents is highest for diseases like Ebola or Anthrax, followed by relative high percentages for infectious diseases and cancer, where NIH funding is extensive. Relatively lower (single digit) percentages are reported for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dementia, asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
KEI is open to suggestions as to how to expand this, in terms of technologies, diseases, time periods, or other dimensions.
The summary data for (govt/government or an/”united states of america”) are presented below:
| SPEC/"Search Term" | Total Patents (2010-2013) | Patents: "government interest" OR Assignee Name USA | Percent: "government interest" OR Assignee Name USA |
| Ebola | 1070 | 359 | 33.6% |
| Anthrax | 1730 | 434 | 25.1% |
| Vaccine | 8410 | 1594 | 19.0% |
| Influenza | 6435 | 1140 | 17.7% |
| Human papillomavirus virus | 946 | 167 | 17.7% |
| Leukemia | 13521 | 2292 | 17.0% |
| Prostate cancer | 8529 | 1386 | 16.3% |
| Breast cancer | 12139 | 1932 | 15.9% |
| HIV | 13818 | 2140 | 15.5% |
| Tuberculosis | 5140 | 789 | 15.4% |
| Melanoma | 9981 | 1491 | 14.9% |
| Sickle cell | 1913 | 279 | 14.6% |
| Malaria | 3126 | 450 | 14.4% |
| Lung cancer | 8568 | 1207 | 14.1% |
| Cancer | 38870 | 5318 | 13.7% |
| Liver cancer | 3587 | 488 | 13.6% |
| Lyme disease | 1380 | 176 | 12.8% |
| Leishmaniasis | 847 | 106 | 12.5% |
| Chagas | 529 | 60 | 11.3% |
| Cerebrovascular disease | 901 | 97 | 10.8% |
| HCV | 2554 | 274 | 10.7% |
| Renal disease | 1993 | 202 | 10.1% |
| Cardiovascular disease | 5399 | 517 | 9.6% |
| Diabetes | 20703 | 1769 | 8.5% |
| Dementia | 5874 | 427 | 7.3% |
| Asthma | 11490 | 792 | 6.9% |
| Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) | 4134 | 259 | 6.3% |