TTUHSC Among National Academy of Inventors Top 100

U.S. Universities Recognized for Innovation in Utility Patents Ranking

• By Suzanna Cisneros
• March 19, 2026
• Research

For the fourth consecutive year, the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) today (March 19) ranked the Texas Tech University System (TTU System) among the Top 100 U.S. Universities Granted Utility Patents for 2025. The TTU System, which includes Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) ranked 70th.

In 2025, the TTU System was granted 26 patents. Of the issued patents, TTUHSC researchers contributed to nine.

The NAI created the Top 100 U.S. Universities Granted Utility Patents list to highlight and celebrate U.S. academic institutions which play a large role in advancing innovation through the critical step of securing their intellectual property through patents. This enables and empowers researchers to translate their inventions, bringing important technologies to the marketplace, bolstering the economy and creating tangible societal solutions. 

“The Texas Tech University System is proving that world-changing innovation is increasingly stemming from West Texas,” TTU System Chancellor Brandon Creighton said. “This recognition by the National Academy of Inventors reflects the unmatched potential of our faculty and researchers, whose talent, determination and ingenuity are advancing discovery across our campuses. From West Texas to the world, they are turning bold ideas into solutions that improve lives and strengthen the future of our state and nation.”

TTUHSC Executive Vice President for Research and Innovation Lance R. McMahon, Ph.D., said these latest rankings demonstrate the commitment of the university to translate discoveries into health care innovations. 

“Nine patents in a single year is an impressive achievement for TTUHSC,” McMahon said. “We are fortunate to have such talented and creative inventors among our faculty ranks, and to receive critical guidance and support from a very strong Texas Tech University System Office of Research Commercialization led by Jennifer Souter.” 

TTUHSC patents include the following:

• U.S. 12,202,785 “Modified tetracycline for treatment of alcohol use disorder, pain and other disorders involving potential inflammatory processes,” Susan E. Bergeson, Peter Syapin, Ted W. Reid, Mayank Shastri, Phat Tran
• U.S. 12,208,108 “Drug targets of delayed aging and human brain diseases,” Hemachandra Reddy, Chandra Sekhar Kurova
• U.S. 12,281,145 “Truncated dysferlin for treatment of dysferlinopathy,” Matthew Louis Hirsch, R. Bryan Sutton
• U.S. 12,286,452 “Amphiphilic aminoglycoside connexin hemichannel inhibitors,” Guillermo A. Altenberg, Cheng-Wei Tom Chang
• U.S. 12,331,333 “Enhancers of neurolysin activity,” Vardan T. Karamyan, Paul Trippier, David A. Ostrov, Tom Abbruscato, Srinidhi Jayaraman
• U.S. 12,338,204 “Substituted bisphenylalkylurea compounds and methods of treating breast cancer,” Nadezhda German, Ruwein Zhang, Wei Wang, Constantinos Mikelis, Luca Cucullo
• U.S. 12,435,380 “Compositions and methods for the diagnosis and treatment of ALT cancer,” Charles P. Reynolds, Balakrishna Koneru, Shawn Macha
• U.S. 12,486,219, “Modified tetracyclines for treatment of alcohol use disorder, pain and other disorders involving potential inflammatory processes,” Susan E. Bergeson, Ted W. Reid, Mayank Shashstri, Peter Syapin, Phat Tran
• U.S. 12,491,191 “Inhibition of interaction between OCT4 and MAPKAPK2 or DNA-PKcs to regulate c-MYC in cancer,” Min H. Kang, Sung-Jen Wei, Charles P. Reynolds

View the entire list of NAI’s Top U.S. Universities Granted Utility Patents in 2025 here.

The TTU System is one of the top public university systems in the nation, providing exceptional academic offerings and world-class research and innovation. Comprising three academic universities and two health-related institutions, the TTU System includes Texas Tech University, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Angelo State University, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso and Midwestern State University. The system is one of only nine in the nation to offer programs in undergraduate, medical, law, nursing, pharmacy, dental and veterinary education.