Organ-on-a-chip as a next-generation tool in drug development: A bibliometric and patent analysis

Organ-on-a-chip (OoC) platforms are microengineered systems that combine microfluidic control with living cells to emulate the physiological functions of human tissues and organs in vitro. OoC has become a transformative tool in pharmaceutical research, offering unprecedented capabilities for predicting drug efficacy, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity with human-relevant precision. This study presents a comprehensive scientometric and patent landscape analysis of OoC studies in pharmaceutical sciences spanning 2008-2025. Using CiteSpace, we mapped 1,786 publications to identify influential authors, landmark works, and temporal shifts in thematic focus. Keyword burst and clustering analyses reveal emerging frontiers in multi-organ integration, disease modeling, and drug screening. Patent data indicate a rapid expansion since 2016, led by China and the United States, underscoring a translational trajectory from fundamental research to applied biotechnology. These findings delineate the evolving intellectual and technological framework of organ-on-a-chip research in drug development and highlight future priorities in multi-organ systems, biomaterials optimization, and clinical translation.