Mapping the Landscape of Anti-Breast Cancer Drug Discovery in Saudi Arabia: A Bibliometric Analysis (2019-2023).

Abstract

Breast cancer, the most prevalent cancer worldwide, poses a significant public health challenge, especially in the advanced stages. According to the Saudi Health Council (2020), breast cancer is also the leading cancer in Saudi Arabia with recent increases in incidence rates. Over the past two decades, Saudi Arabia has made significant advancements in anti-breast cancer drug discovery driven by increased research funding, improved access to scientific resources, and enhanced education. This study aims to highlight Saudi Arabia's contributions to this field through a bibliometric analysis of anti-breast cancer drug discovery research published between 2019 and 2023. Using a comprehensive search strategy, 943 publications were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database and analyzed. Bibliometric tools such as VOSviewer and Microsoft Excel were used to highlight trends in publication output, research areas, and collaboration networks. The results reveal a steady increase in Saudi publications, rising from under 100 in 2019 to over 250 in 2023. The primary research areas were Chemistry (43.69%), Pharmacology/Pharmacy (23.65%), and Biochemistry (22.80%). Elsevier and MDPI were the leading publication platforms, while King Saud University was identified as the primary source of research funding (17.60%). Co-authorship networks revealed strong collaborations between Saudi institutions and international partners. The most frequent keywords reflected key research priorities within Saudi institutions, "anticancer", "molecular docking", and "nanoparticles". The most commonly studied therapeutic targets were EGFR, Caspase, and VEGF with a diverse range of therapeutic approaches including pyrimidines, nanoparticles, and natural products. This analysis highlights Saudi Arabia's growing contributions to the field of breast cancer drug discovery and provides a foundation for future research and collaboration.