David Goldfarb patent most influential in recent years

An analysis by Reuters and its sister company Thomas Reuters IP & Science revealed that U.S. Patent No. 8,642,660 is the most cited discovery to emerge from all fields of academic research in recent years. The patent, whose sole inventor is David Goldfarb, describes a set of drug-like molecules that extend yeast lifespan under assay conditions.  Reuters reported that 108 patents cited Goldfarb's discovery between 2008-2012.  A follow-up patent demonstrated that some of these molecules are active in mammalian age-associated disease models.