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Background Brazil is a country of continental dimensions with great potential for the development of clinical studies across the whole territory to tackle the needs of the population. It is therefore important to obtain the national profile of clinical trials in order to identify local strengths and weaknesses in terms of productivity and study application. Thus, this paper aims to highlight the profiles of clinical studies on cancer developed and sponsored by hospitals, institutes, universities and international institutions in Brazil between 1997 and 2015. Methods This is a retrospective and analytical study in which the content analysis method of Laurence Bardin was used. Data were collected from the clinicaltrials.gov database, where 783 clinical studies on cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment were found; 188 (24 %) of these corresponded to national initiatives and 595 (76 %) to international initiatives. Results The results show an increase in the number of national clinical studies, in particular phase III studies. There is a clear absence of national clinical studies focusing on the development of new chemical and biotechnological products in oncology. Conclusion The results indicate a regional imbalance in the distribution of national and international clinical trials. Policy summary The present study aims to improve understanding of the profile of clinical studies registered in Brazil and to draw attention to the improvements needed in the health sector's productivity to address the national demand.

The present study describes the geographical and sectorial profile of chemical and biotechnological patents, regarding prevention, diagnosis, and treatment for the most frequent cancer types in Brazil that are currently registered in the Brazilian National Institute of Industrial Property – INPI, from 1998 until 2013. The steps taken to generate competitive advantage in the Brazilian oncological drug market are discussed and an analytic sectional survey was performed using the INPI database. In addition, a literature review on technology and scientific development was conducted using the Porter's Diamond of National Advantage model. From 503 requests for patents, 41.4% corresponded to breast cancer, 13.7% lung cancer, 38.6% prostate, and 6.4% cervical cancer. Regarding the sectors and countries involved, the vast majority (74.4%) came from the pharmaceutical industry: mainly from the USA and Switzerland. According to the analysis and the Porter Diamond Model, we concluded that Brazil is uncompetitive in cancer R&DI.

Cancer has high incidence in both developed and developing countries. Epidemiological data on the rate of cancer incidence in Brazil appears not to have a strong impact on government policies to fund research and innovation in health, particularly in oncology. This study aimed to verify this suspicion by retrospectively analysing data from the Brazilian government’s Financier of Studies and Projects (Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos, FINEP) and The National Institute of Industrial Property (Instituto Nacional da Propriedade Industrial, INPI) on cancer research and innovation in Brazil from 1998 to 2013. Our results indicated that, in the study period, the increased rate of cancer incidence in Brazil was not accompanied by government funding for cancer research since only 9% of the budget approved to health research, and innovation, was spent on cancer research. In addition, the number of projects approved for developing infrastructure to support cancer research was limited, corresponding to 0.46% of the total budget. The number of applications for registration of patents of chemical and biotechnological drugs for cancer showed a reduction, reflecting the low investment in oncology. In conclusion, there are deficits in governmental funding of cancer research and innovation in Brazil. Therefore, effective measures to coordinate funding policies and effective criteria for funding allocation should be implemented to avoid further negative consequences for the population and the public health scenario. Moreover, increased governmental and non-governmental funding could help to improve the current precarious situation that limits the population’s access to health goods and services.