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Background: Increased global cancer incidence rates have led to a growing demand for cancer diagnosis and treatment, as well as basic and clinical research on the subject. The expansion of clinical cancer trials beyond the borders of highly developed countries has aided the arrival of these assessments in South American countries. In this context, this study’s objective is to highlight clinical cancer trial profiles developed and sponsored by pharmaceutical companies and conducted in South American countries from 2010 to 2020. Methods: This study comprises descriptive and retrospective research conducted following a search for clinical trials (phases I, II and III), registered at clinicaltrials.gov, carried out in Latin American countries and sponsored by pharmaceutical companies (“Argentina”, “Brazil”, “Chile”, “Peru”, “Colombia”, “Ecuador”, “Uruguay”, “Venezuela”, “Paraguay”, “Bolivia”), registered between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2020. A total of 1451 clinical trials were retrieved, of which 200 trials unrelated to cancer were excluded and 646 duplicates were removed, leading to a final total of 605 clinical trials employing qualitative and quantitative analyses. Results: A 122% increase in the number of clinical trial registrations from 2010 to 2020 was noted, with a prevalence of phase III studies (431 trials of a total of 605). Lung (119), breast (100), leukemia (42), prostate (39) and melanoma (32) were the main cancers tested for new drugs. Conclusions: The data reported herein indicate the need for strategic basic and clinical research planning that considers South American epidemic cancer profiles.

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.