Cancer clinical trials in Brazil: Limitations and possibilities for health innovation

Abstract 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.