THE INNOVATION AND PROTECTION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY IN BRAZIL: ANALYSIS OF THE NATIONAL DEPENDENCE OF FOREIGN PHARMACEUTICAL TECHNOLOGY

The present work intends to investigate the national dependence of the foreign pharmaceutical technology, from the analysis of the development of innovative technologies in the country and the number of Brazilian patents. In fact, in Brazil, the important dedication in the production of generic medicines has surpassed the development of new technologies and innovative drugs by the country itself Thus, although it has a significant potential for innovation, with a significant scientific production, publishing in impact journals, having a significant number of researchers, having one of the largest economies in the world and investing considerably in research, Brazil has difficulty transforming its research into technological innovations and, consequently, into patents. The analysis of the number of patents, the deficit in the trade balance, the nationality of the medicines most purchased by the population and the most requested drugs from the judiciary, are analyzed in this study. These elements make it possible to assume that, in addition to the position of superiority of multinational industries, there is a possibility of repercussion on the prices of medicines in the domestic market due to the use of intellectual property. Besides that, the absence of national technology contributes to the non-acquisition of certain essential medicines, making the development of new technologies and the obtaining of pharmaceutical patents fundamental for the national technological autonomy and, consequently, for the health treatment of the population.