Brasília – The 16th National Forum on Technological Innovation in Health, organized by the Instituto Ação Responsável, brought together government officials, parliamentarians, industry leaders, and researchers to discuss the challenges and opportunities for strengthening innovation in Brazil’s health sector. The discussions centered on how technology can drive industrial development, access to care, and the sustainability of the Unified Health System (SUS).

The Ministry of Health emphasized three strategic fronts: regulation, including the implementation of the new Clinical Trials Law and the modernization of the drug pricing policy; investment in strategic research areas such as genomics and cancer; and the use of public procurement to stimulate national production. Anvisa reaffirmed its commitment to innovation, citing efforts to modernize processes, support startups, and expand the use of artificial intelligence, while the Ministry of Development, Industry and Commerce (MDIC) highlighted the Nova Indústria Brasil (NIB) program and the “Mais Produção” plan, which will make R$ 23 billion in credit available to the health sector.

Lawmakers Flávia Morais (PDT-GO) and Érika Kokay (PT-DF) called for balanced incorporation of new technologies into the SUS, linking innovation with affordability, transparency, and national autonomy. Fiocruz presented advances in gene and cell therapies (CAR-T) and mRNA vaccine technology, stressing the need to expand clinical research capacity and ensure equitable access to advanced treatments.

Industry representatives also urged reforms to pricing and regulatory frameworks, with ALANAC defending a new rule to stimulate incremental innovation, while GSK and Biomérieux pointed to delays in implementation of incorporated technologies as a major barrier to patient access.

Participants agreed that innovation must be at the heart of Brazil’s health policy, combining public-private collaboration, sustainable financing, and national production to strengthen the Health Economic-Industrial Complex and enhance the country’s technological sovereignty.

Source: NK Consultores

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