Are patents important indicators of innovation for Chagas disease treatment?

IntroductionChagas disease is a neglected, endemic disease in 21 countries, spreading to non-endemic countries too. Like other neglected diseases affecting primarily low- and middle-income countries, low investment and the absence of new chemical entities from the industry occurred. Increased knowledge about the parasite, drug targets, and vector control has been observed, but this was not translated into new drugs. The partnerships of pharmaceutical companies with academies and consolidated networks to increment the new drugs and treatment research in Chagas disease are shown. The current review analyzes in detail the patents dealing with compounds candidates for new drugs and treatment. The patent search was performed using Orbit Intelligence (R) software in the 2001-2021 period.Areas coveredThe author focused specifically on patents for the treatment, the new candidates disclosed in the patents, and the barriers to innovation.Expert opinionPatents in Chagas disease have been increasing in the last years, although they do not bring new compounds to an effective treatment.