Objective: To expose the current situation of the Brazilian Nuclear Medicine in relation to innovation, taking into account the Intellectual Property protection and the particularities of this field. Methods: The number and the origin of patents filings from Brazil, United States and European Patent Convention countries were retrospectively compared in a 20-year period. Results: The number of accumulated patents filings of conventional pharmaceuticals was ten times higher compared to the radiopharmaceuticals in the three regions studied. Conclusion: The largest number of Brazilian patents filings corresponded to the international patent applications, which is related to the country development conditions, as well as to the difficulties in the process of patent filing.