Abstract
This study aimed to present the overview of innovation in the pharmaceutical industry. This descriptive research used the 2000, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2011 and 2014 editions of the Innovation Survey (PINTEC). The following items were investigated in the Manufacturing Industry and Pharmaceuticals sector: Average Net Sales Revenue, Average Expenditures on innovative activities and their 8 types of Expenses, and the degree of importance (high and medium) captured by 13 variables of impact in the innovative activities. The main results point to the evolution of innovation in the pharmaceutical industry over the years from the increasing investments in several areas, such as the acquisition of other external knowledge; acquisition of machinery and equipment; introduction of technological innovations in the market and industrial design and other technical preparations. Also, the results showed an increase in the average Net Sales Revenue in the sector under study and the difference of this average in relation to the average of the Net Sales Revenue of the manufacturing industries, which was always higher.