China Steps Closer To Offering An SPC System

A recent public consultation raises the prospect of extending patent terms in China by up to five years; greater data protection, as well as patent linkage, are also being mooted.

GreatWall
Generics could soon face an additional barrier to entry in China in the form of supplementary protection certificates • Source: Shutterstock

Supplementary protection certificates (SPCs) have taken a step closer to being implemented in China after the National People’s Congress completed a one-month public consultation period on draft amendments to the Chinese Patent Law. The proposed amendments form part of a broader move towards stronger intellectual property (IP) protection in China that also includes pharmaceutical data exclusivity.

Acting on a State Council resolution, China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) proposed a general framework for patent linkage and...

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