Tagged with S

UK Last year the UK-based pharma industry warned against the country’s waning competitiveness, condemning the government’s statutory scheme designed to control drug prices. UK-headquartered AstraZeneca joined the battle cry, claiming it would be choosing Ireland over Britain, a decision the company has now more than revised with a GBP 650 million…

Switzerland The biggest pharma news from Switzerland, including the industry’s cautious reaction to a new free trade deal with India; the drop in Roche’s share prices; Novartis’ acquisiton of MorphoSys, and the licence agreement between EraCal Therapeutics and Novo Nordisk.   Swiss industry welcomes agreement with India, pharma more cautious (Le…

Pharma Legal Handbook 1. Please describe the main cost containment policies in place in your country and their fundamental principles   a. Pricing and impact of generic/biosimilar approval Currently there are no policies in place in this regard.   b. Clawback/Payback/Discounts/Rebates In Portugal, the main mechanism for cost-containment is the prior evaluation, regulated…

China The latest news from Chinese pharma, including progress on the US Senate bill targeting BGI and WuXi AppTec, a report on why drug research is slowing in the country, and why Chinese firms are targeting global deals to navigate the capital crunch.   US Senate bill targeting China’s BGI, WuXi…

India Clinical trials will be a pivotal part of India’s attempts to scale the global pharmaceutical value chain. Following a series of well-publicised scandals in the early 2010s, the country tightened up its clinical research regulations and saw a significant drop in trial numbers. However, with a revised regulatory landscape, a…

Pharma Legal Handbook 1. What are the regulatory authorities with jurisdiction over drugs, biologicals, and medical devices in your country? Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (Ministerie van Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Sport) The policy and regulation of drugs (‘medicinal products’), biologicals and medical devices falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Health,…

Pharma Legal Handbook 1. Are clinical trials required to be conducted locally as a condition (stated or implicit) for marketing approval? No, clinical trials do not have to be conducted locally as a condition for marketing approval. This is not one of the prerequisite conditions for approval of the clinical trial protocol, which…

Pharma Legal Handbook 1. What is the authorization process for the marketing of new drugs, biologics, medical devices, non-prescription medications, and other medicinal products? Please refer to Chapter 1, Question 3.   2. What is the authorization process for the marketing of generic versions of these products? Please refer to Chapter 1, Question…

Pharma Legal Handbook 1. What are the regulatory requirements for traditional, herbal, complementary, or alternative medicines and devices? In principle, the regulatory framework set out in the previous Chapters applies. However, differing requirements or procedures apply for specific types of medicinal products. The Medicines Act distinguishes several types of medicinal products, including homeopathic…

Pharma Legal Handbook 1. What types of liability are recognized in your jurisdiction? Dutch liability law generally distinguishes between contractual liability on the one hand and non-contractual liability on the other. Non-contractual liability not only includes fault-based liability (‘onrechtmatige daad‘) but also includes a regime of strict liability for defective products (‘productaansprakelijkheid‘). The…

Pharma Legal Handbook 1. What are the basic requirements to obtain patent and trademark protection? Patents The three main criteria for obtaining patent protection are novelty, inventive step and industrial application (Article 2 Dutch Patent Act (Rijksoctrooiwet 1995), “DPA“).   Trademarks The basic requirements for obtaining trademark protection are that of a distinctive…

Pharma Legal Handbook 1. Are there proposals for reform or significant change to the healthcare system? Reform of the Drug Reimbursement System The policy on medicinal products of the Ministry of Health Welfare and Sport is based on three core values: quality, accessibility and affordability. In order to improve the affordability of healthcare,…