Articles

As with many healthcare systems worldwide, the Czech Republic faces challenges regarding sustainable funding and escalating healthcare costs, particularly concerning chronic and rare diseases.

Aiming to address emerging needs in public healthcare, on 12 April 2024, the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic introduced a draft amendment to the Act on Public Health Insurance and other related laws, which is proposed to take effect on 1 January 2026. In this article, we provide an overview of the key areas affected by the legislative proposal, namely (i) price and reimbursement regulation of medicinal products and medical devices, (ii) preventive care support, (iii) reimbursement of cross-border healthcare services, and (iv) dental care reimbursement.

At the heart of the global economy and public health, the life sciences industry is a driving force for progress in an ever-evolving web of laws and regulations.

Recent legislative initiatives in the EU illustrate some of the regulatory challenges – and opportunities – for the life sciences industry on a pan-European level.

Dive into our article below where we highlight some of the legal topics that we consider key for the life sciences industry in 2024 and how they might impact the industry.

Read further, download the article: Key EU Legislative Initiatives Shaping the Life Sciences Landscape in 2024

Despite the fact that the issue of intellectual property rights turnover is included in the perimeter of antimonopoly regulation, until recently the Russian Antitrust Agency took rather an observant position.

The regulator’s position was that the issue of patent infringement is a private legal dispute between original and generic manufacturers, which should not affect the turnover of drugs, particularly the execution of contracts based on the results of public procurement. Only in isolated cases the Russian Antitrust Agency has established the fact of patent infringement and issued a corresponding order on the inadmissibility of anti-competitive practices.

Now the reverse trend has clearly emerged.

More in our update.

The Court of Justice of the European Union’s judgment of 29 February 2024 sheds light on the question of whether Member States may prohibit the activities of e-commerce platforms operating in the field of medicinal products not subject to medical prescription.

The case involved the www.doctipharma.fr website which was edited and operated by the French company Doctipharma SAS (“Doctipharma”). The website connected pharmacists with customers and allowed the latter to buy medicinal products not subject to compulsory medical prescription from pharmacies websites.

On 9 July 2024, the State Duma passed Bill in first reading, which focuses on changes in the regulatory regime for the circulation of dietary supplements in Russia.

The proposed amendments would introduce significant changes affecting the circulation of dietary supplements and, to a certain extent, bringing it closer to the regime established for pharmaceuticals and medical devices.

The regulation of public advertising medicines in Spain aims to ensure that promotional practices are transparent, accurate, and responsible. This includes adhering to authorized technical details, presenting dosage information clearly, and avoiding misleading claims about efficacy. Advertising should be informative and comprehensible, avoiding exaggeration and ensuring that all claims are substantiated by technical data. This article explains in more detail what needs to be considered if you intend to advertise medicines in the Spanish market.

The Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency updated its Guidelines on Scientific Meetings and Educational Events for medical devices on 4 January 2024, introducing a notable change of imposing a fee for event applications, set at TRY 1,114.02, effective immediately. This update eliminates the need to upload a commitment letter for event notifications and aims to streamline processes and enhance transparency in industry activities. However, the decision to charge fees has sparked criticism for potentially reducing the number of notifications by imposing additional financial burdens on companies. Further, similar fees will apply to pharmaceutical companies, although guidelines for pharmaceutical products have not been updated yet.