The European Parliament overwhelmingly approves a new pharmacological law.
The first major legal change pertaining to pharmaceuticals in nearly 20 years was decisively approved by members of the European Parliament on Wednesday. The legislative package will open the door for somewhat shorter regulation data protection periods and new incentives to spur additional investment if it is eventually approved by the European Council.
The new directive and rule would give pharmaceutical businesses access to a minimum regulatory data protection period of seven and a half years, during which other companies cannot access their product data. This measure is intended to draw more drugmakers to Europe. In addition, they would be protected from the sale of generics and biosimilars for two years.