In March 2025, China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) released yet another set of draft implementation measures on data protection.1 Key highlights of these new measures include the following: A Bit of History China’s journey toward a comprehensive pharmaceutical data protection framework has been ongoing for over two decades, a roller coaster ride from its initial commitments upon joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) to its most recent draft regulations. WTO Accession (2001) and Early Provisions (2002) When China joined the WTO in 2001, it signed the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). In line with its WTO obligations, China incorporated data exclusivity into its domestic law…
