Emer Cooke

Rule Changes

Welcomed the pharma package as a historic milestone and opportunity for regulatory modernization

After two years of trench warfare between EU governments, lawmakers and drug makers, Brussels has finally agreed a ‘pharma package’ that tears up the bloc’s 20‑year‑old drug rules. The deal locks in eight years of data protection and one year of market exclusivity for new medicines, with bonuses that can stretch protection to 11 years if companies hit public‑health goals.

Updated Jan 9