The China National Intellectual Property Administration and the National Medical Products Administration in the People’s Republic of China issued measures to facilitate the implementation of the newly amended PRC Patent Law.

This update addresses three important changes to pharmaceutical patents in the People's Republic of China (PRC) in view of the newly amended PRC Patent Law, which will take effect on June 1, 2021, and the recent amendments to the Patent Examination Guidelines that took effect on January 15, 2021. These changes aim to improve patent protection and enhance patent value for inventions in the PRC; they are also consistent with matters addressed in the Economic And Trade Agreement Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the People’s Republic of China.

The federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on March 13, 2020, invoked its authority under section 1135 of the Social Security Act (the act) to waive certain requirements that providers normally must meet to receive reimbursement for services to Medicare, Medicaid, and Children’s Hospital Insurance Program (CHIP) beneficiaries

Whistleblowers bringing qui tam suits under the False Claims Act have up to ten years to file suit against defendants in cases in which the government declines to intervene, the U.S. Supreme Court has held, rejecting a government contractor’s argument in favor of a shorter limitations period.