On December 20, the Quality Brands Protection Committee of China Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment (QBPC) Pharmaceutical & Medical Device IWG held a lunch meeting in Beijing and Shanghai simultaneously. The meeting was chaired by IWG Coordinator Lance Lu. 15 representatives attended the meeting.
At the beginning of the meeting, Lance Lu reviewed the IWG’s activities in 2024, and invited the participants to share their experiences and gains from attending relevant exchange meetings on behalf of IWG. After that, the participants discussed the work plan for 2025 and agreed to call on relevant law enforcement agencies on occasions of QBPC membership meetings. Additionally, they aimed to enhance communication among IWG members in order to fostering mutual support and learning.
Alex Jin (from Johnson & Johnson) then shared the main content of national and local policies regarding IP protection in the field of centralized pharmaceutical procurement and highlighted current challenges. He introduced the primary framework and key elements of current polices at the national level and in certain localities, including the procedures for objecting to drug patent infringements as specified in Shanghai's regulations. In addressing the existing problems, he discussed the legal consequences of self-commitments made by declaring companies at different stages, the impact of IP protection on the integrity of the interests of both the procuring parties and declaring companies, and the applicability of patent infringement objection procedures.
At the end of the meeting, Lance Lu thanked the participants again and looked forward to IWG’s activities in 2005.