According to Nikkei Asian Review -and in a measure that seems aimed at diverting criticism from the United States about intellectual property violations-, on 29 May 2018, China extended the protection of pharmaceuticals patents to up to 25 years.
Patent protection usually lasts 20 years, but pharmaceutical manufacturers spend much of that time on clinical trials to remove regulatory hurdles, which reduces the period they can sell medicines without the competition of generic versions.
