Biologics are composed of complex, large molecules, as opposed to the small molecules that make up conventional chemically derived drugs. Because of the complex nature of biologics, clinical trials and data collections are expensive to produce and require a heightened level of data exclusivity protection beyond those of a patent to incentivize biologic producers to continue research on new biologics.

In 2002, the Thai government initiated a universal healthcare scheme to bring equitable healthcare access to the general public. Under the scheme, hospitals receive per capita funding based on 47 million people. At the outset, per capita funding was approximately USD 38 per person. Now, it is USD 83. Although per capita funding has more than doubled, the current figure is still low. This budget constraint has led the Thai government to favor generic companies, as opposed to originator companies.Definition of Biological Product

Back in 2012, Thailand’s Electronic Transactions Commission issued regulations that mandated domestic processing of domestic debit card transactions with debit cards issued in Thailand. It granted a grace period of one year for service providers to meet the new requirements. This was a policy goal that had been discussed and pursued for some time, with policymakers highlighting the cost savings that would be yielded by domestic processing, rather than offshore processing.

The 2016/17 edition of Employment and Employee Benefits  provides an overview of employment and employee benefits laws and issues in 32 jurisdictions around the world.

Employment and Employee Benefits 2016/17, published by Practical Law Company, provides an overview of employment and employee benefits in 32 jurisdictions worldwide. The Vietnam chapter of the guide, written by Kien Trung Trinh and Annika Svanberg, lawyers at Tilleke & Gibbins, covers the following subjects in detail:

The International Comparative Legal Guide to: Patents, 7th edition, is a Q&A-style guide to patent law in 28 jurisdictions worldwide. The Thailand chapter of the guide, contributed by Tilleke & Gibbins, provides an overview of the following subjects:

In a surprising move, the Immigration Bureau has announced that it will accept applications for Permanent Residence (PR) permits from September 1 to December 30, 2016, during office hours on any official working day. The annual PR application process is always an issue of great interest to foreign nationals who are eligible to seek PR permits, on the basis of having lived in Thailand on a non-immigrant visa for at least three years. In most years, the PR application process opens in December, so the early timing this year will be welcomed by PR applicants.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Health is drafting a circular on compulsory licensing for pharmaceutical patents. From the view of protecting and promoting innovation in the industry, it is worthwhile to consider whether this is the appropriate time to introduce such regulations. This circular, a draft version of which has been released for public comment, could create a slippery slope into abuse of the patent system if certain shortcomings are not addressed.