A 13-year extension of the least developed country transition period for applying the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights has long-term implications for Southeast Asia’s least developed nations.

Although still classified as a narcotic in Laos, there are positive indications that cannabis is moving toward legalization for medical and industrial purposes in the jurisdiction, potentially providing a significant economic boon in future.

The legalization of kratom—a plant with potential medical applications that was previously listed as a prohibited narcotic—is part of a broader trend of modernizing reforms in Thailand’s narcotic laws.

The latest updates to Practical Law’s Life Sciences Global Guide feature two revised sections from Tilleke & Gibbins attorneys in the firm’s Jakarta office—“Medicinal Product Regulation and Product Liability in Indonesia,” and “Pharmaceutical IP and Competition Law in Indonesia.” “Medicinal Product Regulation and Product Liability in Indonesia” covers a range of regulatory issues related to the marketing and selling of pharmaceutical products, including the following: Regulatory overview, including relevant laws and authorities, scope, definitions, and general procedures for pharmaceuticals, biologicals, and medical devices and health care IT Pricing, government funding, and reimbursement: Structure of Indonesia’s health care system, price regulation, and reimbursement Clinical trials Manufacturing and distribution Marketing: Authorization for marketing medicinal products, parallel imports and cross-border trade in medicines Restrictions on dealings with health care professionals Selling restrictions Advertising and promotion Data privacy Packaging, labeling, and tracking Product safety, quality, and liability Local establishment, representation, and residency requirements Reform The full “Medicinal Product Regulation and Product Liability in Indonesia” section can be accessed on the Practical Law website. “Pharmaceutical IP and Competition Law in Indonesia” first goes over the country’s legal and regulatory environment for patents and trademarks in relation to pharmaceutical business operations in the jurisdiction. The section then turns to competition law issues, with the Q&A format focusing on how the country’s competition laws and regulations affect the pharmaceutical sector. Readers are also given information on how to properly comply with Indonesian competition law, including in the licensing of medicines and pharmaceutical technology. The full “Pharmaceutical Intellectual Property and Competition Law in Indonesia” section can be found on the Practical Law website. Practical Law, produced by Thomson Reuters, is the world’s leading legal know-how resource for business lawyers, publishing a huge range of guides covering hundreds of jurisdictions and practice areas.