The market for ­pharmaceuticals in Vietnam is developing rapidly, in step with the country’s growing and aging population, rising per capita income, and increasing awareness of foreign ­brand-name drugs, which many ­Vietnamese consumers consider to be more reliable than generics and local brands. ­Naturally, Vietnam has ­become an attractive ­investment ­destination for ­foreign pharmaceutical companies eager to ­target new ­customers.

Tilleke & Gibbins has contributed to the 2019 edition of the Franchising Global Guide , a Practical Law Company publication that provides an overview of franchising around the world. The Myanmar chapter of the guide was written by Yuwadee Thean-ngarm, director of Tilleke & Gibbins’ Yangon office, and Sher Hann Chua, a consultant in the firm’s Bangkok and Yangon offices.

The possibility of invalidating a patent is clearly set out in Vietnam’s intellectual property laws. Historically, however, although thousands of patents are granted each year in Vietnam, the number of requests for invalidation has been extremely small.

In a recent notification by the Public Health Minister, Piyasakol Sakolsattayathorn, it was announced that the Ministry of Public Health’s National Tobacco Control Committee has approved a draft regulation requiring plain packaging to replace all current packaging for tobacco products. The stated reason for the change is concern that the current guidelines are no longer effective at addressing and combatting the health risks posed by tobacco products.