With the growth of Vietnam’s economy and population, the country’s pharmaceutical market has become increasingly important. Vietnam is classified by the IQVIA Institute as a “pharmerging” market—a developing country with a relatively low per capita income but strong market growth potential for prescription medication. According to statistics from the Drug Administration of Vietnam (DAV), the sector will continue to see double-digit growth for the next five years, offering many opportunities for development.

Thailand caught the cannabis industry by surprise in January this year when it became the first Asian country to legalise medicinal cannabis, while at the same time restricting foreign participation in the industry for at least the first five years and thwarting cannabis-related patent applications.

Intellectual property litigation attorneys, especially those in the patent field, are always looking for verdicts that can be viewed as landmarks in the interpretation and practical application of Vietnam’s laws and regulations. One such verdict was issued by the People’s Court of Binh Duong Province on July 17, 2019, in a patent infringement case between a European pharmaceutical company and one of Vietnam’s largest manufacturers of generic drugs.

On October 1, 2019, Vietnam filed an instrument of accession to join the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs (Geneva Act of July 2, 1999). The Hague Agreement will officially take effect in Vietnam on January 1, 2020, three months after the filing date of the instrument.