EU's proposed drug laws overhaul sparks industry backlash.
The European Union has published a draft of its proposed overhaul of laws governing the pharmaceuticals industry, which is aimed at ensuring all Europeans have access to both innovative new treatments and generic drugs, and ending huge divergences in access and price between countries. The biggest overhaul of existing medical laws in two decades proposes to cut the length of basic market exclusivity that drugmakers get before generics can enter the market to eight from 10 years. However, the pharma industry warns it will invest and innovate elsewhere, while patient groups cheer the win for people against big pharma.