Health, Life Sciences & Pharmaceuticals

Digitalisation and the introduction of innovative technologies in healthcare delivery as well as the protection and management of personal data in telemedicine are critical factors in the development of the health, life sciences and pharmaceutical industries. These sectors are experiencing strong growth, partly because of scientific and technological developments, but also because of the ageing population. The companies operating in these markets are subject to strict regulation, at national, European and international level.

Companies in these sectors are faced with very complex legal issues, such as those arising from the launching, marketing and subsidisation of medicines and other health products, experimentation and clinical trials, telemedicine and the increasing use of technological means for the management, diagnosis and treatment of patients, licensing, protection of intellectual property, non-conventional therapies, protection of personal data, relationships with regulatory bodies and with the State, taxation, civil and criminal liability of companies and health professionals, and arbitration in respect of medications. This is quite apart from labour problems, mergers and acquisitions, public-private partnerships, the establishment of distribution networks, internationalization, competition and litigation between companies.

Abreu Advogados advises numerous national and multinational companies in these sectors, including hospital groups, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, medical-surgical equipment companies, companies involved in the distribution and retail of pharmaceutical products, veterinary hospitals, and manufacturers and resellers of medicines and veterinary equipment.

Abreu Advogados frequently collaborates with international law firms in this sector, so that it has a broad perspective on matters involving regulatory, competition and international litigation issues.

The services rendered by Abreu Advogados in the health, life sciences and pharmaceutical sector include:

• Public Tenders;
• Civil Responsibility;
• Authorization procedures for placing medicinal products on the market;
• Prices, co-payment subsidies and access to the market;
• Compliance;
• Data exclusivity;
• Clinical Trials;
• Competition;
• Product Liability;
• Patents and Trademarks;
• Taxation;
• Biotechnology;
• Manufacture, licensing, distribution, labelling, promotion, and marketing of drugs and medical devices;
• Regulations governing the provision of healthcare service;
• Food Supplements, Natural Products and Cosmetics;
• Project financing, and financing of new R&D projects in health.