U.S. urged to preserve strong IP protections in Pacific trade deal, especially for biologics

As negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership enter what may be their final round, business leaders are encouraging the U.S. to hold out for strong intellectual property protections in the trade agreement. That includes maintaining 12 years of exclusivity on clinical trial data for biologic drugs. Other nations in the TPP negotiations have shorter time frames for this data protection, but the 12-year period offered by the U.S. is vital for encouraging investment in developing these drugs, which…