China’s National Medical Products Administration issued final implementation measures for drug trial data protection, a step intended to align China’s pharmaceutical intellectual property framework more closely with global standards. The measures aim to provide clearer protections for companies submitting clinical trial data. The move is relevant for biotech deal-making and licensing because data exclusivity can influence development incentives, partner negotiations, and how quickly follow-on studies can be initiated using protected datasets. It also affects regulatory strategy for sponsors planning multi-region programs. For the industry, the key near-term questions are how eligibility is defined and enforced, and how the measures will be applied in practice across trial and approval workflows.