China Healthcare: Technology Export Proposals Leave China's Out-Licensing Intact

On 16 October, the China Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Science and Technology proposed revisions to the Catalogue of Technologies Prohibited or Restricted from Export, covering five biotechnology categories. Specifically, the proposals would prohibit overseas ownership transfers of proprietary cell and gene therapy and small interfering RNA (siRNA) platforms, prohibit specified pathogen engineering technologies, and restrict exports of technologies for discovering and validating previously undisclosed targets in cell and gene therapy and siRNA. Crucially, as expected, the proposals continue to allow: 1) out-licensing activities without ownership transfer; 2) outsourced R&D and manufacturing services;