To embed, copy and paste the code into your website or blog: In an earlier post, we discussed the patent linkage system implemented in the Fourth Amendment to the Chinese Patent Law, which will come into effect on June 1, 2021. Another important change in the amendment is the introduction of Patent Term Extension (PTE) for pharmaceutical patents. The new PTE provision is in the 3 rd paragraph of Article 42 in the amended Chinese Patent Law, which reads and is translated as follows: “In order to compensate for the time taken for regulatory review and approval of a new drug in China, the Patent Administration Department of the State Council, at the request of a patentee, may extend the term of an invention patent related to the new drug that has received regulatory approval for marketing in China. The patent term extension should not exceed five years, and the total remaining term of the patent after the regulatory approval should not exceed fourteen years.”