[co-author: Mingjia Deng] Key takeaways China’s new Implementation Measures make regulatory data protection a practical and enforceable exclusivity tool, but only if companies actively secure it at the NDA stage and align global filing strategies with China. A critical, short transitional window applies to pipeline products already under review, requiring filings by the beginning of June 2026, and failure to act within this deadline will result in a permanent loss of data protection rights.