By Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1197, published on Friday, 20 June 2025, the European Commission decided to exclude companies from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) from public contracts for medical devices. This applies to contracts with an estimated value of more than five million euros. Furthermore, no more than 50% of the contract value may be passed on to Chinese companies.

Given the growth of the Bulgarian pharmaceutical retail sector, it is essential to understand the legal framework governing the operation of pharmacies, drugstores, cosmetics counters and optical retailers. Each of these types of businesses is subject to specific regulatory requirements designed to safeguard public health, ensure quality control and maintain compliance with both national and EU legislation.

NKO Partners has advised Dr Max on its acquisition of Zalfija.

Erdem & Erdem has advised Is Private Equity on the launch of Enlila.

The Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”) has recently issued a significant judgment in the case “Lindenapotheke” (C-21/23), taking a clear stance on the processing of special categories of personal data, namely health data, in the context of online medicine sales within the pharmaceutical industry. The ruling sheds light on how the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) applies to the data that users provide when ordering pharmacy-only medicinal products online, even those not subject to prescription, and provides clear guidance on the rights and obligations of data controllers.

Farmexim Head of Legal and Compliance Director Mihaela Scarlatescu discusses her 25-year legal journey, leading in-house strategy across pharma and retail, and balancing legal precision with business impact.