Korea drug firms urged to utilize exceptional clauses of patent linkage scheme

The country’s pharmaceutical companies face tough times ahead with the new Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement poised to strengthen patent rights for U.S. drug giants, heaping strain on the generic-focused Korean industry.

The upshot of the controversy is a so-called “patent linkage” scheme, a measure to avert the marketing approval of generic drugs while the patents on the original products rem...