Austria's healthcare system got a long-anticipated makeover. After years of small-scale adjustments, a collective amendment – the "Vereinbarungsumsetzungsgesetz 2024" ("VUG 2024" or the "reform") – has brought a new wave of changes somewhere revolutionising healthcare in Austria. The VUG 2024 refers to a comprehensive and coordinated change made to a total of 13 legal matters, which are being modified together as a unified act for a more holistic approach. This happens to be one of the biggest reforms in the healthcare sector in recent decades.

CK Legal Chabasiewicz Kowalska has advised Ryvu Therapeutics on an EUR 8 million venture debt financing from the European Investment Bank. Allen & Overy reportedly advised the EIB.

The governmental decree published on 22 February (No. 33/2024 (II. 22.)) sets forth the establishment of a new project company to manage the provision of inpatient pharmaceuticals in all public hospitals, as well as those private hospitals that choose to join the initiative. The Decree is a follow up to the amendments in the Medicines Thrift Act (Act XCVIII of 2006) from July 2023, which stipulated the basic conditions for a “unified institutional pharmacy service” for public hospitals. The project company shall be operational from January 2025.

JDP has advised Axon Lab on its acquisition of Color Trading.

Rizoiu & Poenaru, working with Clifford Chance, has advised the Affidea Group on its acquisition of cancer care provider MedEuropa Romania. Biris Goran, working with Linklaters, advised the sellers.

Turunc has advised the Future Impact Fund on its investment in precision medicine biotechnology company PhiTech Bioinformatics. The Aksan law firm advised PhiTech on the Maxis Arya Venture Capital Fund-led investment round.