Seemingly in response to the release of a proposed rule for ethylene oxide emissions by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. FDA has released a second pilot program for device master files for sterilization of medical devices. This program is for single-use PMA devices only made by nine companies and allows the manufacturer or sterilizer to document the switch to radiation sterilization with an expedited review process.
Developers of clinical decision support (CDS) software have their hands full with a recent U.S. FDA final guidance on these products, but the picture promises to become more byzantine with the publication of a draft rule by the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC). The new ONC proposal would require a demonstration of transparency for decision support intervention (DSI) predictive functions in order for that software to qualify for ONC certification, a requirement that might not overlap neatly with the FDA’s own transparency requirements.
The U.S. FDA has granted de novo authorization to Moximed Inc. for its Misha knee system, a first-of-its-kind implantable shock absorber for people suffering from osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. The device is intended to relieve pain and improve daily function in patients ineligible for, or not ready to undergo, joint replacement.
Getinge AB received U.S. FDA premarket approval (PMA) for its Icast covered stent system, which has been used by clinicians for 20 years under the brand name Advanta V12. Icast is designed to treat patients with iliac arterial occlusive disease, a type of peripheral arterial disease where atherosclerosis narrows and blocks peripheral arteries.
In December 2013, the U.S. FDA held an advisory hearing on spinal spheres used in intervertebral fusion procedures, a hearing that generated a recommendation that the agency classify these devices as class III devices. The agency finally followed through on that recommendation with a final rule that requires a PMA filing for these devices, concluding a process that took much longer than the typical rulemaking.
The International Medical Device Regulators Forum (IMDRF) has posted a guidance that spells out the use of a common document for regulatory review for member regulatory authorities, a mechanism that might ease the lives of manufacturers across the globe.
Hundreds of executives from biopharma companies are signing onto an April 10 letter decrying a U.S. district judge’s decision last week to stay the FDA approval of mifepristone, which is used in more than half of all abortions in the U.S.
Echosens SA obtained clearance from the U.S. FDA to expand the indications for screening with its Fibroscan system. The approval removes contraindications for pregnancy and active implant and includes patients with confirmed or suspected liver disease. It designates Fibroscan as a noninvasive aid for clinical management, diagnosis and monitoring of adult and pediatric patients with liver diseases. The age has been removed as the first selection probe and exam-type step.
Batteries used in medical devices don’t always perform as expected, but Abbott Laboratories has issued an advisory to users of its Freestyle glucose monitoring systems in connection with overheating of the batteries used in the device’s readers, a problem the company said is not related to the batteries themselves. Abbott Park, Ill.-based Abbott has received reports of battery swelling and overheating in the reader unit, but advised users that use of non-Abbott charging cables seems to drive the risk of such episodes, urging users to stick with the USB charging cables that came with the readers.
The U.S. FDA has issued a guidance on when to file a new 510(k) for a class II device that has undergone significant modification, but that doesn’t mean everyone in the device business is paying attention. The FDA hit Synovo Production Inc., of Fullerton, Calif., for a number of violations of the Quality System Regulation (QSR), but also alleged that the manufacturer/specification developer made a number of modifications to its femoral resurfacing cup for hip implants without a new regulatory filing, leading the agency to direct the company to immediately cease production of the device.
