The semiconductor industry has been hit hard by shortages of computer central processing units (CPUs) in recent months, but the persistence of these shortages has prompted a new response from industry. The Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed) said device makers are taking steps to ease the crunch, but that the Biden administration must take steps to ensure that medical technologies do not suffer from shortages, given the critical role played by devices in patient care.

PERTH, Australia – Australia’s Therapeutic Good Administration (TGA) plans to increase all fees and charges to industry by 2.6% for the 2022 to 2023 financial year, and it is seeking feedback on proposed options.

The European Council adopted a regulation Jan. 25 giving the EMA a stronger role in crisis preparedness and the management of drugs and medical devices during a crisis.

Privately held Leo Pharma Inc. has worked its way through a complete response letter issued in April to see the FDA approve Adbry (tralokinumab-ldrm) for treating moderate to severe atopic dermatitis in adults. The CRL noted FDA requests for additional data related to the device component, a prefilled syringe of tralokinumab, but it did not request new efficacy or safety data related to the drug product formulation. In April and on Dec. 28, the company did not provide details on the device-related data that were requested.

PERTH, Australia – The Australian government is investing AU$79 million (US$56.75 million) in medical research and innovation projects to develop new drugs, devices and digital health technologies through its AU$20 billion Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF).

Cadila Healthcare Ltd. (also known as Zydus Cadila) has received emergency use authorization (EUA) in India for Zycov-D, making it the world’s first plasmid DNA vaccine for COVID-19. Besides the adult population, the Drug Controller General of India’s nod has also given the South Asian country its first COVID-19 vaccine for adolescents ages 12 to 18.

PERTH, Australia – The Australian government is investing AU$79 million (US$56.75 million) in medical research and innovation projects to develop new drugs, devices and digital health technologies through its AU$20 billion Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF).

The FDA’s quarterly report on device user fee performance goals encodes a number of metrics, such as the rate at which PMA originals are cited for a major deficiency on the first review cycle. For premarket approval applications (PMAs) filed in fiscal year 2021 to date, the major deficiency rate on the first cycle is 86%, which would be tied for the fifth highest rate in two decades if that rate holds throughout the balance of the fiscal year.

The FDA’s July 27 webinar on medical device servicing and remanufacturing lent some clarity to the terms of a recent draft guidance on the subject, but there are several overarching policy concerns. The FDA’s Joshua Silverstein said on the webinar that the agency sees servicing as a type of manufacturing, a view that is contradicted by the Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance, which indicated earlier this year that third-party servicers are probably not subject to the regulations applied to manufacturers.