The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the U.S. FDA on the postmarket side as well as on the premarket side, but the focus of pandemic-driven warning letters has shifted over time. Amanda Johnston, senior attorney at Gardner Law of Stillwater, Minn., said on a Nov. 5 webinar the FDA’s emphasis lately has been closer to the agency’s traditional enforcement considerations after an initial wave of warnings dealing with flatly fraudulent products.

Taiwan’s FDA rolled out two new supplementary regulations on periodic safety updates and adverse event notifications for medical devices in October. They are part of its Medical Device Management Law that was reported on Jan. 15. As Taiwan is stepping up innovation of and regulation for medical devices, the nation for the first time decided to separate the regulation of medical devices from pharmaceutical products.

The U.S. FDA’s stated policy is that it will not review emergency use authorizations (EUAs) for lab-developed tests (LDTs) for the COVID-19 pandemic, but that doesn’t mean labs are completely shut out. The FDA’s Toby Lowe said that a lab that wants to pair an assay that already has an EUA with a new software installation on lab instrumentation can work with the assay developer to update that EUA.

Royal Philips NV is reporting the launch of Philips Ventilator Bipap A40 EFL, a noninvasive ventilator that aims to help patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) breathe easier. With its CE mark in hand, the company has tagged initial target markets as France, Italy and the U.K. Additional European markets are expected to come next year.

The U.S. FDA has granted breakthrough device designation to Salvia Bioelectronics BV for its implantable neurostimulation system to treat chronic migraine. The designation, which provides for priority review and consultation with the agency on product development, underscores the need for effective treatments for the costly and debilitating condition. According to a summary in a patent filing, the wireless system comprises a treatment pulse generator unit and an implantable electrode unit to provide neurostimulation therapy for headaches.