One of the problems with the European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act is that it spans all sectors of the E.U. economy, an approach that Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) suggested is less than optimal in remarks to this year’s meeting of the Medical Device Manufacturers Association. Nonetheless, Cassidy said some in the Senate are keen to pass legislation without taking proper stock of the lack of congressional expertise, which runs the risk that hasty legislation may create more problems than it solves.
The U.S. FDA granted Scopio Labs Ltd. de novo clearance for its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered software which analyzes bone marrow. Scopio’s Full-Field Bone Marrow Aspirate (FF-BMA) system aims to improve patient care by standardizing bone marrow aspirate analysis and elevating diagnostic precision.
“The development of psychedelic medicines should adhere to the current European regulatory framework, at both the pan-European and member state level. It is imperative that developers understand and thoroughly apply the regulatory guidance and requirements that are in place.” That was the somewhat discouraging opening statement at the stakeholder workshop convened by the EMA to discuss the development and therapeutic use of psychedelic substances to address unmet medical needs in the area of mental health.
Having addressed the manufacturing issues that resulted in a few complete response letters, Alvotech Holdings SA and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.’s biosimilars partnership is now on a roll, with the U.S. FDA approving the team’s second biosimilar, Selarsdi, less than two months after approving the first one, Simlandi, as an adalimumab interchangeable.
With the recent hack of Change Healthcare back in the news, a committee of the U.S. House of Representatives took up the subject of cybersecurity, which included only a couple of mentions of medical devices. However, witnesses at the hearing emphasized the role of the federal government in thwarting foreign cybersecurity threats against health care facilities, with John Riggi of the American Hospital Association stating, “we need the [federal] government to go after bad actors overseas.”
The new merger guidelines released by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission have proven controversial on several fronts, but now the House of Representatives is weighing in. Rep. Roger Williams (R-Texas) said the guidelines fail to account for the importance of these transactions for small businesses seeking to grow and requested that the two agencies provide data that would demonstrate whether such concerns were considered in drafting those rules.
Butterfly Network Inc. expanded its collaboration with the Clinton Health Access Initiative, Global Ultrasound Institute and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to increase access to maternal/fetal ultrasound technology. The program will bring 500 IQ+ systems and ultrasound training to six provinces in South Africa, following a successful introduction in late 2022 in Kenya.
Telehealth received a much-needed boost from the COVID-19 pandemic, but normal reality has settled in and a number of telehealth bills have surfaced in the U.S. House of Representatives. However, Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) advised other members of the House that a recent extension of temporary Medicare telehealth coverage added $2 billion to Medicare spending, a fact which he said forces legislators to ensure that “whatever we move out of committee is paid for.”
Ingenion Medical Ltd. received a CE mark for its Cymactive 2.0R urinary catheter, a device to treat men suffering from chronic, non-neurogenic urinary retention. The technology, designed to mimic natural urination, will “transform” the lives of men currently struggling with the challenges of using Foley-type catheters, Edward Cappabianca, CEO of Ingenion Medical told BioWorld.
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