While the emergency use authorization (EUA) the FDA granted Aug. 23 for convalescent plasma remains a political talking point, the agency moved ahead Sept. 2, issuing an updated, immediately effective guidance on the use of convalescent plasma to treat COVID-19 patients in ongoing clinical trials, on an expanded access basis or under the EUA.

The need for self-administered surveillance testing finally has a few candidates, thanks to labs and test developers across the globe, and the U.S. FDA is keen on exploiting the opening. Tim Stenzel, director of the FDA’s Office of In Vitro Diagnostics and Radiological Health, said on the agency’s Sept. 2 testing town hall that the agency is interested in a test intended to be self-administered multiple times compared to a test validated under a single test approach, a flexibility that may prove critical in advancing the U.S. approach to testing for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tissue Regeneration Technologies LLC (TRT) has nabbed U.S. FDA 510(k) clearance of its Orthogold 100 device for the treatment of superficial burns. The patented Softwave technology uses an unfocused extracorporeal shock wave to spur a physical and biological response that aids in wound healing. The FDA cleared the device for the treatment of superficial, partial-thickness, second-degree burns in adults.

The U.S. FDA has given the green light to Roche Group for its Cobas HIV-1/HIV-2 Qualitative test for use on Cobas 6800 and 8800 systems. The test is the first FDA-approved, fully automated polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test that detects and differentiates between human deficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and HIV-2, as well including claims for pregnant women and children.

Baxter International Inc. has scored a win from the U.S. FDA, which has granted the de novo application for Theranova, the company’s novel dialysis membrane. For his part, Cowen’s Josh Jennings noted that de novo designations are rare in the dialysis space, echoing a company statement. “We think the de novo classification strengthens any argument for the uniqueness of the technology, which should help its commercial experience,” he added. “BAX had expected an FDA clearance in [second half of] '20, so this action falls on the early end of that range.”

The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) capped off the month of August 2020 with one of the more significant Medicare coverage documents in recent memory. The more immediately impactful part of the proposed rule would offer immediate coverage for devices approved or cleared under the FDA’s breakthrough devices program, but the broader element of this proposed rule offers a definition for the term “reasonable and necessary,” a development that itself constitutes a breakthrough in the world of Medicare coverage of medical technology.

In a bid to build public confidence and demonstrate its transparency in determinations about potential COVID-19 vaccines, the FDA will convene its Vaccine Advisory Committee for a virtual meeting Oct. 22 to discuss the general development of the vaccines for the U.S. market.

Neurovascular bioelectronics medicine company Synchron Inc. has received good news in the form of a breakthrough device designation for its Stentrode. The U.S. FDA granted the designation for the fully implantable medical device that can translate brain activity or stimulate the nervous system from inside a blood vessel. As a bonus for patients, the device does not require open brain surgery. “As this is a first-of-its-kind device, we look forward to working closely with the FDA to prioritize development of the Stentrode and ensure access for patients with paralysis, as well as lay the groundwork for future indications for brain-computer interfaces,” said Thomas Oxley, CEO of Synchron.