Two pieces of legislation of interest to the med-tech industry are making the rounds in Washington. One would require that online sales of contact lenses be accompanied only by a prescription, and the other would bolster telehealth services for methamphetamine addiction in rural areas, where the narcotic's epidemic has taken much of its toll. The bills arrive as other developments suggest an improved environment for contact lenses and telemedicine, auguring a better market for both in the months and years ahead.

HONG KONG – Olive Healthcare Inc., a South Korean biotech startup, said its abdominal fat scanner Bello has received an FDA approval to sell the device in the U.S. The company said it plans to launch the scanner in the country this December, after a market test. The miniature device is portable with a weight of 3.8 oz (107 g), measuring 3.9 inches (10 centimeters) long, 3.1 inches wide and 1.9 inches high.

PERTH, Australia – The majority of comments were positive for the Therapeutics Goods Administration's proposal for regulating in vitro diagnostic companion diagnostics (IVD CDx) to ensure the devices receive appropriate premarket scrutiny. Currently, Australia does not have a framework for companion diagnostics. Until now, the TGA has assessed the associated therapy and companion diagnostic separately, which does not always allow comprehensive evaluation of the benefits and risks of using the therapy and device together, the TGA said.

Cochlear Ltd., of Sydney, received U.S. FDA approval for its Nucleus Profile Plus cochlear implant and the Nucleus 7 sound processor's new built-in connectivity, enabling direct streaming with compatible Android smartphones. The implant will be commercially available in the U.S. later this month.

Netanya, Israel-based Theranica Bioelectronics Ltd., which is focusing on the development of advanced electroceuticals for migraine and other pain disorders, scored a win at the U.S. FDA, with the agency granting its de novo request for the smartphone-controlled Nerivio Migra.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has been active for some time in enforcement of its regulations for direct-to-consumer (DTC) gene testing firms, but Linda Malek, a partner at the New York office of Moses & Singer LLP, told BioWorld MedTech that while FTC compliance is becoming a bigger lift for DTC gene testing firms, the controversy in 2018 over a gene testing firm's sharing of data with a drug maker suggests that DTC gene testing companies might want to "hold yourself to an even higher standard in order to maintain trust in your product."

The draft Medicare physician fee schedule (MPFS) is always an event for makers of drugs and devices, and this year is no exception. This time, the draft proposes non-controversially to formalize the specialty practice of heart failure and transplant cardiology, a move that was anticipated. While telehealth would enjoy a renewal of momentum under the terms of the draft, novel oncology drugs would be reimbursed at the wholesale acquisition cost plus 1.35 percent, a considerable shave from the current standard of WAC+6.

Medicare coverage of telehealth, which is critical for many patients with implanted cardiac electrophysiology devices, has been slow in coming, but a new report on Medicare payments for telehealth recommends that the CMS review paid claims to claw back some instances of overpayment, which would constitute yet another example of the pay-and-chase paradigm that has drawn criticism in the past.

The FDA has granted de novo approval to 23andme Inc. for its report on BRCA1 and BRCA2 risk for developing breast, prostate or ovarian cancer. The direct-to-consumer (DTC) saliva test can provide insight on three genetic mutations linked to the cancers, most commonly found in patients of Eastern European, or Ashkenazi Jewish heritage, which account for a relatively small portion of patients. There are more than 1,000 mutations of the BRCA gene, and the test is not intended to diagnose or rule out the presence of mutation, or increased risk of the particular cancers due to other factors.

Foundation Medicine Inc.'s pan-cancer detection test has received a nod from the FDA, making it one of the most comprehensive companion diagnostics to receive approval from the agency. Concurrent with FDA approval, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued a preliminary National Coverage Determination (NCD) for the Foundationone Cdx.