On December 18, 2018, FDA issued a final guidance document on the Breakthrough Devices Program created by the 21st Century Cures Act. The Breakthrough Device Program is meant to speed access to new devices that treat or diagnose “life-threatening or irreversibly debilitating diseases or conditions.” …
For the first time, FDA formally recognized a public database containing information about genes, genetic variants, and their relationship to disease. FDA announced its formal recognition of the genetic variant information in Clinical Genomic Resource (ClinGen) consortium’s ClinGen Expert Curated Human Genetic Data, a database …
On December 18, 2018, FDA published in the Federal Register a new docket entitled, “Notice of Intent to Consider the Appropriate Classification of Hyaluronic Acid Intra-articular Products Intended for the Treatment of Pain in Osteoarthritis of the Knee Based on Scientific Evidence.” This document is quite …
On December 4, 2018, FDA issued a proposed rule that would govern the de novo classification process. After a comment period, it may be re‑issued as a final rule to take affect 90 days after publication. While we agree with FDA’s goal of creating greater …
Duodenoscopes are flexible, lighted tubes that are threaded through the body into the top of the small intestine (duodenum) and allow doctors to see potential problems in the pancreas and bile ducts. Because duodenoscopes are reusable devices, they must be reprocessed (cleaned) after each use …
In light of recent criticism of FDA’s oversight of medical devices, it is curious why FDA did not release a report touting the success of its enforcement activities with the same fanfare as its report on its plan to modernize the 510(k) program, which we reported …
On November 5, 2018, FDA issued its latest UDI policy “Unique Device Identification: Policy Regarding Compliance Dates for Class I and Unclassified Devices and Certain Devices Requiring Direct Marking,” deferring enforcement of direct marking deadlines. The new guidance, effective immediately, supersedes the guidance issued in …
The 510(k) pathway was first established in the Medical Device Amendments of 1976, and amended in the Safe Medical Devices Act of 1990. Since that time, the statutory language creating this pathway has remained largely unchanged. Yet, the program has morphed from one in which …
On October 31, 2018, FDA announced that 23andMe could market its Personal Genome Service Pharmacogenetic Reports test (the “23andMe test”) as a direct-to-consumer test for providing information about genetic variants that may be associated with medication metabolism. The 23andMe test was reviewed using the de …
Earlier this year, FDA quietly made changes to their 510(k) clearance letters related to combination products cleared via the 510(k) pathway. The letters now include the following language (new text in bold italics): Although this letter refers to your product as a device, please be aware …
The informed consent requirements in drug and device trials are important for subject protection. But there are trials where it is not possible (or difficult) to obtain consent, and the risk to subjects is minimal. Until recently, these trials could not go forward. In the 21st …
It’s been a busy year at Hyman, Phelps & McNamara P.C. as we’ve added three new attorneys and two regulatory professionals to our ranks. The five professionals collectively add depth and breadth to our practice with FDA and industry experience. Deborah L. Livornese joined HP&M as …
In the world of FDA, there is a stark divide between the regulatory treatment of drugs and medical devices. A product intended to diagnose or treat disease, or to alter the structure or function of the body, is within the definition of a drug under …
It’s been about two months since FDA issued its Technical Assistance (TA), and the buzz around FDA’s draft legislation has not died down. In fact, FDA has continued to promote the proposal, including a speech by Commissioner Gottlieb’s Chief of Staff, Lauren Silvas, in late …
On October 18, FDA issued a new draft guidance document, Content of Premarket Submissions for Management of Cybersecurity in Medical Devices (“Draft Guidance”). When final, it will supersede the 2014 guidance document of the same name (“Current Guidance”). The guidance comes shortly after release of …
