• where experts go to learn about FDA
  • Medical Devices

    • FDA Issues Draft Guidance for Preparing a Pre-Request for DesignationFebruary 22nd, 2018

      On February 15, FDA’s Office of Combination Products (OCP) announced the draft guidance, “How to Prepare a Pre-Request for Designation (Pre-RFD).” Don’t let the name fool you though.  Unlike the similarly named Pre-Submission, a Pre-RFD does not need to precede a formal RFD.  A Pre-RFD …

    • FDLI’s New Medical Device Requirements and Where Manufacturers Should Focus: MDUFA, FDARA, and 21st Century CuresFebruary 8th, 2018

      On Friday, February 9, 2018, from 2:00-3:30 PM ET, the Food and Drug Law Institute (“FDLI”) will be hosting a webinar, titled “New Medical Device Requirements and Where Manufacturers Should Focus:  MDUFA, FDARA, and 21st Century Cures.” Hyman, Phelps & McNamara, P.C.’s Jeffrey N. Gibbs …

    • CDRH Publishes Metrics for Third-Party 510(k) ReviewsFebruary 7th, 2018

      The third-party 510(k) review process was an emphasis in the most recent user fee negotiations and statutory changes under the FDA Reauthorization Act of 2017 (FDARA). This process has been criticized in the past for being restrictive, ineffective, and not beneficial for applicants.  On January …

    • Join Us in April to Learn More about Improving Regulatory Compliance While Minimizing Products Liability!February 5th, 2018

      The fact is, regulatory compliance has an impact on products liability.  Yet, the two are seldom considered together. We aim to change that with a special day and a half program (April 12th and 13th).  Our FDA regulatory firm has teamed up with a renowned medical …

    • FDA Issues UDI Guidance for Class I and Unclassified DevicesJanuary 30th, 2018

      The final Unique Device Identifier (UDI) Rule was published on September 24, 2013. The last phases of implementation related primarily to Class I and Unclassified devices.  Due to complex issues identified during implementation of the UDI Rule for Class II and III devices, FDA is …

    • Nothing Appealing in Proposed Device Appeal Regulations: They are Identical to Existing GuidanceJanuary 26th, 2018

      The title of this blog post should tell you everything you need to know about the proposed appeal regulations announced last week by CDRH (found here). On January 17, CDRH proposed regulations specific to the device appeal process for both 517A decisions as well as …

    • CDRH Issues Revised Replacement Reagent PolicyJanuary 25th, 2018

      A week before Christmas, CDRH issued a revised draft of the Replacement Reagent policy. When finalized, the revised draft guidance will replace the 2003 final guidance. According to FDA, the revised guidance “is intended to update and provide clarity on” the existing policy. FDA has …

    • FDA Proposes To Delay Revision to Intended Use RegulationJanuary 23rd, 2018

      In 2015, FDA proposed to revise the intended use regulations, which describe how the agency determines the intended use of a drug or device, including the types of evidence that may be considered. FDA’s proposed rule would have deleted the infamous “knowledge” sentence, which could …

    • CDRH Issues Revised Draft Accessory GuidanceJanuary 16th, 2018

      On December 20, FDA issued a new, draft guidance, “Medical Device Accessories – Describing Accessories and Classification Pathways.”  This guidance is the latest chapter in the years-long, and still on-going, story of accessory classification. As you may recall, Congress and FDA have both been working …

    • While You Were Away: CDRH Announces Pilot Voluntary Quality Compliance ProgramJanuary 11th, 2018

      While many were on vacation and preparing to celebrate the New Year, CDRH was announcing yet another pilot program. You may recall FDA recently announced its Digital Health Software Pre-Cert Pilot Program and its Premarket Approval Application Critical to Quality Pilot Program.  The latest pilot …

    • CDRH Issues New Draft Least Burdensome GuidanceJanuary 10th, 2018

      Section 513 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act requires FDA to consider the least burdensome means of evaluating device safety and effectiveness for Class III devices and substantial equivalence for devices requiring 510(k) clearance. Despite this legal requirement, the device industry’s position has …

    • Litigation Briefing: HP&M Issues Report Summarizing Leading Cases and Settlements of 2017January 8th, 2018

      Hyman, Phelps & McNamara, P.C. is pleased to present this report summarizing leading cases and settlements from 2017 affecting the FDA-regulated industry. Our goal was to provide a concise summary of issues that most impact our clients, many of whom are drug and medical device …

    • FDA Issues Final Guidance on Additive Manufactured (“3D-Printed”) DevicesJanuary 3rd, 2018

      On December 5, 2017, FDA issued a final guidance: Technical Considerations for Additive Manufactured Medical Devices, Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff. Additive Manufacturing (AM) is “a process that builds an object by iteratively building 2-dimensional (2D) layers and joining each to …

    • FDA Continues to Defy Congress on MDR Reporting (A Decade and Counting)December 27th, 2017

      In 2007, Congress determined that the public health would be adequately protected if manufacturers and importers of lower risk class I and II medical devices provided summary quarterly reporting of malfunctions to FDA. This system would replace the more burdensome approach of requiring individual 30‑day …

    • Are There Only Two Types of Tests in Clinical Studies – Legally Marketed or Investigational? Maybe, according to FDA’s Draft Guidance for Investigational IVDsDecember 26th, 2017

      On December 18, FDA released its draft guidance, “Investigational IVDs Used in Clinical Investigations of Therapeutic Products.” This is the latest guidance from the Agency on the relationship between in vitro diagnostic (IVD) products and therapeutic products. You will recall that the Centers jointly issued the …