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A No-Predicate 510(k) Future? Pending US FDA Policy Might Forge A Path

 
• By David Filmore

510(k) clearances are the US market on-ramp for most devices, and proving the device is similar enough to an already-marketed product is the entry toll. But a policy in development at FDA's device center offers an optional approach that avoids predicate comparisons. Center director Jeffrey Shuren says in an interview that he expects the new approach will become the "pathway of choice" for many companies, potentially upending what has been a defining characteristic of the device regulatory landscape for decades.

Business development idea and developing industry success through creative invention as a light bulb evolving to a gear shape as a 3D illustration.

The process of comparing a new device to an already-marketed predicate device to prove substantial equivalence is a core driver of the US device market. It also aligns with the iterative innovation cycle, where products are continually updated to enhance outcomes and usability, that the device industry embraces.

But the reality, both FDA and industry say, is that it is proving increasingly difficult to show substantial equivalence between...

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• By Amanda Maxwell

A revised annex to the original decision also outlines expert remuneration limits and introduces further changes.

Dermal Fillers For Décolletage May Gain FDA Approval

 
• By Elizabeth Orr

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• By Brian Bossetta

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Finland Cracks Down On Software That Needs Regulating As A Medical Devices

 
• By Amanda Maxwell

Finland has initiated a project to improve the effectiveness of the monitoring of software intended for medical use and to ensure that software placed on its market meets the requirements set for it. 

More from Policy & Regulation

Dermal Fillers For Décolletage May Gain FDA Approval

 
• By Elizabeth Orr

An upcoming US FDA advisory panel meeting will discuss adding a new indication to allow dermal fillers to be used in the upper chest, or décolletage. Plastic surgeons expect this could drive interest in the procedure, which is already performed off-label.

South Korean Health Ministry Sees Benefits Of Pre-Regulatory Review

 
• By Jung Won Shin

A system of pre-regulatory review consultations for innovative drugs and devices in South Korea has contributed to the accelerated development of such products.

Court Orders US FDA To Return Trial Diversity Action Plan Guidance To Website

 
• By Sue Sutter

HHS and its agencies violated the law by swiftly implementing “sweeping and poorly thought-through directives that ordered the bulk removal of healthcare resources,” including FDA draft guidances on diversity action plans and sex differences in clinical trials, a federal court said.