The International Medical Device Regulators Forum discussed AI regulation, the development of a reliance playbook, and post-market regulation at the group's annual meeting in Tokyo last week. While the US FDA was not on-site, the agency was able to participate virtually.
Medical device regulators from countries including Australia, China, Japan and Russia, as well as the European Union, gathered in Tokyo for the International Medical Device Regulators Forum’s 27th Management Committee Meeting last week, while the US stepped back to virtual participation.
The US Food and Drug Administration helped to found IMDRF and has participated heavily in the past, even hosting the group’s 2024 meeting in Washington, DC
While MedTech Europe sharpens its focus on what the EU most urgently needs to advance the medtech market in four targeted measures, the European Commission has also unveiled four priorities for 2025.
The intricate assembly of medical devices, often involving over 1,000 globally sourced components, faces severe disruption due to new US tariffs. These barriers could halt production and devastate small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), MedTech Europe’s CEO, Oliver Bisazza, warns in an interview with Medtech Insight.
One year after the UK mooted the Rules-Based Pathway to give medtechs clarity on what can be expected from an evaluation, the devices industry says UK healthtech assessment and adoption processes are still failing to meet the needs of innovators and patients.
“It’s quite likely [consumer wearable manufacturers] are changing the sensitivity and specificity based on consumer feedback, but not for medical reasons,” said Dipak Kotecha, a University of Birmingham professor of cardiology. Often, self-reported performance evidence from manufacturers is “low quality and biased.”
Global investment in consumer healthtech increased by 9% year-over-year in 2024, totaling $4.5bn, with significant interest in mental health solutions, according to Galen Growth. While the first quarter of 2025 saw raised confidence and investments, the Trump administration’s new tariffs and sweeping changes to healthcare have introduced new uncertainties.
US FDA Commissioner Martin Makary’s disavowal of a proposed reorganization plan may be an important turning point in the Trump Administration. The move does not improve the situation, but may mean the administration stops actively making things worse.
Manufacturers of medical products would be foolish to think that recent upheavals at the US FDA will result in a lack of inspections in the coming years. A panel of experts discussed the current state of inspections during a webinar hosted by the Food and Drug Law Institute.
