Policy & Regulation

Abbott and J&J reassured investors they will maintain their 2025 profit forecasts. Abbott projects $5.05 to $5.25 per share and plans a new $500m investment in manufacturing and R&D sites. J&J anticipates $400m in tariff-related costs but committed $55bn in US investment over four years.

Will challenges in the way of designations of notified bodies that assess AI-enabled medical devices create delays and bottlenecks and slow EU medtech innovation?

A change of government, hospital reform and a drive towards healthcare digitization are keeping German medtech manufacturers on their toes. Making the MDR more user-friendly and winning support for a medtech strategy are arguably bigger priorities. US export tariffs have also pushed their way onto the agenda. BVMed chief executive Marc-Pierre Möll puts it all into context.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. urged FDA staff to resist the “deep state” and “crony capitalism,” and focus on improving the health of America’s children. “You're not here to take orders,” he said and urged FDA staff to speak up if they see wrongdoing.

Congress has launched an inquiry into 23andMe amid privacy concerns following its bankruptcy, particularly regarding the potential sale of sensitive user data. Additionally, a Cybernews report gave 40 DNA testing firms an average cybersecurity grade of D, citing widespread vulnerabilities and data breaches, along with inadequate public information about their security practices.

Many of the hundred-plus commenters to the FDA's draft guidance on AI in medical product regulation said the document was a good start but needed additional clarity and more concrete examples. Stakeholders recommended the inclusion of case studies, metrics, and clearer guidelines to enhance the utility of the guidance, which is seen as a vital step for AI integration in healthcare.

Dexcom announced it received US clearance for its 15-day CGM, which has a MARD of 8.0% and is expected to launch in the second half of 2025 to allow for integration with insulin pumps.

International device regulatory group IMDRF has issued a new playbook on “regulatory reliance,” which allows regulators to make use of assessments performed by trusted regulatory partners. The document is the first to offer a detailed guide on developing and implementing these agreements.

The US FDA has issued an early alert about the CVAC system from Calyxo, which urologists use in removing urinary stones.

The company is recalling Pipeline Vantage 021 and 027 models because they pose a higher than normal risk of failing to properly attach to blood vessel walls, which can cause thrombosis, stroke or death. The recall for 027 is a product removal and for 021 is an update to the instructions for use.

The US FDA has announced seven device safety actions in recent days. The most serious, which relates to a manufacturing defect in Boston Scientific’s Accolade pacemaker, has been linked to 832 injuries and two deaths.

Medical device recalls exceeded 1,000 in 2024, according to a recently published recall index report from Sedgwick. More than 10% of those recalls were class I, the FDA’s most serious category.

“We believe [the SAPIEN M3] launch alongside PASCAL and EVOQUE will help support the company’s target of $2bn in transcatheter mitral and tricuspid therapies sales by 2030,” noted analysts from Leerink Partners.

Dexcom announced it received US clearance for its 15-day CGM, which has a MARD of 8.0% and is expected to launch in the second half of 2025 to allow for integration with insulin pumps.

A concealed blunt-tip needle that can be inserted into the heart's pericardial space to treat cardiac arrhythmias has received FDA clearance, providing an alternative to catheter-based methods.

The Visby Medical Women’s Sexual Health Test is the first over-the-counter test cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration to detect chlamydia, gonorrhea and trichomoniasis. It delivers results in about 30 minutes.

Now that a federal judge has ruled the US FDA exceeded its authority by unilaterally assuming regulatory oversight of lab-developed tests, what’s the agency’s next move? And does it really have one?

Medical devices, diagnostics, and equipment face tariffs announced by President Donald Trump, despite industry pleas for exemption. The tariffs, ranging from 10%-49%, impact most countries trading with the US, potentially hindering innovation and increasing costs in the medtech sector.

Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee Democrats focus on criticizing HHS Secretary Kennedy’s RIF announcement, including 3,500 FDA jobs among cuts across HHS agencies. Representatives were left wondering if user fee programs would continue, even if reauthorized.

AdvaMed’s top priorities for the 119th Congress include modernizing US Medicare services and expanding patients’ access to the latest medical technologies.

US President Trump has imposed sweeping tariffs that encompass medtech. These are expected to drive up costs, disrupt supply chains and hinder innovation, likely driving the EU to seek new trade partnerships to mitigate the impact.

Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee Democrats focus on criticizing HHS Secretary Kennedy’s RIF announcement, including 3,500 FDA jobs among cuts across HHS agencies. Representatives were left wondering if user fee programs would continue, even if reauthorized.

A federal judge in Texas delivered what is most likely a fatal blow to the US FDA’s final rule, which would have regulated lab-developed tests as medical devices.

A planned merger between medical device coating manufacturers Surmodics and Biocoat is facing an antitrust lawsuit from the US Federal Trade Commission. The FTC believes the move would create an illegal monopoly.