Draft guidance from the US Food and Drug Administration on reporting medical device and diagnostic shortages for public health emergencies is too broad and potentially could be too resource intensive for manufacturers as well as regulators, representatives from medtech industry groups believe.   In January, the FDA published a draft guidance that outlines when and how the agency wants medtech manufacturers to alert the agency of potential product shortages that happen ...

This article details how regulatory intelligence can help medtech companies assess the impact of the new EU legislative framework for in vitro diagnostics (IVDs). Using the example of COVID-19 antigen tests, the author looks at how regulatory intelligence helped device manufacturers manage the changes in regulations during the pandemic and how the lessons learned can support the industry in assessing and planning for the impact of the new legislative framework for IVDs tha...

Combatting misinformation about science and responding to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic are the top priorities for Robert Califf as he retakes the helm of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).   Califf’s priorities were outlined in a 17 February memo to FDA staff, as well as on his new official Twitter feed ( @DrCaliff_FDA ). Califf was as confirmed as commissioner for the second time on 15 February by a narrow win in a 50-46 vote and sworn in two days later. Ca...

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) recently released a report that reflected on a decade of implementing a framework to better work with doctors, pharmacists, and nurses in the EU.   As of December 2021, there are now 38 eligible organizations working with the agency in a variety of practice areas. The framework is designed for EMA to access a network of independent experts in clinical practice who can advise on real-world experience with drug development, benefit-ris...

A global regulatory group is mapping out a strategy for regulatory alignment as countries around the world plan their responses in the face of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.   The International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities (ICMRA) met on the first two days of December to discuss a host of regulatory challenges. Thirteen World Health Organization (WHO) and EC officials joined representatives from ICMRA’s 24 health aut...