This article discusses new requirements for technical documentation, periodic safety reports, notified body changes, postmarket surveillance and vigilance, labeling and product traceability under the European Union’s new In Vitro Diagnostic Regulations (EU IVDR).   Introduction   Many regulatory changes are scheduled to come into effect in May 2022 as part of the new EU IVDR (2017/746.) 1 However, it likely that EU IVDR will come into effect a year later t...

The International Medical Device Regulators Forum (IMDRF) recently released two consultations for comment on classifying in vitro diagnostics (IVDs) and improving the efficiency and ensuring regulators appropriately conduc assessments of Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs). The 16-page proposed document on IVD classification is meant to help IVD manufacturers select an appropriate risk class using a set of harmonized classification principles and based on the device’s...

The US Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) on Monday released the results of telephone survey of 323 hospitals across 46 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, finding “severe shortages of testing supplies and extended waits for test results.”    Hospitals reported that they were unable to keep up with COVID-19 testing demands because they lacked complete kits and/or the individual components and supplies needed t...

The European Commission recently concluded that its database of medical device information (Eudamed) will only be operational once all modules are fully functional and an independent audit has been conducted, so the commission has decided to launch the database simultaneously for both medical devices and in-vitro diagnostics together in May 2022. The two-year delay of the database for medical devices (the commission reiterated that date of application of the Medical Dev...

In vitro diagnostic (IVD) devices for the detection of the Bacillus species were assigned to class II on Friday, following the release of a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) final rule. The IVDs are prescription devices and indicated to aid in the diagnosis of diseases caused by the Bacillus species, including anthrax. They are intended for the detection and differentiation of the bacteria, such as Bacillus anthracis , and had been unclassified devices prior ...

MedTech Europe issued a discussion paper to propose a fit-for-purpose approach for the validation of biomarker assays used in early clinical trials, offering three new guiding principles. The 8-page discussion paper takes issue with a trend among some competent authorities seeking to mandate CE marking on predictive biomarker assays prior to being used in clinical trials. It asserts that industry agrees with “overarching safety goals” that assays should be appropriately...

Three US Department of Health and Human Services agencies announced Tuesday the launch of the Tri-Agency Task Force for Emergency Diagnostics (TTFED) to better respond to public health emergencies. With the distinct roles set for each of the agencies, TTFED is intended to leverage the expertise of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) around the development...

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it was encouraged to help guide developers of companion diagnostics toward newly drafted policies in support of broader labeling. “We’re concerned that the situation is not optimal for patient care because a clinician may need to order a different companion diagnostic, obtain an additional biopsy from a patient or both, to have additional therapy treatment options,” US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott G...

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday published two new draft guidance documents that seek to support the development of treatments that address underlying genetic mutations that often cause or contribute to diseases, and another discussing how to determine if an in vitro diagnostic (IVD) device used in a study must undergo its own FDA review, distinct from a drug study. "New drugs are being developed based solely on their ability to target these und...

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday issued two draft guidances aimed at updating its recommendations for in vitro diagnostics (IVDs) seeking a waiver from requirements under the Clinical Laboratories Improvement Amendments (CLIA) in line with provisions of the 21st Century Cures Act and the recently reauthorized Medical Device User Fee Amendments (MDUFA IV). Under CLIA, clinical laboratories must obtain a certificate to perform complex diagnostic t...

The ongoing overhaul of diagnostic and lab-developed test (LDT) regulations turned another corner last week, with Reps. Larry Bucshon, M.D. (R-IN) and Diana DeGette (D-CO) releasing a discussion draft of a bill that would offer a new direction for the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The 215-page discussion draft, known as the Diagnostic Accuracy and Innovation Act (DAIA), draws some similarities to another dr...

The six public comments on the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) draft guidance on companion diagnostics were mostly positive, with Genentech calling the draft “crucial for the advancement of personalized medicine,” while Illumina said it was “worth the wait,” though all commenters expressed interest in more clarity from FDA. Background The long-awaited draft guidance, released in July , was in the works for more than a decade and is meant to be a practical guid...