News We’re Watching: Medicare Payments For Renal Denervation; Acquisitions for Tempus And Boston Sci; LumiThera And Caris Land FDA Authorizations

News We’re Watching: Medicare Payments For Renal Denervation; Acquisitions for Tempus And Boston Sci; LumiThera And Caris Land FDA Authorizations

 

This week, renal denervation systems from Medtronic and Recor won Medicare coverage; Boston Scientific bought cardiac-mapping firm Cortex; Veravas and Phanes Biotech teamed up on an Alzheimer’s diagnostic; and more.

EU Guidance Details Regulatory Status of Ethylene Oxide

EU Guidance Details Regulatory Status of Ethylene Oxide

 
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New guidelines from the Medical Device Coordination Group explain the policies used by the EU in regulating ethylene oxide for device sterilization.

Global Medtech Guidance Tracker: October 2024

Global Medtech Guidance Tracker: October 2024

 
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Stay current on regulatory guidelines from around the world with Medtech Insight's Guidance Tracker. Over 50 documents have been posted on the tracker since its last update.

Trump’s Victory Could Bring Kennedy ‘Wild’ Card To FDA

Trump’s Victory Could Bring Kennedy ‘Wild’ Card To FDA

 

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says he will let Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “go wild on medicines” if he wins the White House. That could spell challenges for the US FDA in 2025.


Commission’s Newly Proposed Consultation Process Offers Bonus For Innovation

Commission’s Newly Proposed Consultation Process Offers Bonus For Innovation

 

The European Commission has issued a draft document setting out the potential conditions for joint HTA scientific consultations on medical devices taking place in parallel with consultations with an expert panel.

EC Releases Document On Device Shortage Reporting Obligations

EC Releases Document On Device Shortage Reporting Obligations

 

Device supply interruptions and withdrawals, now common in the EU, could threaten patient safety. Newly issued manufacturer guidance from the European Commission is intended to improve transparency and minimize disruption.

Opinion: The Fog at CDRH Is Lifting (a Bit)

Opinion: The Fog at CDRH Is Lifting (a Bit)

 
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When former FDAer Steve Silverman last wrote for us, there was no formal successor to Jeff Shuren as director of CDRH. With the elevation of acting director Michelle Tarver, the future is becoming more clear.

European Parliament Wants EC’s MDR Revision Proposals By End Of March 2025

European Parliament Wants EC’s MDR Revision Proposals By End Of March 2025

 

The European Parliament is making a formal appeal to the European Commission to accelerate its EU MDR revision plans.


FDA Drops Final Guidance On Safety Considerations For Neonatal Medical Products

FDA Drops Final Guidance On Safety Considerations For Neonatal Medical Products

 

The US FDA has published a final guidance document providing stakeholders with a framework for various safety evaluations they should consider when developing medical products for newborns, including devices. The guidance focuses on long-term evaluations of neurodevelopmental safety.

EU HTA Regulation: Assessors Risk Exclusion for Secrecy Breaches

EU HTA Regulation: Assessors Risk Exclusion for Secrecy Breaches

 

The second of six implementing acts for the Health Technology Assessment Regulation has now been adopted. It deals with how the European Medicines Agency is to cooperate with the European Commission and HTA experts in Europe.

Lawsuits To Stop FDA From Overseeing LDTs Could Create Chaos, Panelist Says

Lawsuits To Stop FDA From Overseeing LDTs Could Create Chaos, Panelist Says

 

As the 6 May deadline to implement the FDA’s final rule on lab-developed tests approaches, attempts to stop the rule from taking effect are set to play out in court. A panel of experts discussed the potential impact of these legal efforts, should they be successful, at the Medtech Conference in Toronto.

Stop Going Round In Circles: UK Medtechs Told How To Be Sustainable

Stop Going Round In Circles: UK Medtechs Told How To Be Sustainable

 
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The Design for Life roadmap will help medtech companies comply with the UK NHS’s Net Zero 2045 greenhouse gas emissions target. A dedicated medtech innovation center is mooted.


NoBoCap: Notified Bodies Want To Deliver More Transparency And Predictability

NoBoCap: Notified Bodies Want To Deliver More Transparency And Predictability

 

Speakers focused on whose role it is in the EU to support manufacturers who struggle to interpret the medtech regulations.

NoBoCap: Is Structured Dialogue The Key to Unlocking Medtech Innovation?

NoBoCap: Is Structured Dialogue The Key to Unlocking Medtech Innovation?

 

European Commission acts on call from industry for more guidance from notified bodies around innovation.

Animal Testing Alternatives Need Central Office At US FDA, Science Board - Clone

Animal Testing Alternatives Need Central Office At US FDA, Science Board - Clone

 

Slow adoption of alternatives to animal testing in the current decentralized regulatory framework shows the need for a ‘one-stop shop’ at FDA that can provide advice, precedents and qualification programs.

Cybersecurity And LDT Enforcement Top FDA’s Guidance Priorities for 2025

Cybersecurity And LDT Enforcement Top FDA’s Guidance Priorities for 2025

 
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The US FDA has released its annual list of planned guidance documents for the upcoming fiscal year. While many topics on the list are familiar, a new “Under Construction” list shows rising priorities.


Get It Done In 100 Days: European Commission Told To Deliver On Revising Device Regulation

Get It Done In 100 Days: European Commission Told To Deliver On Revising Device Regulation

 

The European Parliament intends to send an official message to the European Commission to try and push for an early revision of the Medical Device Regulation.

EU’s Medtech Rules Are A 'Bureaucratic Monster,' European Parliamentarians Say

EU’s Medtech Rules Are A 'Bureaucratic Monster,' European Parliamentarians Say

 

The European Commission’s proposed timeframe for revising the MDR and IVDR is far too long, Parliament believes, and is resulting in increasingly outdated products in healthcare establishments around European threatening patient care.

Hungary’s New Designation Pushes EU Medical Device Notified Body Count To 50

Hungary’s New Designation Pushes EU Medical Device Notified Body Count To 50

 

Having 50 notified bodies under the Medical Device Regulation is a landmark achievement for the EU after a long and slow, journey to reach this point.

EU's MDCG Releases Corrective And Preventive Action Plan Guidance For Notified Bodies

EU's MDCG Releases Corrective And Preventive Action Plan Guidance For Notified Bodies

 

Just as manufacturers need to implement corrective and preventive action plans, so this is an essential part of how a notified body functions; new guidance explains how.