Medical Device Regulations & Compliance

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVES

Conducting A Medical Device Stability Study: A Practical Guide

Stability studies measure how medical devices respond to environmental stresses such as temperature, humidity, light, and time. Let's take a closer look at designing and conducting a stability study.

AI Enters The 510(k) Submission World: What Device Developers Need To Know

The FDA’s implementation of AI tools marks the next step in the agency’s digital transformation efforts. Let's take a closer look at how this impacts 510(k) submissions and tips for preparing your submissions.

Unpacking The EU's Mutual Recognition Agreements For Pharma

MRAs can save resources for regulators and drug makers by, among other things, reducing the number of inspections and waiving retesting requirements.

The U.K.'s MHRA Adds New Guidance To The Changing Regulatory Landscape For Digital Mental Health Technologies

The U.K. MHRA’s newly released framework offers long-awaited clarity by outlining when digital mental health technologies qualify as medical devices based on their intended purpose and functional impact. 

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WHITE PAPERS & CASE STUDIES

Navigating PFAS: Preparing For Regulatory Hurdles In Medical Devices

Learn how to be more proactive by implementing robust PFAS testing and control strategies to safeguard patient health, protect your brand, and stay ahead of evolving regulations.

Leverage Apps To Reduce Line Changeover Time From 14 Days To 3

A global biopharma leader modernized its complex equipment changeover process using an innovative platform to achieve faster execution, fewer errors, and greater visibility through digitized, validatable SOPs.

The 5 Ws Of A Human Factors Strategy

A human factors strategy ensures medical products are safe, effective, and compliant by integrating user-focused design early, reducing risks, and optimizing regulatory approval processes.

Selecting The Best Deterministic Method For Your CCIT Project

Container Closure Integrity Testing (CCIT) ensures drug sterility, evolving with regulatory updates like USP <1207>. Deterministic methods are preferred over probabilistic ones to maintain product integrity.

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ABOUT MEDICAL DEVICE REGULATIONS & COMPLIANCE

Medical devices, from ideation to post-launch assessment, are regulated in the United States by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the Medical Device Regulation Act of 1976 and subsequent amendments to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act of 1938.

The FDA’s medical device regulatory pathways — for premarket review, clearance, and approval — are based on three classifications, indicating the degree of regulatory control necessary to ensure a device’s safety and effectiveness. Class I devices are considered low-risk, and many are exempt from the regulatory process. Class II devices require special controls for “labeling, guidance, tracking, design, performance standards, and postmarket monitoring,” and most require premarket notification 510(k) to demonstrate substantial equivalence (having the same intended use and technological characteristics) to a legally marketed device. Class III devices usually sustain or support life, are implanted, or present a significant risk of illness or injury. Most class III devices require premarket approval (PMA), which examines a variety of factors in weighing the probable health benefits from intended use of a device versus the probable risks.

Medical device makers must adhere to Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulations, which FDA inspectors use to determine if a manufacturer has the facilities, skills, and equipment to produce and pack its product. In addition, the FDA requires all medical devices to carry a unique device identifier (UDI), readable by both machines and humans, to “improve patient safety, modernize device postmarket surveillance, and facilitate medical device innovation.”

Medical device makers competing in international markets must monitor and adhere to the policies of foreign regulatory bodies, which can vary greatly, depending on the nation. Further, many global regulators require manufacturers to be certified by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ISO 13485 compliance, confirmed through third-party (Notified Body) audits, demonstrates a medical device manufacturer’s procedures and products meet or exceed international quality standards.

Efforts are also underway to standardize international regulations to ensure the safety, effectiveness, and quality of medical devices. The International Medical Device Regulators Forum (IMDRF) — composed of regulatory agencies from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Europe, Japan, Russia, and the United States — is building upon previous work by the Global Harmonization Task Force on Medical Devices (GHTF) to speed this harmonization and convergence.

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