FDA Hires IOM to Review Medical Device Approval System

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a press release announcing the commissioning of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to study the premarket clearance process for medical devices in the U.S.

According to the release, the IOM study will examine the premarket notification program, also called the 510(k) process, for medical devices, and the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) will convene its own internal working group to evaluate and improve the consistency of FDA decision making in the 510(k) process.

The goals of these evaluations according to Jeffrey Shuren, M.D., acting director of CDRH, is to help “determine how the 510(k) process can be improved to better support FDA’s mission to protect and promote the public health.”

The 510(k) process was established under the Medical Device Amendments of 1976 with two goals:

  • Make safe and effective devices available to consumers
  • Promote innovation in the medical device industry.

The release calls for review of the 510(k) process because “technology and the medical device industry have changed dramatically.” The IOM commission will specifically try to answer two principal questions:

  • Does the current 510(k) process optimally protect patients and promote innovation in support of public health?
  • If not, what legislative, regulatory, or administrative changes are recommended to achieve the goals of the 510(k) process?

The $1.3 million IOM review is slated for completion in 2011. Part of the review will include two public workshops during the next nine months, as well a final report that will be published in March 2011. Dr. Shuren also noted that in addition to this review he has outlined six priorities for CDRH including:

  • Creating an internal task force on the use of science in regulatory decision-making
  • Developing an effective compliance strategy
  • Optimally integrating premarket and postmarket information
  • Increasing transparency in decision-making
  • Establishing clear procedures to resolve differences of opinion.

While it is certainly important for the FDA and CDRH to monitor such changes, it is equally important not to hinder such breakthroughs—often led by collaboration with industry and academia—through burdensome evaluations that scare away scientists and researchers. The criteria IOM should focus on is ensuring that the technological breakthroughs from the medical device and drug industries are kept intact, so that we can keep treating patients and saving lives.   Simply setting up further delays in approvals does not constitute a solution.

For more information about the FDA premarket approval of devices read the GAO report on FDA system for device approval.

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