Some of the notable devices included on the list are umbilical clamps, menstrual cups, dentures, acupuncture needles, surgical lights, and obstetrical forceps, among a bevy of other devices. The list even includes commonly used items like hearing aids and menstrual pads.
A 510(k) is a premarket submission made to FDA to obtain marketing clearance for a device by demonstrating that the device is “substantially equivalent” in safety and effectiveness to another lawfully marketed device. The 21st Century Cures Act now requires FDA to determine which class II devices no longer require this premarket clearance, and according to the FDA notice, the new list of exemptions aims to help the medical device industry by eliminating costs and expediting the process of compliance.
The FDA notice also notes that these new exemptions will decrease regulatory burdens on the medical device industry, while eliminating many of the private costs and expenditures that are often required to comply with the federal regulation. The move is also expected to decrease FDA’s workload with an immediate reduction in the number of devices awaiting evaluation.
The medtech industry group AdvaMed praised FDA’s decision, citing that the move supports a “risk-based” review process that can identify lower-risk well established products for exemption. The group said it believes the move will allow FDA to better focus its review resources where they are truly needed, evaluating devices that pose an elevated risk to patients.
With the average time for FDA to clear 510(k) applications slowly increasing over the years, the agency had recently concluded that many of the delays in the process often fall on the part of the submitter. 510(k) applications typically were reviewed within 96 days back in 2000, but that number grew to 154 days by 2010. These 510(k) trends could have contributed to the decision to examine a number of devices that could be eligible for exemption, as the FDA looks to expedite the process entirely.
However, the decision doesn’t come without risk. There has been a growing voice of concern from members of the medical device community who fear that a number of these moderate-risk devices could still pose a risk to not only patients but the doctors that prescribe them. There is also a fear that the decision could result in less information about the devices being made available to the public, specifically with regard to the safety and effectiveness of each device.
FDA maintains that the manufacturers of these devices still have extensive responsibilities to ensure that their devices and diagnostics comply with regulatory requirements, including quality system and medical device reporting requirements.
Kristopher Sturgis is a contributor to Qmed.
[image courtesy of PIXABAY.COM]
