BlogLine

New Medical Devices and Performance Criteria

2/12/19

By: Koty Newman

The Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) recently issued final guidance (the “Guidance”), providing a framework for its new Safety and Performance Based Pathway for its updated 510(k) process. Section 510(k) of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act requires medical device manufacturers to notify the FDA of their intent to market a medical device. Notification enables the FDA to determine if the product is equivalent to a device already on the market, which by extension, helps the FDA determine if the device is at least as safe and effective as the already marketed device.
The FDA’s Safety and Performance Based Pathway evidences the FDA’s recognition that it may be less burdensome for device manufacturers to show a new device’s substantial equivalence to a predicate device by demonstrating that the new device meets certain performance criteria, rather than directly testing the new device against a predicate device. Thus, “[i]nstead of reviewing data from direct comparison testing between the two devices, FDA could support a finding of substantial equivalence based on data showing the new device meets the level of performance of appropriate predicate device(s),” the Guidance states. In order to discern the requisite performance criteria, manufacturers should look to descriptions in FDA guidance, FDA-recognized consensus standards, and special controls.
The Guidance states that the “FDA believes that use of performance criteria is only appropriate when FDA has determined that (1) the new device has indications for use and technological characteristics that do not raise different questions of safety and effectiveness than the identified predicate, (2) the performance criteria align with the performance of one or more legally marketed devices of the same type as the new device, and (3) the new device meets all of the performance criteria.” Further, a manufacturer may use this program only if the manufacturer can rely entirely on performance criteria to demonstrate substantial equivalence. The FDA will still require that a manufacturer identify a predicate device in order for the FDA to determine the relevant intended use and technological characteristics decision points.
The FDA will maintain a list of device types that are appropriate for the Safety and Performance Based Pathway on its website, along with other information that will be helpful for manufacturers intending on navigating this particular Pathway, such as “guidances that identify the performance criteria and testing methods recommended for each device type.”
This policy represents an expansion of the long-applied approach by the FDA, giving device manufacturers an additional pathway to demonstrate substantial equivalence. For the manufacturers who cannot, or prefer not to, rely on this Safety and Performance Based Pathway, direct comparison with a predicate device will remain available to determine whether the new device is substantially equivalent to a predicate device.
The FDA is also seeking public comment on questions such as whether it should make public a list of devices or manufacturers who make products that rely on older predicates, such as predicates that have been on the market for ten-or-so years, and whether there are actions the FDA could pursue to promote the use of more current predicates. The public will have until April 22, 2019 to comment.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Koty Newman at (678) 996-9122 or mnewman@fmglaw.com.