FDA Announces the Issuance of Final Rule Amending the Quality System Regulation

Today, the resounding echo of the starting gun reverberates globally, signaling the commencement of a pivotal two-year transition period for device manufacturers and importers. This period marks the urgent need for them to adapt and enhance their quality management systems in alignment with the requirements of the Quality Management System Regulation (QMSR). The long-awaited final rule, issued by the FDA, has been a focal point of anticipation within the medical industry. The call for harmonization between ISO 13485 and the Quality System Regulations (QSRs) has persisted for decades, gaining heightened significance since its formal announcement in 2018 and the subsequent release of the proposed rule in February 2022.

CANADA’S DEVELOPING ROLE IN THE MEDICAL DEVICE REGULATORY ARENA

Canada may not be one of the larger medical device markets on the global scene, but its regulatory structure is quite substantial. Its medical industry, consisting of mainly small to medium-sized organizations, is rooted in a solid regulatory foundation that has matured over time. While their first medical device structure was implemented under Canada’s Food and Drugs […]

EXCEL SPREADSHEET REQUIREMENTS AND VALIDATION PROCESS

Under 21 CFR 11.10 Controls for closed systems, all spreadsheets that are used to facilitate the product and/or quality system decision-making processes need to be within compliance, including requirements for validation, accurate copies and protection of records, limited system access to authorized individuals, audit trails, authority, operational and device checks, training, electronic signatures, and change […]

FDA ISSUES GUIDANCE CONTENT OF PREMARKET SUBMISSIONS FOR DEVICE SOFTWARE FUNCTIONS

The FDA released new guidance for the Content of Premarket Submissions for Device Software Functions [1] in June 2023. This guidance replaces the preexisting guidance from May of 2005. Since then, technological advances have caused software to become an important part of medical devices.  The final guidance moved to a simplified risk-based approach to determine […]

GUIDANCE ON SIGNIFICANT CHANGES REGARDING THE TRANSITIONAL PROVISION UNDER ARTICLE 120 OF THE MDR

The European Commission published an updated Medical Device Coordination Group (MDCG) 2020-3 Rev.1 – Guidance on significant changes regarding the transitional provision under Article 120 of the MDR in May 2023. Changes were made throughout the guidance document to align it with Regulation (EU) 2023/607 (updates to MDR/IVDR transitional provisions) and with the similar guidance document for […]