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In October 2024, the World Medical Association (WMA) announced the adoption of the 2024 revision of the Declaration of Helsinki (DoH) during the 75th WMA General Assembly in Helsinki, Finland, the same location where the Declaration was initially adopted 60 years prior.
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On September 27, 2024, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning letter to an Institutional Review Board (IRB) as a result of a (BIMO) inspection from July of 2023. BIMO inspections evaluate compliance with of FDA regulatory requirements, in this case, title 21 CFR Parts 50, protection of human subject, and 56, Intuitional Review Boards.
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On November 8, 2024, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hosted a virtual public webinar for clinical research stakeholders as well as anyone interested in the informed consent process of clinical trials titled “Informed Consent – More than Just Another Document to Sign?”. As the title suggests, the webinar explores the standards for informed consent in FDA regulated trials, how they are impacting the trial participant’s experience, and how they can be innovated and improved upon.
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On October 10, 2024, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Warning Letter to a clinical investigator due to objectionable conditions observed during a Bioresearch Monitoring (BIMO) Program inspection in 2023. The warning letter addresses multiple violations to Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).
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Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the European Commission announced that the implementation of the Medical Devices Regulation (MDR) will likely be delayed by one year. There are limited resources currently available to implement the MDR by the original date of May 26, 2020.
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a final guidance, “Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE) Program.” The guidance is in alignment with requirements from the 21st Century Cures Act and amendments to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act by the FDA Reauthorization Act of 2017 (FDARA).
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Many people automatically think about drugs when they visualize clinical trials, especially if that has been their experience. Medical devices are essential for human health and it is important to understand how they are distinct from drugs. Although there are similarities, there are quite a few differences between medical device and drug or biologic clinical trials, including:
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The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is a network of national standard bodies that develop voluntary standards, some which are applicable in the clinical research field. Some countries or organizations adopt ISO standards as requirements. ISO standards are reviewed every five years, and it takes approximately three years to develop a new standard.
One important standard in clinical research is ISO 14155.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) have announced efforts to modernize the 510(k) clearance pathway for medical device approval. Device manufacturers more frequently use the 510(k) pathway than other pathways to market. To gain market approval under 510(k), the manufacturer demonstrates that their device is substantially equivalent to an already marketed, or predicate, device. The 510(k) pathway is faster and easier than for devices that have no predicate. Modern devices are more technologically advanced than devices from even ten years ago. Because of its reliance on existing devices, there are concerns that following the 510(k) pathway may inhibit advancements in technology.