FDA Makes Changes to Regulations Concerning Humanitarian Use Devices

June 7, 2017

On Wednesday, June 7th, the FDA amended its final rule concerning humanitarian use devices (HUDs).  The amendments to the regulations are being made in response to changes recently enacted into law by the 21st Century Cures Act.

21st Century Cures Act

The 21st Century Cures Act was signed into law on December 13, 2016, modifying certain provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, & Cosmetic (FD&C) Act.

Section 3052 of the 21st Century Cures Act amended section 520(m) of the FD&C Act to “allow for HDE approval for devices that, among other things, treat or diagnose a disease or condition that affects ‘not more than 8,000’ individuals in the United States; this threshold had been ‘fewer than 4,000’ individuals in the United States.”

Furthermore, section 520 of the FD&C Act was also altered by section 3056 of the 21st Century Cures Act, stating that institutional review committees, such as IRBs, are no longer required for a device to be considered ‘local’.

FDA Updates Humanitarian Device Exemptions (HDEs)

In order to maintain consistency with the changes enacted by the 21st Century Cures Act, FDA’s “final rule amends part 814 (21 CFR part 814) in several places to accurately reflect the threshold recently enacted into law.”  In addition, the Agency’s final rule also “amends 21 CFR 814.124(a), ‘IRB approval’, to remove the term ‘local’ and related language in order to accurately reflect the requirements recently enacted into law.”

In its announcement in the Federal Register, FDA states that this amendment is being issued as a final rule without notice and will take effect immediately.  The Agency notes that a delayed effective date is not necessary because the new requirements are a matter of law, and thus already effective.

For additional information on the modifications to the final rule, view FDA’s Federal Register announcement.

Do you manufacture a device that is subject to the updated regulations? Our regulatory group can help ensure that your medical device is compliant with all FDA regulations and requirements.  To learn more about our services and how we can help you, contact us today.

TAGS:

January 19, 2017

Understanding the 21st Century Cures Act: Part II

The 21st Century Cures Act, (Passed December 13, 2016), represents three years of cooperation between Congress, the FDA, and industry to modernize the current legal framework within which the FDA...

January 5, 2017

Understanding the 21st Century Cures Act: Part I

The recent passage of the 21st Century Cures Act (passed December 13, 2016) marks a significant milestone for medical device and drug development. I recently attended a meeting held by the Food and...

December 9, 2016

Last Stop: President Obama – 21st Century Cures Bill Passes Through the Senate and Heads to Obama for Signature

After passing through the House of Representatives with an extraordinary amount of support last week, the 21st Century Cures Act headed to the Senate on Monday, December 5th. On Wednesday, December...