The “regulatory affairs” section comprises over 200 tasks that need to be completed during the development and approval of medical devices.
Here, you will find an overview of the most essential content so that you can get your device approved quickly.
Content
On this page, you will find articles on the following topics:
- What regulatory affairs is
- Regulatory requirements
- Authorization and documentation
- Authorities, institutions, and associations
- Further topics of regulatory affairs
1. What regulatory affairs is
Regulatory affairs comprises the processes and activities that ensure that medical devices meet the regulatory requirements of the countries where they are sold. This includes
- obtaining the necessary approvals from the regulatory authorities,
- compliance with applicable regulations and standards, and
- maintaining conformity throughout the entire product life cycle until decommissioning.
The tasks of regulatory affairs also include monitoring changes to regulations and standards and communicating these changes to stakeholders within the company to ensure continuous compliance.
Regulatory affairs thus plays a crucial role in ensuring that medical devices are safe, effective, and comply with legal requirements.
Further information
Refer also to the article on regulatory affairs managers’ tasks, competencies, and earning potential. This includes the task of developing a regulatory strategy.
2. Regulatory requirements
a) Germany
Laws |
Medical Devices Law (no longer valid)
Medical Devices Implementation Act MPDG |
National regulations |
Medical Device Operator Ordinance (Medizinprodukte-Betreiberverordnung – MPBetreibV)
Medical Device User Notification and Information Ordinance (Medizinprodukte-Anwendermelde- und Informationsverordnung – MPAMIV) |
b) Europe
c) USA
d) Other markets
3. Approval and documentation
a) Approval
Find more information on international approval
b) Qualification and classification (How should my device be classified?)
c) Technical documentation (What do I need to document for each device?)
d) Quality management (What should your company fulfill?)
Quality management is not usually the responsibility of regulatory affairs. Nevertheless, we have listed some important articles for you.
4. Authorities, institutions, and associations
a) Germany
b) Europe
c) International
IMDRF: International Medical Device Regulators Forum |
5. Regulatory affairs: Further topics
Here, you will find an article on the tasks and competencies of regulatory affairs managers.
Note the advantages and disadvantages of Regulatory Information Management Systems (RIMS) and their role in manufacturers’ digital transformation.
Part of the tasks of regulatory affairs is regulatory intelligence.
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The requirements for clinical investigations to evaluate a device have increased enormously under the MDR. Learn the most important things you need to know about the regulatory pathway for clinical investigations under the MDR here.
Most medical device manufacturers associate the term “design validation” with the FDA. However, not only the FDA but also European regulations, particularly ISO 13485, require design and development validation. Nevertheless, design validation and validation of the design should not be confused. This article shows how the two differ and which regulatory requirements must be observed.
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The Medical Device Single Audit Program (MDSAP) was initiated to satisfy a wish of many medical device manufacturers: To replace the various audits and inspections by authorities from different countries with one audit. Participating in the MDSAP shall suffice for verifying effectiveness and conformity of QM systems (e.g., with ISO 13485 or 21 CFR part 820). In…
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With the Pre-Submission Program (“pre-sub” for short), the FDA offers a formal procedure for manufacturers to clarify their regulatory strategy and specific questions before actual approval or market clearance. A pre-sub request is suitable in the preparation of 510(k)s, De Novo Requests, or PMAs, among other things. This can avoid unnecessary costs and effort on…
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It is not easy to get medical devices approved in Brazil. This is due to the number of regulations, their complexity, and the fact that Brazil has published most of the regulations in Portuguese only. This article provides an overview and highlights similarities with the European and US systems. This will make it easier for you…
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The De Novo request, which the FDA also refers to as the “De Novo program” and the “De Novo submission process”, is one of the approval processes for medical devices in the United States. As the name “De Novo” suggests, manufacturers can use this process for novel products. In other words, manufacturers should submit a…
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In Article 120-123, the MDR establishes its transitional provisions, including the transition periods. However, the descriptions of these transitional provisions and transition periods are worded in a very complex manner. As a result, manufacturers are at risk of misunderstanding them and therefore not complying with regulatory requirements or incurring unnecessary costs. A flow chart in chapter 2 of this article…
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Manufactures use the “Research Use Only” (RUO) label to declare that their products should not be used in diagnostic procedures. This enables them to avoid the time-consuming and costly documentation required for conformity-assessed in vitro diagnostic medical devices (CE-IVDs). Nevertheless, some medical laboratories still use RUO products in diagnostic procedures, sometimes even with the knowledge…
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One assumption persists: Products for general laboratory use such as PCR cyclers, NGS devices, fragment analyzers, centrifuges, pipetting robots, and extraction kits must bear a CE-IVD marking. Is this correct?
Accessibility refers to the design of products and services that can also be used by people with physical limitations. The term “products and services” encompasses both physical and digital products and services. This also includes medical devices (physical devices, apps, other standalone software). This article explains which accessibility requirements manufacturers of medical devices should be…
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