Sep 15, 2020
Medical device regulators at the US Food and Drug Administration have clarified guidance on how manufacturers should utilize the ISO 10993 standard for biological evaluations of medical devices.
The updated guidance replaces guidance the agency had finalized in 2016 that emphasized biological evaluations in conjunction with risk management considerations for sterile and non-sterile medical device premarket applications, including 510(k) premarket notifications, Premarket Approvals (PMA) and De Novo requests for designation. The guidance specifically addresses ISO 10993-1, “Biological evaluation of medical devices – Part 1: Evaluation and testing within a risk management process.”
Major elements of the updated final guidance on ISO 10993-1 include the following:
The new guidance also includes various resources for premarket applicants, such as recommendations for what to include in device master files and summary biocompatibility documentation, plus biocompatibility process flow charts and glossary terms.
The guidance notes that FDA may require compliance with additional biocompatibility standards along with or in lieu of ISO 10993-1 for device types for which more specific standards have been established.
For combination products comprising either drug-device or biologic-device components, FDA premarket applicants should adhere to FDA’s guidance on ISO 10993 as well as meet additional or modified testing requirements appropriate for their products.
Final guidance issued by the US Food and Drug Administration clarifies and expands on how manufacturers of medical devices that come into contact with the human body should comply with the ISO 10993-1 standard for biological evaluation of devices within risk management frameworks.