New Medical Device Evaluation

Abstract

In this presentation, as a member of the Harmonization by Doing (HBD) project, I discuss the significance of regulatory science in global medical device development and our experience in the international collaboration process for medical devices. In Japan, most innovative medical therapeutic devices were previously developed and exported by foreign-based companies. Due to this device lag, Japanese had minimal opportunities for receiving treatment with innovative medical devices. To address this issue, the Japanese government has actively accepted foreign clinical trial results and promoted global clinical trials in projects such as HBD. HBD is a project with stakeholders from academia, regulatory authorities, and industry in the US and Japan to promote global clinical trials and reduce device lags. When the project started, medical device clinical trials were not actively conducted in Japan at not just hospitals but also at medical device companies. We started to identify issues under the concept of HBD. After 10 years, we have now become key members in global clinical trials and able to obtain approvals without delay. Recently, HBD has started promoting international convergence. Physicians and regulatory authorities play central roles in compiling guidelines for the clinical evaluation of medical device development, which will be a more active field in the near future. The guidelines compiled will be confirmed with members of academia and regulatory authorities in the United Sates.