The US FDA has issued a pair of reports focused on device safety and innovation. The reports describe recent steps the agency has taken to improve in the two areas, and what it plans to do next.

Theradaptive, which makes a device-biologic combination product to help speed bone healing, recently got authorization to start human trials from the US FDA. Medtech Insight spoke to CEO Luis Alvarez about the company’s past, present and future.

This week, Paragonix announced that its BAROguard lung preservation system is now available throughout the US; Brazil planned to leverage some foreign device approvals; Medical Microinstruments’ Symani Surgical System won de novo clearance; and the FDA updated its safety warnings for Essure and certain plastic syringes.

Dozens of researchers signed a letter condemning the AvertD test from SOLVD, which looks for genes that may contribute to a propensity toward opioid addiction. But the FDA and the manufacturer both say the test is effective.

This week, Abbott, Click and Otsuka, Prenosis won the FDA nod respectively for an in vitro diagnostic to evaluate patients for concussion, the first prescription digital therapeutic to treat major depressive disorder and a software to predict sepsis. Also on the regulatory front, the FDA will now take 513(g)s forms via its eSTAR framework. In Europe, the debate of what personal information can be shared continues. 

A new report from the US Government Accountability Office found that the Veterans Health Administration does not track implanted devices at an individual-patient level, which could make it harder to communicate important safety information in the event of a recall.