MRHA Medical Device Technology Forum

23 Jun 2008

MRHA have announced a new Technologies Forum focused on medical devices. In the first instance this Forum will meet yearly, but it is intended that this will increase to twice a year.  

The aims of the Medical Device Technology Forum are: 

• to ensure that all novel technologies are appropriately monitored and regulated, not only to optimise the safety of patients and users, but also to minimise unnecessary delays to product marketing due to an unclear regulatory process. This first point may result in the production of guidelines for the industry or user, new standards being proposed or, where appropriate, to influence future changes to legislation

• to provide an important part of ensuring that those working at the MHRA are kept up to date with these novel technologies so that the Agency can maintain its expertise as technology in healthcare develops

• to perform the important task of bringing together industry, regulators, users and scientists to ensure a high level of interaction and awareness regarding these new technologies, their potential uses, and any potential implications for how they are most effectively regulated, both protecting health and avoiding unnecessary deterrents and obstacles to manufacturers in exploiting new technologies for the benefit of patients.

Invitation for proposals for topics for discussion 

The first Forum is to be held later this year, possibly in November, and will bring together some 30 scientists, industry experts, clinicians, users and lay people to discuss one or two specific topics, yet to be chosen. They will look at different aspects of the technology - scientific, regulatory and clinical. We are inviting proposals for topics to be discussed; these may include technologies coming to the market in the future whose regulation may be unclear and disadvantageous to industry, or whose safety may be questioned due to the advancedtechnology used, or topics that address any other potential regulatory barrier to bringing future medical device technologies to market. One of the topics suggested will be selected for in-depth discussion. 

A ten-member topic selection panel, drawn from the MHRA’s Committee on the Safety of Devices, its Registry of Medical Device Experts, Notified Bodies and industry, will advise on the selection of topics to be addressed and on potential speakers at the Forum. Examples of subjects that may be of interest might include a cellular tissues, such as amniotic membrane, the use of robotics in minimally invasive surgery and nanotechnology, and novel material usage in implants. 

Please send your suggestions for topics to:  

Dr Christopher Brittain

Room 5/2 E

Market Towers

1 Nine Elms Lane

London SW8 5NQ