On February 3, 2025, the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) announced new guidance on Digital Mental Health Technologies (DMHT) due to the increasing use of mental health apps, AI-based assessments, virtual reality therapies, and other digital mental health technologies. This new guidance is aimed at manufacturers.  The guidance document helps manufacturers identify th..

The Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has clarified the scope of medical devices subject to cybersecurity requirements during the medical device approval and review process. It has also defined the applicable security requirements and the range of materials that must be submitted based on the product’s characteristics to ensure the safety management of communicable medical devices. ..

On January 30, 2025, the Thai Food and Drug Administration (Thai FDA) announced new guidelines regarding the change notification process for In Vitro Diagnostic (IVD) medical devices.  1. Addition of Medical Device Items:The application of change for the addition of medical device items is categorized into one of the following four cases: Case 1). Addition of Medical Device Items - When adding r..

On January 31, 2025, the Medical Device Authority (MDA) of Malaysia issued the 2nd edition of the guidelines (MDA/GD/0065) to guide companies on the requirements for pre-market, placement in the market and post-market activities for HIV self-testing kits (HIVST) in the Malaysian market.  The key updated contents of the guidelines are as follows: 1) Regulatory requirements for facilities handling..

On December 17, 2024, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) of South Korea issued a partial revision of the medical device standard specifications. The revision was made to align with international standards, aiming to enhance the safety and quality levels of medical devices distributed domestically and to prevent potential health risks to the public.  The revisions made to align the medic..

December 13, 2024, The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) of Australia has announced the publication of the Therapeutic Goods (Medical Devices-Information that Must Accompany Application for Inclusion) Amendment Determination (No.3) 2024, which reflects transitional measures for IVD products. This determination allows manufacturers to register IVD products in Australia to meet product regist..

On January 1, 2025, the Ministry of Health (MoH) of Vietnam announced the issuance of 04/2025/ND/CP, which includes amendments and supplements to 98/2021/ND-CP regarding medical device management, as well as updates to 07/2023/ND-CP.  The updated content is as follows: 1. Extended Validity of Import Licenses. a) Import permits for medical equipment issued between January 1, 2018, and December 31..

This guide has been developed to clarify the approval process for "combination products of medical devices and quasi-drugs" by providing submission requirements, review criteria, and examples for products packaged together. Approval may be applied for as a medical device only when the "primary intended use" of the combination product aligns with that of a medical device. When medical devices and..

On December 16, 2024, the Indonesian Ministry of Health (MoH) issued a regulation (FR.03.01/E.V/2672/2024) classifying Dried Blood Spot (DBS) products as medical devices.  This regulation refers to the classification of DBS as a medical device under the U.S. FDA’s CFR 21 and follows Law No. 17 of 2023 on Health, Article 143, which mandates that the supply of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and..

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) of Australia has announced new guidelines (PRAC, Procedure for Recalls, Product Alerts, and Product Corrections) for taking market action to address issues related to therapeutic products that may pose a risk to public health and safety.  Currently, the procedure for taking market actions to address issues with therapeutic products sold in Australia fol..