US FDA and device industry experts are concerned that too many firms are woefully unprepared for, and undereducated about, the agency's Unique Device Identification program. A recent industry survey appears to bear this out: A whopping 85% of respondents say they're not ready for the upcoming UDI compliance deadline of Sept. 24 for makers of class II products. Meanwhile, firms asking for UDI exceptions for their devices are waiting an inordinate amount of time for FDA to come to a decision, in part because the agency simply doesn't know how to publicly disclose the exemptions, UDI guru Jay Crowley says. Also: experts mull over the agency's latest UDI guidance; FDA explains why using an HL7 UDI submission option for its GUDID database isn't a good idea for every firm; and Crowley discusses what the UDI landscape will look like in 2020.

In this FINAL EPISODE of Speaking Of Medtech: The US FDA got something it desperately wanted in its latest user-fee package with industry: a Total Product Lifecycle Advisory Program pilot, or TAP. The agency says TAP will allow for earlier and more frequent engagement with developers – but is it needed?

People with obesity now have new tools to help them lose weight, thanks to the US agency’s de novo authorization.