What qualifies and what does not for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA)? What is the impact of this rare regulatory pathway during the COVID-19 pandemic?

In this episode of the Global Medical Device Podcast, Jon Speer talks to Mike Drues of Vascular Sciences in a highly relevant discussion on considerations for medical device professionals regarding EUA as a proper pathway to bring a medical device to market that can support the needs of healthcare providers and patients.

Some of the highlights of the show include:

- Why is it called Coronavirus? It has nothing to do with Corona beer. Rather, it comes from a family of viruses known for its crown or halo shape.

- Similar to SARS Coronavirus that infected about 8,000 and killed about 800 people worldwide starting in 2002. Numbers for COVID-19 are much worse.

- EUA has existed for many years and previously used primarily by drug and biotech companies for Anthrax, Ebola, H7N1, and other viruses/diseases.

- EUA allows FDA to help strengthen the country’s protection against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear defense threats by facilitating availability and use of medical countermeasures needed during healthcare emergencies.

- EUA requires new or modified existing products to diagnose, treat, or prevent Coronavirus. Due to COVID-19, FDA issued as many warning letters as EUAs.

- EUA is not an approval, clearance, or alternative to 510(k) and PMA, but temporary authorization because all EUAs will expire.

- Political Pandemic Pressure: What would be worse—not having enough ventilators, or having ventilators that don’t work? Do it quickly and correctly.

- Ventilators are not simple and ubiquitous. Review FDA product codes; prioritize list; and strive for safety and efficacy, not shortcuts to lower regulatory burden.