FDA Warns Spinal Implant Company for Supplier Agreement Failures

X Spine Systems’ failure to correct quality problems, document complaint assessment and establish quality requirements for suppliers was cited in a recent warning letter.

When the FDA inspected the firm’s Miamisburg, Ohio, facility April 7–18, it found several GMP violations. The company responded in May, but the agency sent a warning letter July 15, listing a dozen alleged failures X Spine must address.

The FDA had cited the firm for revising a package insert for its Spider Cervical Plating System last September without notifying customers that a previous insert would not guarantee a specified sterility assurance level.

Although X Spine responded that a “field advisory notice” would be sent immediately to customers with unimplanted devices to assure they followed the current package insert, the agency says this response was not adequate. “It does not address how you will assure that the appropriate corrective and preventive action will be taken when a nonconformance is identified in the future,” the letter says.

The agency also had cited the company for failing to establish quality requirements for suppliers and for not having supplier agreements requiring notification about design or manufacturing changes that might affect products.