FDA Encourages Developers of Opioid-Oriented Devices

The FDA launched an innovation challenge designed to stimulate the development of promising medical devices that may provide novel solutions for pain treatment and help prevent, detect and treat opioid addiction.

Applicants chosen by the FDA will gain the opportunity to work together with the agency through “enhanced interactions” to accelerate the development and review of their innovative devices, with the aim of giving developers more incentives to invest in products that can deal with aspects of the opioid crisis and advance promising technologies.

The innovation challenge is open to products in any stage of development and extends to developers of currently marketed devices who wish to demonstrate their device has an improved benefit-risk profile for pain management compared to opioids.