The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released final version of its guidance, General Wellness: Policy for Low-Risk Devices (Policy), with a webinar slated for September 1st as part of the rollout. While not much has changed from the 2015 draft guidance, the number of mobile apps and general wellness products that are pushing the limits of what the FDA believes could be “devices” under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) increases daily.
In order to fit under the FDA Policy, the product needs to both solely marketed for general wellness and present a low risk of safety to the user and other persons. The guidance provides useful examples that anticipate the desire to help “reduce the risk of” or “live well with” chronic conditions, the most interesting boundaries of the Policy for those wishing to differentiate themselves within the wellness industry.
Agency metrics on the 513(g) Requests for Information may provide some feedback on the impact of the Policy since its draft issuance, and future enforcement needs to be monitored for defining the limits of the Policy.
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