Evidence Requirements for Innovative Imaging Devices: From Concept to Adoption

The ABCs of the FDA: A Primer on the Role of the United States Food and Drug Administration in Medical Device Approvals and IR Research

The role of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in medical device regulation is important to device-driven specialties such as interventional radiology. Whether it is through industry-sponsored trials during the approval process for new devices or investigator-initiated research prospectively evaluating the role of existing devices for new or established procedures, interaction with the FDA is an integral part of performing significant research in interventional radiology. This article reviews the potential areas of interface between the FDA and interventional radiology, as understanding these areas is necessary to continue the innovation that is the hallmark of this specialty.

New pathways to medicare coverage for innovative PET radiopharmaceuticals: report of a medical imaging & technology alliance (MITA) workshop

PET and PET/CT have revolutionized the diagnosis, staging, and monitoring of treatment effect or recurrence for a wide range of cancers and shown promise for improving health outcomes for patients with cardiovascular and central nervous system diseases. However, this technology is challenged by insurance coverage policies that hinder patients' access to PET and discourage technologic innovation. Recently, the Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA), a Washington-based industry association, convened a workshop to consider new pathways for making decisions on Medicare coverage of new PET radiopharmaceuticals and imaging procedures that are currently subject to a national noncoverage decision, or "exclusionary rule." Stakeholders from the government, medical professional societies, academia, patient groups, and industry gathered to brainstorm alternatives to the national noncoverage decision and evaluate their potential to improve access and enhance innovation. Ultimately, MITA, on behalf of the PET community, expects to use the outcomes of the workshop to propose that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reconsider this current national noncoverage decision for PET and adopt a new framework for coverage.