The In Vitro Diagnostics Division of PHC Corporation, a provider of medical devices and diagnostics, announced that it has received European Union Medical Devices Regulation (EU-MDR) certification for a motorized drug injection device that delivers anti-inflammatory medications called tumor-necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors. The device, called APP-1000*1, is designed to provide simple, precise, and monitored drug injections in the home setting for conditions including rheumatoid arthritis. The EU-MDR certification clears the way for future distribution of the device in approximately 20 countries including EU countries, Switzerland, and South America.
APP-1000 is a class IIa*2 portable medical device, manufactured at PHC IVD’s Wakimachi plant in Japan. It allows patients to self-inject TNF inhibitors automatically at a touch of a button with no measurement or preparation required. The device comes equipped with an LCD screen with illustrated guidance to make it easier for patients to use. Dosing history stored in the device memory can be transferred via Bluetooth®*3 to a smartphone, allowing patients and doctors to check the dosing record remotely at any time. In addition, patients can choose from three injection speeds depending on their needs.
EU-MDR is a regulation for medical devices applied by the European Commission effective as of May 26, 2021. It replaces the Medical Devices Directive (MDD) and the Active Implantable Medical Devices Directive (AIMD), and establishes rules to improve the safety and quality of medical devices and provide transparency for patients to protect public health and patient safety. TÜV SÜD Product Service GmbH, an independent third-party certification organization (or “Notified Body”) based in Germany, conducted the technical documentation reviews and audits required for APP-1000 to be certified. It is PHC Corporation’s first device to receive the EU-MDR certification.
Hiroyuki Tokunaga, Member of the Board of PHC Corporation and Director of PHC IVD said, “We strive to provide best-in-class healthcare solutions that meet the needs of healthcare professionals and improve patients’ quality of life, by integrating precision manufacturing with digital technology. This EU-MDR certification will enable APP-1000 to be available to more patients and is an important milestone in our work to improve healthcare in the field of digital injectors.”
This device is currently available in Japan. With the EU-MDR certification, PHC IVD plans to make it available in EU countries, Switzerland, and South America after June 2022.
*1 www.phchd.com/global/ivd/digital-injector
*2 EU-MDR classifies medical devices into four categories, taking into account the intended purpose of the devices and their inherent risks; Class I (lowest-risk), Class IIa, Class IIb, and Class III (highest-risk).
For further information on classification of medical devices: ec.europa.eu/health/system/files/2021-10/mdcg_2021-24_en_0.pdf
*3 The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., and any use of such marks by PHC Corporation is under license. Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners.