Randomized Registry Trials - efficient post market clinical follow-up for medical devices

Abstract

In spite of advances in the treatment of cardiovascular disease, there remains a significant need for high-quality evidence for clinical practice given the rising prevalence worldwide. Next to the increase of regulatory requirements, poor screening-to-recruitment ratios, lack of patient engagement, and long timelines for contracting and institutional review board (IRB) approval are leading to an outflow of clinical trials in the EU. Patient registries are a potentially rich source of data, especially for evaluating the course of rare diseases and effects of new treatments. In the sectors of regulatory assessments of medical devices they are greatly underused. Health-related real world data provide crucial support for regulatory decision-making, particularly post-market assessments of medical products. Registries can be used not only for observational studies, but also for conducting experimental study designs. Register-based randomized controlled trials (RRCTs) are of particular importance here, as they can combine the advantages of randomized controlled trials (RCT) and registers. The government's financial support and reduction of regulatory barriers to the implementation of registry-based RCT are incentive factors for manufacturers to let their medical devices (re-)certified. Furthermore, it is essential that the necessary criteria are already taken into account when setting up the German implant registry in order to enable future RRCTs. The presented work is an additional pleading for the use and extension of registries for all medical products.

Keywords

• medical device regulation
• post-market clinical follow-up
• registries
• regulatory affairs