There's a quiet hope that keeps circulating among medical device companies eyeing the US market. "Maybe the next round of reforms will finally speed things up." Application volume keeps climbing while the reviewer headcount stays flat, so the thinking goes that the next policy overhaul has to bring some relief. The signal FDA just sent points the other way. Not faster. Tighter. MDUFA Isn't Just a Fee Schedule — It's a Five-Year Deal Between FDA and Industry Getting a device o

This is the second post in a series covering recurring FDA Import Alert patterns by industry. Part 1 covered food and dietary supplements; this one covers medical devices. Read More:: Container Stuck at a U.S. Port — What Triggers an FDA Import Alert for Food and Supplements Even companies with a 510(k) clearance sometimes find their shipments held at customs — and this question keeps coming up in medical device inquiries. Clearance and the ability to actually clear customs a

This post is the first in a series on recurring FDA Import Alert patterns by industry. This installment covers food and dietary supplement cases; the next covers medical devices. Read more:: Trapped in Customs: The Hidden Triggers Behind FDA Import Alerts for Medical Devices Three days after his container cleared Busan and reached the Port of LA, the exporter got a frantic call from his U.S. buyer. Customs wouldn't release the shipment. The paperwork from FDA mentioned someth

There's one decision that comes up again and again in US market entry projects: treating the choice of US Agent like a quote comparison. "It's just an address on a form — might as well go with whoever's cheapest." From a working-level perspective, that's a perfectly reasonable call. The problem is the assumption behind it. If a US Agent's job really were nothing more than renting out an address, that would be the right choice. But look at the actual responsibilities FDA regul

In June 2026, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Warning Letter to Huons Co., Ltd. following an inspection of its sterile injectable manufacturing facility in Jecheon, South Korea. While Warning Letters are not uncommon in the pharmaceutical industry, this case stands out because it goes far beyond isolated documentation issues. The FDA concluded that the company's manufacturing systems, laboratory controls, and quality oversight failed to comply with Curren

You can no longer approach the FDA without an eSTAR. To launch a medical device in the U.S., entering the FDA’s gateway is an absolute necessity. For most companies, the preferred route is the 510(k), or Premarket Notification process. While primarily designed for Class II (moderate-risk) devices, it also applies to certain low-risk or high-risk devices depending on their unique technical characteristics. In fact, the vast majority of medical devices entering the U.S. market

The First New FDA Sunscreen Ingredient Addition in More Than 20 Years The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has added bemotrizinol to the list of permitted sunscreen active ingredients, marking the first new FDA sunscreen ingredient addition to the OTC sunscreen monograph since the late 1990s. The decision represents an important regulatory milestone for the U.S. sunscreen industry and may create new opportunities for product innovation in the years ahead. What Is Bemot

Last May, the FDA officially announced a recall of a kimchi brand sold in the U.S. The product itself wasn't the problem. What triggered the recall was a single missing line on the label — the anchovies used in the product weren't declared as an allergen the way FDA requires. Over 32 million Americans live with food allergies. And undeclared allergens are one of the violations the FDA treats most seriously. U.S. Allergen Rules Are Stricter Than Most Brands Expect The FDA reco

The BIO International Convention, taking place in San Diego from June 22–25, is one of the world's leading events for the biotechnology and life sciences industry. Every year, the convention brings together biotechnology companies, pharmaceutical developers, investors, research institutions, manufacturers, and regulatory experts from around the globe to explore partnerships, investment opportunities, and commercialization strategies. For companies developing innovative health

Lately, the FDA has been issuing a wave of Warning Letters to OTC sunscreen manufacturers. Korean manufacturers are no exception. Across all these letters, the core issue remains exactly the same: It’s not just about a faulty product; the entire manufacturing quality system is failing to function. In South Korea, sunscreen is classified as a "functional cosmetic." Because of this, many brands and manufacturers mistakenly assume: "We passed the SPF testing, so we should be fin