Adaptive Designs for Medical Device Clinical Studies; Draft Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff; Availability

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability of the draft guidance entitled ``Adaptive Designs for Medical Device Clinical Studies; Draft Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff.'' This guidance provides sponsors and FDA staff with guidance on how to plan and implement adaptive designs for clinical studies when used in medical device development programs. An adaptive design for a medical device clinical study is defined as a clinical trial design that allows for prospectively planned modifications based on accumulating study data without undermining the trial's integrity and validity. Adaptive designs, when properly implemented, can reduce resource requirements and/or increase the chance of study success. This draft guidance is not final nor is it in effect at this time.