Fostering Medical Innovation: A Plan for Digital Health Devices; Software Precertification Pilot Program

The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA, the Agency, or we) Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH or Center) is announcing its Software Precertification Pilot Program. The program aims to evaluate a new approach toward software products, including a precertification program for the assessment of companies that perform high-quality software design and testing. This voluntary pilot program is part of FDA's ongoing efforts to develop pragmatic approaches to balance benefits and risks of digital health products. FDA intends to develop a precertification program that could replace the need for a premarket submission in some cases and allow for decreased submission content and/or faster review of marketing applications for software products in other cases. During the pilot program, FDA customers, including pilot participants, will have the opportunity to provide input on the development of the precertification program.