Government Regulation" above for a summary of certain regulations to which we are subject. Regulatory changes and uncertainty could result in restrictions on our ability to carry on or expand our operations, higher than anticipated costs or lower than anticipated sales.
The processes by which 510(k) clearance, grant of a de novo classification request, or PMA approval is obtained can be expensive and lengthy and require the payment of significant fees. The FDA’s 510(k) clearance process usually takes from three to twelve months, but may last longer. The FDA’s goal is to review de novo classification requests within 150 FDA review days, but presently, the current average review period is about eight months. The process of obtaining a PMA is much costlier and more uncertain than the 510(k) clearance process and generally takes one to three years, or even longer, from the time the application is submitted to the FDA until an approval is obtained. The process of obtaining regulatory clearances through the 510(k) process, de
novo classification, or approvals through the PMA process to market a medical device in the U.S. or internationally can be costly and time-consuming, and we may not be able to obtain these clearances, grants of de novo classification, or approvals on a timely basis, if at all.
In the U.S., all of our currently commercialized medical device products, other than SECURE-C and Simplify Cervical Artificial Disc and the Senza SCS system, have either received premarket clearance under Section 510(k) of the FDCA or are exempt from PMA review. We were also granted FDA Approval for the REFLECT TM Scoliosis Correction System, as our first product approved under an HDE, without receiving premarket clearance under 510(k) of the FDCA or via PMA review. If the FDA requires us to go through a lengthier, more rigorous examination for future products or modifications to existing products than we had expected, our product introductions or modifications could be delayed or canceled, which could cause our sales to decline and potentially harm our ability to compete. In addition, if the FDA disagrees with our determination that a product that we currently market is subject to an exemption from premarket review, the FDA may require us to submit a 510(k), de novo , or PMA and may require us to cease distribution of the product and/or recall the product unless and until we obtain 510(k) or de novo clearance or PMA. Further, even with respect to those future products where a PMA is not required, we cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain the 510(k) or de novo clearances with respect to those products. The FDA may also reclassify devices currently on the market from Class II to Class III, which could result in additional regulatory burden requiring submission and approval of a PMA prior to marketing, or could result in the FDA rescinding a 510(k) for a previously cleared device.
Quoted from the business section of this company’s 10-K filed February 24, 2026. Read the filing