The NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA) has launched its call for applications representing high impact, evidence-based innovations from September 01, 2020. The application deadline is October 16, 2020. NIA is an award-winning national initiative supported by England’s 15 Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs), which helps dedicated innovations to spread more comprehensively in the healthcare system.

The French National Authority for Health (HAS) released new decisions about add-on and medical aid reimbursement of many medical devices from the meetings of the National Commission for Evaluation of Medical Devices and Health Technologies (CNEDiMTS) in August 2020. Decisions concern cartilage implant, energy return prosthetic feet, and Yttrium-90 microspheres.

The Ministry of Health has adjusted the regulatory nomenclature of medical devices, separating software, which is a medical device, into a separate group. The classification of software is given depending on the potential risk of its use. A potential risk class is assigned to software regardless of the potential risk class of the medical device in combination with which it is used. The order does not apply to medical products previously submitted for state registration.

On behalf of the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA), the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) investigated to what extent adults with symptomatic knee cartilage defect (but without advanced arthrosis) could benefit from autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) of different types: periosteal-covered (ACI-P), collagen-covered (ACI-C) or matrix-associated (M-ACI).

In July 2020, the Austrian Institute for Health Technology Assessment (AIHTA) issued an updated report on the PET/PET-CT evidence for need-based planning in Austria.

In July 2020, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published two new interventional procedure guidance (for artificial iris insertion for acquired aniridia and for congenital aniridia), and two Medtech innovation briefings (for Prontosan for acute and chronic wounds, and CFHealthHub for managing cystic fibrosis during the COVID-19 pandemic).

The procedure for applying the ‘subsidy scheme for promising care’ is opened again. The period for applying has started on July 22 and will last till September 22, 2020.

In July 2020, the network of European HTA agencies, EUnetHTA, announced a final project plan of the project OTCA25 “Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) for lung, prostate, and liver cancer.”

In August 2020, mHealthBelgium announced two more health application accomplished M2 validation - Well@Home and AirView. After achieving M2 level, developers will get access to more options, like risk assessment framework, test centers, a lot of useful information.

The HTA body of the Tuscany Regional Healthcare issues two types of documents: HTA forms and motivational forms. With a regional decree 12735 of August 13, 2020, Tuscany Regional Healthcare has published assessments of eleven medical devices of various therapeutic areas, including peripheral nerve stimulator, catheter for renal denervation, EKOS technology and others.

In July 2020, the Austrian Institute for Health Technology Assessment (AIHTA) published updated evaluations of medical procedures previously assessed. Technologies that were revised are leadless pacemaker for right ventricle pacing and extracorporeal cytokine hemadsorption therapy in patients with sepsis or SIRS.

The French National Authority for Health (HAS) released new decisions about add-on and medical aid reimbursement of many medical devices from the meetings of the National Commission for Evaluation of Medical Devices and Health Technologies (CNEDiMTS) in July 2020. Decisions concern drug-eluting coronary stents, TAVI, orthopedic appliances, wound dressing, stoma obturator, toric intraocular lens.