UK ethics committees to specialise in devices

The UK's Central Office of Research Committees has agreed to nominate six ethics committees that will receive special training in medical devices and diagnostics to take lead roles in the ethics-based approval of medical technology products. This specialisation should be particularly beneficial to device manufacturers. The medical technology industry currently has the choice of any of the large number of ethics committees in the UK, but is generally frustrated by the lack of in-depth knowledge among them, the vast majority of whose work is for the pharmaceutical sector.