ISO 10993-1:2025 (Edition 6) was published in November 2025. It replaces the 2018 edition and provides for a risk-based approach in how biological safety is framed for medical devices.
Key changes (practical impact) are among others:
- Closer alignment with ISO 14971
- Updated terminology
- Stronger emphasis on chemical characterisation and toxicological justification
- Biological evaluation plans and documented toxicological justifications are elevated with higher scrutiny from notified bodies to be expected
When does it become “obligatory” under the MDR?
As a reminder, the publication of an ISO standard does not automatically give a presumption of conformity under the medical devices regulation (MDR). For presumption of conformity the text must be adopted as an EN standard and referenced in the Official Journal of the EU (OJEU) as a harmonised standard. Until (and unless) an EN/harmonised reference appears in the OJEU, manufacturers should treat ISO 10993-1:2025 as the new state-of-the-art guidance to inform dossiers, while being aware it is not yet an automatic MDR harmonised standard.
Recommended actions for RA teams
Regulatory teams should review their biological evaluation plans and device portfolios and conduct a gap analysis. Potentially, scientific rationales should be prepared to explain legacy decisions against the 2025 framework at audits and submissions.
Source: ISO





