Mexico COFEPRIS Medical Device Regulations

Our regulatory consulting specialists support regulatory compliance with the COFEPRIS requirements.
COFEPRIS AUTHORITY

COFEPRIS Medical Device Regulations

In Mexico, the regulatory submission process for medical devices is overseen by the Commission Federal para la Protección contra Riesgos Sanitarios (COFEPRIS), a Federal Commission that belongs to the Ministry of Health. The primary regulations governing medical devices in Mexico are the General Health Law (Ley General de Salud) and the Regulations of Health Supplies (Reglamento de Insumos para la Salud).

COFEPRIS is responsible for regulating a variety of health-related topics in Mexico, including food safety, pharmaceutical drugs, medical devices, organ transplants, and environmental protection.

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GO-TO-MARKET STRATEGY AND REGISTRATION SUPPORT

Do you need assistance with your strategy for the Mexican COFEPRIS Medical Device Regulations? 

Qserve is your trusted partner for market access in Mexico.

Contact us

Medical Device Classification in Mexico

Risk-based classification

Device Risk Classification

Risk Description

Description

Class I low

Low

NA

Class I

Low-Medium

Those medical devices proven to be safe and generally not introduced into the body.

Class II

Medium

Devices that are known in medical practice but may have variations in the material with which they are made and, generally, are introduced into the body for less than thirty days.

Class III

High

New or recently accepted medical devices or those that are introduced into the body and remain in it for more than thirty days.


The established criteria have always been presented as rules, indicating the characteristics of medical devices in relation to their use, activity, contact, and permanence with the body. The rules-based system is based on the former Global Harmonization Task Force (GHTF), now the International Medical Device Regulators Forum or IMDRF, and EU Medical Devices Directive MDD 93/42/EEC.  

In addition, the revised rules appear to consider the EU Medical Devices Regulation 2017/745 (MDR). Understanding and following these rules will help with obtaining a registration for medical devices in Mexico.

 

Medical Device Approval Mexico

Regulatory Approval Process

  • Classify the device correctly
  • Appoint a Mexico Registration Holder (MRH) who will coordinate device submissions
  • Demonstrate home country approval through a Certificate of Free Sale (CFS) or Certificate to Foreign Government (CFG)
  • The device must comply with ISO 13485 or equivalent in another country. No audit will be performed
  • Submit a registration dossier, which should include safety information, testing reports, and clinical trial data. Approval from the recognized countries (Japan, Canada, or United States) may be leveraged in order to expedite approval 
  • If the device is approved COFEPRIS will issue a certificate and post confirmation of device registration on the Ministry of Health website

Go-to-market strategy

Mexico is a medical device market with explosive growth, and the possibilities are almost endless for device manufacturers, especially for those who have already obtained registration in Japan, the USA, and Canada.

COFEPRIS slowly aligns the regulation to EU regulation which opens opportunities for CE-marked devices to enter the market faster.  


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Mexico vs EU/US Medical Device Regulations

  • Appoint of Mexico Registration Holder
  • Labelling must be in Spanish
  • Import permits required for Class III implantable devices
  • All documents included in the registration dossier shall be translated into Spanish
  • Although, translation to Spanish is no longer mandatory for technical documents that are provided in English (e.g., for class III implantable devices). 

Qserve services for Mexico

  • Global Regulatory Strategy
  • Registration support in Mexico
  • Cofepris certification
  • Review process technical documentation
  • QMS ISO 13485 support
  • Translation label and IFUs based on requirements
  • Conformity Assessment route support

Services

 

Representation for foreign manufacturers

Mexican Registration Holder (MRH)

Foreign manufacturers require a local Authorised Representative, also known as a Mexico Registration Holder (MRH), to interact on their behalf with COFEPRIS and own the registration. The Mexican Registration Holder (MRH) must also be a Mexican legal entity.

Main responsibilities of the holder:

  • To be the main point of contact in Mexico with COFEPRIS.
  • Apply for any process with COFEPRIS related to the registrations or any product.
  • Report any incidence in terms of Technovigilance

Benefits of having a holder as a commercial partner:

  • Assign or remove local distributors, avoiding dependence on them.
  • Have a localally, with a local presence to oversee your sanitary authorizations.
 

Standard (class I)/Standard+Third-Party Review process 

Time:
Generally, 12 months or in case of Third Party Reviewer: around 3 to 6 months upon submission. 

Third-Party Reviewer:
$2,000-4,000 USD depending on the reviewer and the device class. 

COFEPRIS fee: $500-1,100USD depending the device class.

Equivalency agreement (class II and III)

The equivalence route is applicable for products approved by US FDA, Health Canada (only for Class II-IV) and Japan (only for Class II-IV). For these types of devices, there is an expedited review process, allowing for faster review and approval. 

  • Time: 8-11 months for FDA and HC approved products and 5-8 months for Japan (Equivalence Agreement of 2012). 
  • The option for Third Party Reviewers is not applicable for this route.
  • COFEPRIS fee: $500-1,100 USD depending the device class.

If your product only has European CE Marking or other national approval, it is possible to leverage information from your existing Technical File or registration dossier to prepare your submission to COFEPRIS. 

Contact us to see to what extent your existing documentation can be suitable for achieving regulatory compliance in Mexico

Important links and guidance