[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 124 (Thursday, June 28, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35492-35493]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-12496]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

[Docket No. 2007N-0241]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Institutional Review Boards

AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing an 
opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain 
information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(the PRA), Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the 
Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, 
including each proposed extension of an existing collection of 
information, and to allow 60 days for public comment in response to the 
notice. This notice solicits comments on the recordkeeping requirements 
for institutional review boards (IRBs).

DATES: Submit written or electronic comments on the collection of 
information by August 27, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Submit electronic comments on the collection of information 
to: http://www.fda.gov/dockets/ecomments. Submit written comments on 
the collection of information to the Division of Dockets Management 
(HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, rm. 1061, 
Rockville, MD 20852. All comments should be identified with the docket 
number found in brackets in the heading of this document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Berbakos, Office of the 
Chief Information Officer (HFA-250), Food and Drug Administration, 5600 
Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857, 301-827-1482.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), Federal 
agencies must obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for each collection of information they conduct or sponsor. 
``Collection of information'' is defined in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR 
1320.3(c) and includes agency requests or requirements that members of 
the public submit reports, keep records, or provide information to a 
third party. Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)) 
requires Federal agencies to provide a 60-day notice in the Federal 
Register concerning each

[[Page 35493]]

proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension 
of an existing collection of information, before submitting the 
collection to OMB for approval. To comply with this requirement, FDA is 
publishing notice of the proposed collection of information set forth 
in this document.
    With respect to the following collection of information, FDA 
invites comments on these topics: (1) Whether the proposed collection 
of information is necessary for the proper performance of FDA's 
functions, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (2) the accuracy of FDA's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques, when 
appropriate, and other forms of information technology.

Institutional Review Boards--21 CFR 56.115 (OMB Control Number 0910-
0130)--Extension

    When reviewing clinical research studies regulated by FDA, IRBs are 
required to create and maintain records describing their operations, 
and make the records available for FDA inspection when requested. These 
records include: Written procedures describing the structure and 
membership of the IRB and the methods that the IRB will use in 
performing its functions; the research protocols, informed consent 
documents, progress reports, and reports of injuries to subjects 
submitted by investigators to the IRB; minutes of meetings showing 
attendance, votes and decisions made by the IRB, the number of votes on 
each decision for, against, and abstaining, the basis for requiring 
changes in or disapproving research; records of continuing review 
activities; copies of all correspondence between investigators and the 
IRB; statement of significant new findings provided to subjects of the 
research; and a list of IRB members by name, showing each member's 
earned degrees, representative capacity, and experience in sufficient 
detail to describe each member's contributions to the IRB's 
deliberations, and any employment relationship between each member and 
the IRB's institution. This information is used by FDA in conducting 
audit inspections of IRBs to determine whether IRBs and clinical 
investigators are providing adequate protections to human subjects 
participating in clinical research.
    FDA estimates the burden of this collection of information as 
follows:

                                                   Table 1.--Estimated Annual Recordkeeping Burden\1\
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                                                              No. of       Annual Frequency  of     Total Annual        Hours per
                    21 CFR Section                        Recordkeepers        Recordkeeping          Records          Recordkeeper       Total Hours
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56.115                                                              5,000                  14.6             73,000                100          7,300,000
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Total                                                                                                                                          7,300,000
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\1\There are no capital costs or operating and maintenance costs associated with this collection of information.

    The recordkeeping requirement burden is based on the following: The 
burden for each of the paragraphs under 21 CFR 56.115 has been 
considered as one estimated burden. FDA estimates that there are 
approximately 5,000 IRBs. The IRBs meet on an average of 14.6 times 
annually. The agency estimates that approximately 100 hours of person-
time per meeting are required to meet the requirements of the 
regulation.

    Dated: June 21, 2007.
Jeffrey Shuren,
Assistant Commissioner for Policy.
[FR Doc. E7-12496 Filed 6-27-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-01-S