[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 210 (Monday, October 31, 2016)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 75351-75352]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-26244]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

21 CFR Parts 16 and 58

[Docket No. FDA-2010-N-0548]


Good Laboratory Practice for Nonclinical Laboratory Studies; 
Extension of Comment Period

AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is extending the 
comment period for the proposed rule that appeared in the Federal 
Register of August 24, 2016. In the proposed rule, FDA requested 
comments on its proposal to amend the regulations for good laboratory 
practice for nonclinical studies. The Agency is taking this action in 
response to requests for an extension to allow interested persons 
additional time to submit comments.

DATES: FDA is extending the comment period on the proposed rule 
published August 24, 2016 (81 FR 58342). Submit either electronic or 
written comments by January 21, 2017.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments as follows:

[[Page 75352]]

Electronic Submissions

    Submit electronic comments in the following way:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments. Comments submitted 
electronically, including attachments, to http://www.regulations.gov 
will be posted to the docket unchanged. Because your comment will be 
made public, you are solely responsible for ensuring that your comment 
does not include any confidential information that you or a third party 
may not wish to be posted, such as medical information, your or anyone 
else's Social Security number, or confidential business information, 
such as a manufacturing process. Please note that if you include your 
name, contact information, or other information that identifies you in 
the body of your comments, that information will be posted on http://www.regulations.gov.
     If you want to submit a comment with confidential 
information that you do not wish to be made available to the public, 
submit the comment as a written/paper submission and in the manner 
detailed (see ``Written/Paper Submissions'' and ``Instructions'').

Written/Paper Submissions

    Submit written/paper submissions as follows:
     Mail/Hand delivery/Courier (for written/paper 
submissions): Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305), Food and Drug 
Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.
     For written/paper comments submitted to the Division of 
Dockets Management, FDA will post your comment, as well as any 
attachments, except for information submitted, marked and identified, 
as confidential, if submitted as detailed in ``Instructions.''
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the Docket No. 
FDA-2010-N-0548 for ``Good Laboratory Practice for Nonclinical 
Laboratory Studies.'' Received comments will be placed in the docket 
and, except for those submitted as ``Confidential Submissions,'' 
publicly viewable at http://www.regulations.gov or at the Division of 
Dockets Management between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
     Confidential Submissions--To submit a comment with 
confidential information that you do not wish to be made publicly 
available, submit your comments only as a written/paper submission. You 
should submit two copies total. One copy will include the information 
you claim to be confidential with a heading or cover note that states 
``THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.'' The Agency will 
review this copy, including the claimed confidential information, in 
its consideration of comments. The second copy, which will have the 
claimed confidential information redacted/blacked out, will be 
available for public viewing and posted on http://www.regulations.gov. 
Submit both copies to the Division of Dockets Management. If you do not 
wish your name and contact information to be made publicly available, 
you can provide this information on the cover sheet and not in the body 
of your comments and you must identify this information as 
``confidential.'' Any information marked as ``confidential'' will not 
be disclosed except in accordance with 21 CFR 10.20 and other 
applicable disclosure law. For more information about FDA's posting of 
comments to public dockets, see 80 FR 56469, September 18, 2015, or 
access the information at: http://www.fda.gov/regulatoryinformation/dockets/default.htm.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
the electronic and written/paper comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov and insert the docket number, found in brackets in 
the heading of this document, into the ``Search'' box and follow the 
prompts and/or go to the Division of Dockets Management, 5630 Fishers 
Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Vernon Toelle, Office of Surveillance 
and Compliance, Center for Veterinary Medicine, Food and Drug 
Administration, 7519 Standish Pl., MPN4-142, Rockville, MD 20855, 240-
402-5637; or Kristin Webster Maloney, Office of Policy and Risk 
Management, Office of Regulatory Affairs, Food and Drug Administration, 
10903 New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 32, Rm. 4373, Silver Spring, MD 20993, 
240-402-4993.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the Federal Register of August 24, 2016, 
FDA published a proposed rule with a 90-day comment period to request 
comments on its proposal to amend the regulations for good laboratory 
practice for nonclinical studies. Comments on the proposed amendments 
will inform FDA's rulemaking to establish regulations for good 
laboratory practice for nonclinical laboratory studies.
    The Agency has received requests for a 90-day extension of the 
comment period for the proposed rule. Each request conveyed concern 
that the current 90-day comment period does not allow sufficient time 
to develop a meaningful or thoughtful response to the proposed rule.
    FDA has considered the requests and is extending the comment period 
for the proposed rule for 60 days, until January 21, 2017. The Agency 
believes that a 60-day extension allows adequate time for interested 
persons to submit comments without significantly delaying rulemaking on 
these important issues.

    Dated: October 26, 2016.
Leslie Kux,
Associate Commissioner for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2016-26244 Filed 10-28-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4164-01-P