[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 9 (Friday, January 13, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4361-4362]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-00631]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

[Docket No. FDA-2016-D-4645]


180-Day Exclusivity: Questions and Answers; Draft Guidance for 
Industry; Availability

AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or Agency) is announcing 
the availability of a draft guidance for industry entitled ``180-Day 
Exclusivity: Questions and Answers.'' This draft guidance is intended 
to address questions that have been raised about the provisions of the 
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) that relate to generic 
drug exclusivity, which commonly is known as ``180-day exclusivity'' 
for generic drug products. As a general matter, FDA has implemented 
these statutory provisions within the context of application-specific 
decisions. Some FDA decisions have been made publicly available (e.g., 
in FDA citizen petition responses and documents released in 
litigation). FDA believes that a guidance for industry that provides 
answers to commonly asked questions about 180-day exclusivity would 
enhance transparency and facilitate the development, approval, and 
timely marketing of generic drug products. FDA intends to update this 
guidance to include additional questions and answers as appropriate.

DATES: Although you can comment on any guidance at any time (see 21 CFR 
10.115(g)(5)), to ensure that the Agency considers your comment on this 
draft guidance before it begins work on the final version of the 
guidance, submit either electronic or written comments on the draft 
guidance by March 14, 2017.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments as follows:

Electronic Submissions

    Submit electronic comments in the following way:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments. Comments submitted 
electronically, including attachments, to https://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 https://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-2016-D-4645 for ``180-Day Exclusivity: Questions and Answers.'' 
Received comments will be placed in the docket and, except for those 
submitted as ``Confidential Submissions,'' publicly viewable at https://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

[[Page 4362]]

second copy, which will have the claimed confidential information 
redacted/blacked out, will be available for public viewing and posted 
on https://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 https://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.
    Submit written requests for single copies of the draft guidance to 
the Division of Drug Information, Center for Drug Evaluation and 
Research, Food and Drug Administration, 10001 New Hampshire Ave., 
Hillandale Building, 4th Floor, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002; or to the 
Office of Communication, Outreach, and Development, Center for 
Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 
New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 71, Rm. 3128, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002. 
Send one self-addressed adhesive label to assist that office in 
processing your requests. See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for 
electronic access to the draft guidance document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Harry Schwirck, Center for Drug 
Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New 
Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 75, Rm. 1672, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002, 301-
796-4271; or Stephen Ripley, Center for Biologics Evaluation and 
Research, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 
71, Rm. 7301, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002, 240-402-7911.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    FDA is announcing the availability of a draft guidance for industry 
entitled ``180-Day Exclusivity: Questions and Answers.'' This draft 
guidance is intended to address questions that have been raised about 
the provisions of the FD&C Act, which relate to 180-day exclusivity for 
generic drug products. These provisions provide an incentive and reward 
to generic drug applicants that expose themselves to the risk of patent 
litigation that may arise during the abbreviated new drug application 
(ANDA) process (see section 505(j) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. 355(j)). 
It does so by providing for a 180-day period of marketing exclusivity 
vis-a-vis certain other ANDA applicants to the first applicant(s) who 
are eligible for the exclusivity under applicable statutory provisions 
(see section 505(j)(2) and (j)(5) of the FD&C Act).
    FDA has received a number of questions about 180-day exclusivity 
and has identified commonly asked questions for inclusion in the 
guidance. FDA expects the information provided in the guidance to 
enhance transparency and facilitate the development, approval, and 
timely marketing of generic drug products. FDA intends to update the 
guidance to include additional questions and answers as appropriate.
    The draft guidance contains questions and answers organized 
according to subject matter. The subject areas are: Applicable 
statutory scheme, first applicants, 180-day exclusivity and patents, 
180-day exclusivity trigger and scope, 180-day exclusivity 
relinquishment and waiver, forfeiture of 180-day exclusivity, and 
procedural questions regarding 180-day exclusivity determinations.
    This draft guidance is being issued consistent with FDA's good 
guidance practices regulation (21 CFR 10.115). The draft guidance, when 
finalized, will represent the current thinking of FDA on ``180-Day 
Exclusivity: Questions and Answers.'' It does not establish any rights 
for any person and is not binding on FDA or the public. You can use an 
alternative approach if it satisfies the requirements of the applicable 
statutes and regulations.

II. Electronic Access

    Persons with access to the Internet may obtain the draft guidance 
at either http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Guidances/default.htm, http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Guidances/default.htm, or 
https://www.regulations.gov.

    Dated: January 9, 2017.
Leslie Kux,
Associate Commissioner for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2017-00631 Filed 1-12-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4164-01-P