[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 58 (Tuesday, March 26, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11305-11307]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-05760]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

[Docket No. FDA-2017-D-6535]


Standards Development and the Use of Standards in Regulatory 
Submissions Reviewed in the Center for Biologics Evaluation and 
Research; 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 final guidance entitled ``Standards Development 
and the Use of Standards in Regulatory Submissions Reviewed in

[[Page 11306]]

the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research; Guidance for 
Industry.'' The guidance document provides the recommendations of the 
Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) on the use of 
standards in product development and control as well as the use of such 
standards in CBER's managed review process. CBER recognizes the value 
of standards and encourages the use of appropriate standards in the 
development and control of CBER-regulated medical products. Sponsors' 
use of standards can facilitate product development and provide a more 
efficient evaluation of regulatory submissions. The guidance announced 
in this notice finalizes the draft guidance of the same title dated 
December 2017.

DATES: The announcement of the guidance is published in the Federal 
Register on March 26, 2019.

ADDRESSES: You may submit either electronic or written comments on 
Agency guidances at any time 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): Dockets Management Staff (HFA-305), Food and Drug 
Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.
     For written/paper comments submitted to the Dockets 
Management Staff, 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-2017-D-6535 for ``Standards Development and the Use of Standards in 
Regulatory Submissions Reviewed in the Center for Biologics Evaluation 
and Research; Guidance for Industry.'' 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 Dockets Management Staff 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 https://www.regulations.gov. 
Submit both copies to the Dockets Management Staff. 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: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-09-18/pdf/2015-23389.pdf.
    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 Dockets Management Staff, 5630 Fishers Lane, 
Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.
    You may submit comments on any guidance at any time (see 21 CFR 
10.115(g)(5)).
    Submit written requests for single copies of the guidance to the 
Office of Communication, Outreach and Development, Center for Biologics 
Evaluation and Research (CBER), 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 the office in processing 
your requests. The guidance may also be obtained by mail by calling 
CBER at 1-800-835-4709 or 240-402-8010. See the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION section for electronic access to the guidance document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jonathan McKnight, Center for 
Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 
New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 71, Rm. 7301, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002, 
301-796-7911.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    FDA is announcing the availability of a document entitled 
``Standards Development and the Use of Standards in Regulatory 
Submissions Reviewed in the Center for Biologics Evaluation and 
Research; Guidance for Industry.'' The purpose of this guidance is to 
describe the recommendations of CBER on the use of standards in product 
development and control as well as the use of such standards in CBER's 
managed review process. CBER recognizes the value of standards and 
encourages the use of appropriate standards in the development and 
control of CBER-regulated medical products. Sponsors' use of standards 
can facilitate product development and provide a more efficient 
evaluation of regulatory submissions. This guidance does not endorse 
the activities of specific Standards Development Organizations or 
recommend specific standards for use in regulatory submissions.
    In the Federal Register of December 19, 2017 (82 FR 60204), FDA 
announced the availability of the draft guidance of the same title 
dated December 2017. FDA received several comments on the draft 
guidance, and those comments were considered as the guidance was 
finalized. Editorial changes were made to improve clarity. The guidance 
announced in this notice finalizes the draft guidance dated December 
2017.
    This guidance is being issued consistent with FDA's good guidance 
practices regulation (21 CFR 10.115).

[[Page 11307]]

The guidance represents the current thinking of FDA on ``Standards 
Development and the Use of Standards in Regulatory Submissions Reviewed 
in the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.'' 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. This guidance 
is not subject to Executive Order 12866.

II. Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

    This guidance refers to previously approved collections of 
information found in FDA regulations. These collections of information 
are subject to review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520). The 
collections of information in 21 CFR part 312 have been approved under 
OMB control number 0910-0014; the collections of information in 21 CFR 
part 314 have been approved under OMB control number 0910-0001; and the 
collections of information in 21 CFR part 601 have been approved under 
OMB control number 0910-0338.

III. Electronic Access

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

    Dated: March 20, 2019.
Lowell J. Schiller,
Acting Associate Commissioner for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2019-05760 Filed 3-25-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4164-01-P