[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 19 (Friday, January 28, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4611-4612]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-01788]



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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

[Docket No. FDA-2021-D-0980]


Assessing the Credibility of Computational Modeling and 
Simulation in Medical Device Submissions; Draft Guidance for Industry 
and Food and Drug Administration Staff; Availability; Extension of 
Comment Period

AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability; extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or the Agency) is 
extending the comment period for the notice of availability that 
appeared in the Federal Register of December 23, 2021. In the notice of 
availability, FDA requested comments on draft guidance for industry and 
FDA staff entitled ``Assessing the Credibility of Computational 
Modeling and Simulation in Medical Device Submissions.'' The Agency is 
taking this action in response to a request for an extension to allow 
interested persons additional time to submit comments.

DATES: FDA is extending the comment period on the document published 
December 23, 2021 (86 FR 72969). Submit either electronic or written 
comments on the draft guidance by March 24, 2022, to ensure that the 
Agency considers your comment on this draft guidance before it begins 
work on the final version of the guidance.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on any guidance 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-2021-D-0980 for ``Assessing the Credibility of Computational 
Modeling and Simulation in Medical Device Submissions.'' 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, 240-402-7500.
     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.govinfo.gov/content/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, 240-402-7500.
    You may submit comments on any guidance at any time (see 21 CFR 
10.115(g)(5)).
    An electronic copy of the guidance document is available for 
download from the internet. See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section 
for information on electronic access to the guidance. Submit written 
requests for a single hard copy of the draft guidance document entitled 
``Assessing the Credibility of Computational Modeling and Simulation in 
Medical Device Submissions'' to the Office of Policy, Center for 
Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 
New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 66, Rm. 5431, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002. 
Send one self-addressed adhesive label to assist that office in 
processing your request.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pras Pathmanathan, Center for Devices 
and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New 
Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 66, Rm. 1133, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002, 301-
796-3490.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    In the Federal Register of December 23, 2021, FDA published a 
notice of availability with a 60-day comment period to request comments 
on draft guidance for industry and FDA staff entitled ``Assessing the 
Credibility of Computational Modeling and Simulation in Medical Device 
Submissions.''
    The Agency has received a request for an extension of the comment 
period. The request conveyed concern that the current 60-day comment 
period does not allow sufficient time to develop a meaningful or 
thoughtful response.
    FDA has considered the request and is extending the comment period 
for the notice of availability for 30 days, until March 24, 2022. The 
Agency believes that a 30-day extension allows adequate time for 
interested persons to submit comments without significantly

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delaying guidance on these important issues.
    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 ``Assessing 
the Credibility of Computational Modeling and Simulation in Medical 
Device Submissions.'' 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 interested in obtaining a copy of the draft guidance may do 
so by downloading an electronic copy from the internet. A search 
capability for all Center for Devices and Radiological Health guidance 
documents is available at https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/device-advice-comprehensive-regulatory-assistance/guidance-documents-medical-devices-and-radiation-emitting-products. This draft guidance document 
is also available at https://www.regulations.gov and at https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents. 
Persons unable to download an electronic copy of ``Assessing the 
Credibility of Computational Modeling and Simulation in Medical Device 
Submissions'' may send an email request to [email protected] to 
receive an electronic copy of the document. Please use the document 
number 1500056 and complete title to identify the guidance you are 
requesting.

    Dated: January 25, 2022.
Lauren K. Roth,
Associate Commissioner for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2022-01788 Filed 1-27-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4164-01-P