[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 134 (Friday, July 14, 2023)] [Notices] [Pages 45222-45223] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2023-14917] [[Page 45222]] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2023-D-2436] Manufacturing Changes and Comparability for Human Cellular and Gene Therapy Products; Draft Guidance for Industry; Availability AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS. ACTION: Notice of availability. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or Agency) is announcing the availability of a draft document entitled ``Manufacturing Changes and Comparability for Human Cellular and Gene Therapy Products; Draft Guidance for Industry.'' The management of manufacturing changes presents many challenges for human cellular therapy or gene therapy (CGT) products due to the complexity of these products. The draft guidance provides sponsors of Investigational New Drug Applications (INDs) and applicants of Biologics License Applications (BLAs) for CGT products, with recommendations regarding product comparability and the management of manufacturing changes for investigational and licensed CGT products. The purpose of this draft guidance is to provide FDA's current thinking on management and reporting of manufacturing changes for CGT products based on a life-cycle approach, and comparability studies to assess the effect of manufacturing changes on product quality. DATES: Submit either electronic or written comments on the draft guidance by September 12, 2023 to ensure that the Agency considers your comment on this draft guidance before it begins work on the final version of the guidance.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-2023-D-2436 for ``Manufacturing Changes and Comparability for Human Cellular and Gene Therapy Products; Draft 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, 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)). Submit written requests for single copies of the draft 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 draft 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 draft guidance document. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Phillip Kurs, 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 document entitled ``Manufacturing Changes and Comparability for Human Cellular and Gene Therapy Products; Draft Guidance for Industry.'' The management of manufacturing changes presents many challenges for human CGT products due to the complexity of these products. The draft guidance provides sponsors of INDs and applicants who intend to submit or currently hold BLAs for CGT products, with recommendations on product comparability and the management of manufacturing changes for investigational and licensed CGT products, considering the unique challenges that apply to these products. [[Page 45223]] While existing guidances provide general principles and recommendations regarding comparability studies and management of manufacturing changes for biological products, they generally do not address specific CGT product challenges. The purpose of this draft guidance is to provide FDA's current thinking on: (1) management and reporting of manufacturing changes for CGT products based on a life-cycle approach and (2) comparability studies to assess the effect of manufacturing changes on CGT product quality. 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 ``Manufacturing Changes and Comparability for Human Cellular and Gene Therapy Products.'' 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. Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 While this guidance contains no collection of information, it does refer to previously approved FDA collections of information. Therefore, clearance by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501-3521) is not required for this guidance. The previously approved collections of information are subject to review by OMB under the PRA. The collections of information in 21 CFR part 211 have been approved under OMB control number 0910-0139; the collections of information in 21 CFR part 312 have been approved under OMB control number 0910-0014; and the collections of information in 21 CFR 601.2 and 601.12 have been approved under OMB control number 0910-0338. III. Electronic Access Persons with access to the internet may obtain the draft guidance at https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/guidance-compliance-regulatory-information-biologics/biologics-guidances, https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents, or https://www.regulations.gov. Dated: July 10, 2023. Lauren K. Roth, Associate Commissioner for Policy. [FR Doc. 2023-14917 Filed 7-13-23; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4164-01-P