
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 71 (Wednesday, April 13, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20679-20680]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-8818]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

[Docket No. FDA-2011-N-0157]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Guidance for Industry: Fast Track Drug Development 
Programs: Designation, Development, and Application Review

AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing an 
opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain 
information by the Agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(the PRA), Federal Agencies are required to publish notice in the 
Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, 
including each proposed extension of an existing collection of 
information, and to allow 60 days for public comment in response to the 
notice. This notice solicits comments on the proposed collection of 
information concerning requests by sponsors of investigational new 
drugs and applicants for new drug approvals or biologics licenses for 
fast track designation as provided in the guidance for industry on fast 
track drug development programs.

DATES: Submit either electronic or written comments on the collection 
of information by June 13, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Submit electronic comments on the collection of information 
to http://www.regulations.gov. Submit written comments on the 
collection of information to the Division of Dockets Management (HFA-
305), Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, rm. 1061, 
Rockville, MD 20852. All comments should be identified with the docket 
number found in brackets in the heading of this document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Elizabeth Berbakos, Office of 
Information Management, Food and Drug Administration, 1350 Piccard Dr., 
PI50-400B, Rockville, MD 20850, 301-796-3792, 
Elizabeth.Berbakos@fda.hhs.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), Federal 
Agencies must obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for each collection of information they conduct or sponsor. 
``Collection of information'' is defined in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR 
1320.3(c) and includes Agency requests or requirements that members of 
the public submit reports, keep records, or provide information to a 
third party. Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)) 
requires Federal Agencies to provide a 60-day notice in the Federal 
Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including 
each proposed extension of an existing collection of information, 
before submitting the collection to OMB for approval. To comply with 
this requirement, FDA is publishing notice of the proposed collection 
of information set forth in this document.
    With respect to the following collection of information, FDA 
invites comments on these topics: (1) Whether the proposed collection 
of information is necessary for the proper performance of FDA's 
functions, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (2) the accuracy of FDA's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques, when 
appropriate, and other forms of information technology.

Guidance for Industry: Fast Track Drug Development Programs: 
Designation, Development, and Application Review--(OMB Control Number 
0910-0389)--Extension

    Section 112(a) of the Food and Drug Administration Modernization 
Act of 1997 (FDAMA) (Pub. L. 105-115) amended the Federal Food, Drug, 
and Cosmetic Act (the FD&C Act) by adding section 506 (21 U.S.C. 356). 
The section authorizes FDA to take appropriate action to facilitate the 
development and expedite the review of new drugs, including biological 
products, intended to treat a serious or life-threatening condition and 
that demonstrate a potential to address an unmet medical need. Under 
section 112(b) of FDAMA, FDA issued guidance to industry on fast track 
policies and procedures outlined in section 506 of the FD&C Act. The 
guidance discusses collections of information that are specified under 
section 506 of the FD&C Act, other sections of the Public Health 
Service Act (the PHS Act), or implementing regulations. The guidance 
describes three general areas involving collection of information: (1) 
Fast track designation requests; (2) premeeting packages; and (3) 
requests to submit portions of an application. Of these, fast track 
designation requests and premeeting packages, in support of receiving a 
fast track program benefit, provide for additional collections of 
information not covered elsewhere in statute or regulation. Information 
in support of fast track designation or fast track program benefits 
that has previously been submitted to the Agency, may, in some cases, 
be incorporated into the request by referring to the information rather 
than resubmitting it.
    Under section 506(a)(1) of the FD&C Act, an applicant who seeks 
fast track designation is required to submit a request to the Agency 
showing that the product: (1) Is intended for a serious or life-
threatening condition and (2) has the potential to address an unmet

[[Page 20680]]

medical need. Mostly, the Agency expects that information to support a 
designation request will have been gathered under existing provisions 
of the FD&C Act, the PHS Act, or the implementing regulations. If such 
information has already been submitted to the Agency, the information 
may be summarized in the fast track designation request. The guidance 
recommends that a designation request include, where applicable, 
additional information not specified elsewhere by statute or 
regulation. For example, additional information may be needed to show 
that a product has the potential to address an unmet medical need where 
an approved therapy exists for the serious or life-threatening 
condition to be treated. Such information may include clinical data, 
published reports, summaries of data and reports, and a list of 
references. The amount of information and discussion in a designation 
request need not be voluminous, but it should be sufficient to permit a 
reviewer to assess whether the criteria for fast track designation have 
been met.
    After the Agency makes a fast track designation, a sponsor or 
applicant may submit a premeeting package which may include additional 
information supporting a request to participate in certain fast track 
programs. The premeeting package serves as background information for 
the meeting and should support the intended objectives of the meeting. 
As with the request for fast track designation, the Agency expects that 
most sponsors or applicants will have gathered such information to meet 
existing requirements under the FD&C Act, the PHS Act, or implementing 
regulations. These may include descriptions of clinical safety and 
efficacy trials not conducted under an investigational new drug 
application (IND) (i.e., foreign studies), and information to support a 
request for accelerated approval. If such information has already been 
submitted to FDA, the information may be summarized in the premeeting 
package. Consequently, FDA anticipates that the additional collection 
of information attributed solely to the guidance will be minimal.
    Under section 506(c) of the FD&C Act, a sponsor must submit 
sufficient clinical data for the Agency to determine, after preliminary 
evaluation, that a fast track product may be effective. Section 506(c) 
also requires that an applicant provide a schedule for the submission 
of information necessary to make the application complete before FDA 
can commence its review. The guidance does not provide for any new 
collection of information regarding the submission of portions of an 
application that are not required under section 506(c) of the FD&C Act 
or any other provision of the FD&C Act. All forms referred to in the 
guidance have a current OMB approval: FDA Forms 1571 (OMB control 
number 0910-0014); 356h (OMB control number 0910-0338); and 3397 (OMB 
control number 0910-0297).
    Respondents to this information collection are sponsors and 
applicants who seek fast track designation under section 506 of the 
FD&C Act. The Agency estimates the total annual number of respondents 
submitting requests for fast track designation to the Center for 
Biologics Evaluation and Research and the Center for Drug Evaluation 
and Research is approximately 97, and the number of requests received 
is approximately 118 annually. FDA estimates that the number of hours 
needed to prepare a request for fast track designation is approximately 
60 hours per request.
    Not all requests for fast track designation may meet the statutory 
standard. Of the requests for fast track designation made per year, the 
Agency granted 77 from 64 respondents, and for each of these granted 
requests a premeeting package was submitted to the Agency. FDA 
estimates that the preparation hours are approximately 100 hours per 
premeeting package.
    FDA estimates the burden of this collection of information as 
follows:

                                 Table 1--Estimated Annual Reporting Burden \1\
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                                                      Annual
       Reporting activity            Number of     frequency per   Total annual      Hours per      Total hours
                                    respondents      response        responses       response
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Designation Request.............              97            1.22             118              60           7,080
Premeeting Packages.............              64            1.20              77             100           7,700
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    Total.......................                                                                          14,780
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\1\ There are no capital costs or operating and maintenance costs associated with this collection of
  information.


    Dated: April 4, 2011.
Leslie Kux,
Acting Assistant Commissioner for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2011-8818 Filed 4-12-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-01-P


