
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 60 (Wednesday, March 28, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18826-18827]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-7405]



[[Page 18826]]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

[Docket No. FDA-2012-N-0280]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Financial Disclosure by Clinical Investigators

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 information collection on 
financial disclosure by clinical investigators.

DATES: Submit either electronic or written comments on the collection 
of information by May 29, 2012.

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: Daniel Gittleson, Office of 
Information Management, Food and Drug Administration, 1350 Piccard Dr., 
PI50-400B, Rockville, MD 20850, 301-796-5156, 
Daniel.Gittleson@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.

Financial Disclosure by Clinical Investigators (OMB Control Number 
0910-0396)--Extension

    Respondents to this collection are sponsors of marketing 
applications that contain clinical data from studies covered by the 
regulations. These sponsors represent pharmaceutical, biologic, and 
medical device firms. Respondents are also clinical investigators who 
provide financial information to the sponsors of marketing 
applications.
    Under Sec.  54.4(a) (21 CFR 54.4(a)), applicants submitting an 
application that relies on clinical studies must submit a complete list 
of clinical investigators who participated in a covered clinical study, 
and must either certify to the absence of certain financial 
arrangements with clinical investigators (Form FDA 3454) or, under 
Sec.  54.4(a)(3), disclose to FDA the nature of those arrangements and 
the steps taken by the applicant or sponsor to minimize the potential 
for bias (Form FDA 3455).
    FDA estimates the burden of this collection of information as 
follows:

                                 Table 1--Estimated Annual Reporting Burden \1\
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                                                     Number of                        Average
         21 CFR Section              Number of     responses per   Total annual     burden  per     Total hours
                                    respondents     respondent       responses       response
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54.4(a)(1) and (a)(2)--Form FDA              902               1             902               1             902
 3454...........................
54.4(a)(3)--Form FDA 3455.......              90               1              90               5             450
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    Total.......................  ..............  ..............  ..............  ..............           1,352
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\1\ There are no capital costs or operating and maintenance costs associated with this collection of
  information.

    Under Sec.  54.6, the sponsors of covered studies must maintain 
complete records of compensation agreements with any compensation paid 
to nonemployee clinical investigators, including information showing 
any financial interests held by the clinical investigator, for a time 
period of 2 years after the date of approval of the applications. 
Sponsors of covered studies maintain many records with regard to 
clinical investigators, including protocol agreements and investigator 
resumes or curriculum vitae. FDA estimates than an average of 15 
minutes will be required for each recordkeeper to add this record to 
the clinical investigators' file.

[[Page 18827]]



                               Table 2--Estimated Annual Recordkeeping Burden \1\
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                                                     Number of                    Average burden
         21 CFR Section              Number of      records per    Total annual         per         Total hours
                                   recordkeepers   recordkeeper       records      recordkeeping
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54.6............................           1,000               1           1,000            0.25             250
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\1\ There are no capital costs or operating and maintenance costs associated with this collection of
  information.

    Under Sec.  54.4(b), clinical investigators supply to the sponsor 
of a covered study financial information sufficient to allow the 
sponsor to submit complete and accurate certification or disclosure 
statements. Clinical investigators are accustomed to supplying such 
information when applying for research grants. Also, most people know 
the financial holdings of their immediate family and records of such 
interests are generally accessible because they are needed for 
preparing tax records. For these reasons, FDA estimates that it will 
take clinical investigators 15 minutes to submit such records to the 
sponsor.

                           Table 3--Estimated Annual Third-Party Disclosure Burden \1\
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                                                     Number of                        Average
         21 CFR Section              Number of      disclosures    Total annual     burden  per     Total hours
                                    respondents   per respondent    disclosures     disclosure
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54.4(b).........................          10,554               1          10,554            0.17           1,794
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\1\ There are no capital costs or operating and maintenance costs associated with the collection of information.


    Dated: March 22, 2012.
Leslie Kux,
Acting Assistant Commissioner for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2012-7405 Filed 3-27-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-01-P


