[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 200 (Thursday, October 15, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65410-65412]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-22876]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

[Docket No. FDA-2013-D-0350]


Select Updates for Biocompatibility of Certain Devices in Contact 
With Intact Skin; Draft Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug 
Administration Staff; 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the availability of the draft guidance entitled ``Select Updates for 
Biocompatibility of Certain Devices in Contact with Intact Skin.'' FDA 
has developed this draft guidance to propose select updates to FDA's 
current thinking regarding the type of biocompatibility information 
that should be provided in a premarket submission for certain devices 
made from common polymers and fabrics that are in contact with intact 
skin. This draft guidance is not final nor is it in effect at this 
time.

DATES: Submit either electronic or written comments on the draft 
guidance by December 14, 2020 to ensure that the Agency considers your 
comment on this draft guidance before it begins work on the final 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

[[Page 65411]]

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-2013-D-0350 for ``Select Updates for Biocompatibility of Certain 
Devices in Contact with Intact Skin.'' 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.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 
``Select Updates for Biocompatibility of Certain Devices in Contact 
with Intact Skin'' to the Office of Policy, Guidance and Policy 
Development, 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: Jennifer Goode, Center for Devices and 
Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire 
Ave., Bldg. 66, Rm. 1656, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002, 301-796-5701.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    Many devices have intact skin contacting component materials that 
are made from polymers and fabrics. FDA believes these materials pose a 
very low biocompatibility risk because they have a long history of safe 
use in medical devices that contact intact skin. For such devices, 
significant FDA review resources are expended to obtain sufficient 
rationales to justify omission of biocompatibility testing for 
frequently used intact skin contacting medical devices, consistent with 
FDA's recommendations in the FDA guidance ``Use of International 
Standard ISO 10993-1, `Biological evaluation of Medical Devices--Part 
1: Evaluation and testing within a risk management process' '' (https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/use-international-standard-iso-10993-1-biological-evaluation-medical-devices-part-1-evaluation-and).
    This select update describes a least burdensome approach for these 
devices that recommends specific material information in a premarket 
submission in lieu of biocompatibility testing. This approach also 
supports the principles of the ``3Rs,'' to reduce, refine, and replace 
animal use in testing when feasible. This approach is partially based 
on FDA's experience with these common polymers and fabrics. This 
approach also relies on certain parts of the Quality System Regulation 
(21 CFR part 820) and other postmarket controls that already require 
compliance (e.g., 21 CFR part 803) to identify potential 
biocompatibility-related issues.
    After FDA finalizes this guidance, FDA intends to periodically 
reassess the list of component materials and exclusion characteristics 
identified in this guidance. FDA requests that external stakeholders 
submit comments to the docket to suggest the addition or removal of 
component materials or exclusion characteristics from this policy, 
including a rationale. FDA intends to review comments received in the 
docket and periodically assess whether any changes to this policy are 
warranted. When FDA believes changes are warranted, FDA will issue 
updated guidance in accordance with the procedures in the Good Guidance 
Practices Regulation (21 CFR 10.115).
    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 ``Select 
Updates for Biocompatibility of Certain Devices in Contact with Intact 
Skin.'' 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 guidance document is also 
available at https://www.regulations.gov. Persons unable to download an 
electronic copy of ``Select Updates for Biocompatibility of Certain 
Devices in Contact with Intact

[[Page 65412]]

Skin'' may send an email request to CDRH-Guidance@fda.hhs.gov to 
receive an electronic copy of the document. Please use the document 
number 19007 to identify the guidance you are requesting.

III. Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

    This draft guidance refers to previously approved collections of 
information. 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. 3501-3521). The collections of information in 
the following FDA regulations and guidance have been approved by OMB as 
listed in the following table:

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                                                            OMB control
    21 CFR part or guidance               Topic                 No.
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807, subpart E.................  Premarket notification.       0910-0120
814, subparts A through E......  Premarket approval.....       0910-0231
814, subpart H.................  Humanitarian Device           0910-0332
                                  Exemption.
812............................  Investigational Device        0910-0078
                                  Exemption.
``De Novo Classification         De Novo classification        0910-0844
 Process (Evaluation of           process.
 Automatic Class III
 Designation)``.
``Requests for Feedback on       Q-submissions..........       0910-0756
 Medical Device Submissions:
 The Pre-Submission Program and
 Meetings with Food and Drug
 Administration Staff``.
800, 801, and 809..............  Medical Device Labeling       0910-0485
                                  Regulations.
803............................  Medical Devices;              0910-0437
                                  Medical Device
                                  Reporting;
                                  Manufacturer
                                  reporting, importer
                                  reporting, user
                                  facility reporting,
                                  distributor reporting.
820............................  Current Good                  0910-0073
                                  Manufacturing Practice
                                  (CGMP); Quality System
                                  (QS) Regulation.
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    Dated: October 8, 2020.
Lauren K. Roth,
Acting Principal Associate Commissioner for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2020-22876 Filed 10-14-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4164-01-P


