
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 236 (Wednesday, December 9, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76503-76504]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-30936]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

[Docket No. FDA-2015-N-3015]


Use of Databases for Establishing the Clinical Relevance of Human 
Genetic Variants; Public Workshop; Reopening of Comment Period

AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice of public workshop; reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reopening the 
comment period for the notice of a public workshop that appeared in the 
Federal Register of September 9, 2015. In the notice of the public 
workshop, FDA requested comments on the workshop topics about the use 
of databases that contain information linking human genetic variations 
to disease, where such information has been curated by qualified 
professionals, to inform regulatory oversight of the clinical 
performance of genetic tests. The Agency is taking this action in 
response to requests to allow interested persons additional time to 
submit comments.

DATES: FDA is reopening the comment period for the notice of public 
workshop published September 9, 2015. Submit either electronic or 
written comments by December 24, 2015.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments as follows:

Electronic Submissions

    Submit electronic comments in the following way:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments. Comments submitted 
electronically, including attachments, to http://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 http://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): Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305), Food and Drug 
Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.
     For written/paper comments submitted to the Division of 
Dockets Management, 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-2015-N-3015 for ``Use of Databases for Establishing the Clinical 
Relevance of Human Genetic Variants.'' Received comments will be placed 
in the docket and, except for those submitted as ``Confidential 
Submissions,'' publicly viewable at http://www.regulations.gov or at 
the Division of Dockets Management 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 http://www.regulations.gov. 
Submit both copies to the Division of Dockets Management. 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: http://www.fda.gov/regulatoryinformation/dockets/default.htm.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
the electronic and written/paper comments received, go to http://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 Division of Dockets Management, 5630 Fishers 
Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Litwack, Center for Devices and 
Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, Bldg. 66, Rm. 4548, 
Silver Spring, MD 20993, 301-796-6697, ernest.litwack@fda.hhs.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the Federal Register of September 9, 2015 
(80 FR 54290), FDA published a notice of a public workshop with a 
deadline of November 25, 2015, to request comments on the workshop 
topics about the use of databases that contain information linking 
human genetic variations to disease, where such information has been 
curated by qualified professionals, to inform regulatory oversight of 
the clinical performance of genetic tests. Comments on the public 
workshop topics will inform FDA's optimization of regulatory approaches 
for next-generation-based in vitro diagnostics.
    FDA is reopening the comment period for the notice of the public 
workshop until December 24, 2015. The Agency believes that the 
extension allows adequate time for interested persons to submit 
comments without significantly delaying decision making on these 
important issues.


[[Page 76504]]


    Dated: December 3, 2015.
Peter Lurie,
Associate Commissioner for Public Health Strategy and Analysis.
[FR Doc. 2015-30936 Filed 12-8-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4164-01-P


