
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 169 (Tuesday, September 1, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52757-52766]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-21585]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

[Docket No. FDA-2015-N-3042]


Authorization of Emergency Use of an In Vitro Diagnostic Device 
for Detection of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus; 
Availability

AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the 
issuance of an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) (the Authorization) 
for an in vitro diagnostic device for detection of Middle East 
Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). FDA issued this 
Authorization under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the FD&C 
Act), as requested by altona Diagnostics GmbH. The Authorization 
contains, among other things, conditions on the emergency use of the 
authorized in vitro diagnostic device. The Authorization follows the 
May 29, 2013, determination by the Department of Health and Human 
Services (HHS) Secretary that there is a significant potential for a 
public health emergency that has a significant potential to affect 
national security or the health and security of U.S. citizens living 
abroad and that involves MERS-CoV. On the basis of such determination, 
the Secretary of HHS also declared on May 29, 2013, that circumstances 
exist justifying the authorization of emergency use of in vitro 
diagnostic devices for detection of MERS-CoV subject to the terms of 
any authorization issued under the FD&C Act. The Authorization, which 
includes an explanation of the reasons for issuance, is reprinted in 
this document.

DATES: The Authorization is effective as of July 17, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Submit written requests for single copies of the EUA to the 
Office of Counterterrorism and Emerging Threats, Food and Drug 
Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 1, Rm. 4338, Silver 
Spring, MD 20993-0002. Send one self-addressed adhesive label to assist 
that office in processing your request or include a fax number to which 
the Authorization may be sent. See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 
section for electronic access to the Authorization.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carmen Maher, Acting Assistant 
Commissioner for Counterterrorism Policy and Acting Director, Office of 
Counterterrorism and Emerging Threats, Food and Drug Administration, 
10903 New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 1, Rm. 4347, Silver Spring, MD 20993-
0002, 301-796-8510 (this is not a toll free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    Section 564 of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. 360bbb-3) as amended by the 
Project BioShield Act of 2004 (Pub. L. 108-276) and the Pandemic and 
All-Hazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act of 2013 (Pub. L. 113-5) 
allows FDA to strengthen the public health protections against 
biological, chemical, nuclear, and radiological agents. Among other 
things, section 564 of the FD&C Act allows FDA to authorize the use of 
an unapproved medical product or an unapproved use of an approved 
medical product in certain situations. With this EUA authority, FDA can 
help assure that medical countermeasures may be used in emergencies to 
diagnose, treat, or prevent serious or life-threatening diseases or 
conditions caused by biological, chemical, nuclear, or radiological 
agents when there are no adequate, approved, and available 
alternatives.
    Section 564(b)(1) of the FD&C Act provides that, before an EUA may 
be issued, the Secretary of HHS must declare that circumstances exist 
justifying the authorization based on one of the following grounds: (1) 
A determination by the Secretary of Homeland Security that there is a 
domestic emergency, or a significant potential for a domestic 
emergency, involving a heightened risk of attack with a biological, 
chemical, radiological, or nuclear agent or agents; (2) a determination 
by the Secretary of Defense that there is a military emergency, or a 
significant potential for a military emergency, involving a heightened 
risk to U.S. military forces of attack with a biological, chemical, 
radiological, or nuclear agent or agents; (3) a determination by the 
Secretary of HHS that there is a public health emergency, or a 
significant potential for a public health emergency, that affects, or 
has a significant potential to affect, national security or the health 
and security of U.S. citizens living abroad, and that involves a 
biological, chemical, radiological, or nuclear agent or agents, or a 
disease or condition that may be attributable to such agent or agents; 
or (4) the identification of a material threat by the Secretary of 
Homeland Security under section 319F-2 of the Public Health Service 
(PHS) Act (42 U.S.C. 247d-6b) sufficient to affect national

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security or the health and security of U.S. citizens living abroad.
    Once the Secretary of HHS has declared that circumstances exist 
justifying an authorization under section 564 of the FD&C Act, FDA may 
authorize the emergency use of a drug, device, or biological product if 
the Agency concludes that the statutory criteria are satisfied. Under 
section 564(h)(1) of the FD&C Act, FDA is required to publish in the 
Federal Register a notice of each authorization, and each termination 
or revocation of an authorization, and an explanation of the reasons 
for the action. Section 564 of the FD&C Act permits FDA to authorize 
the introduction into interstate commerce of a drug, device, or 
biological product intended for use when the Secretary of HHS has 
declared that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of 
emergency use. Products appropriate for emergency use may include 
products and uses that are not approved, cleared, or licensed under 
sections 505, 510(k), or 515 of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. 355, 360(k), 
and 360e) or section 351 of the PHS Act (42 U.S.C. 262). FDA may issue 
an EUA only if, after consultation with the HHS Assistant Secretary for 
Preparedness and Response, the Director of the National Institutes of 
Health, and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (to the extent feasible and appropriate given the applicable 
circumstances), FDA \1\ concludes: (1) That an agent referred to in a 
declaration of emergency or threat can cause a serious or life-
threatening disease or condition; (2) that, based on the totality of 
scientific evidence available to FDA, including data from adequate and 
well-controlled clinical trials, if available, it is reasonable to 
believe that: (A) The product may be effective in diagnosing, treating, 
or preventing (i) such disease or condition; or (ii) a serious or life-
threatening disease or condition caused by a product authorized under 
section 564, approved or cleared under the FD&C Act, or licensed under 
section 351 of the PHS Act, for diagnosing, treating, or preventing 
such a disease or condition caused by such an agent; and (B) the known 
and potential benefits of the product, when used to diagnose, prevent, 
or treat such disease or condition, outweigh the known and potential 
risks of the product, taking into consideration the material threat 
posed by the agent or agents identified in a declaration under section 
564(b)(1)(D) of the FD&C Act, if applicable; (3) that there is no 
adequate, approved, and available alternative to the product for 
diagnosing, preventing, or treating such disease or condition; and (4) 
that such other criteria as may be prescribed by regulation are 
satisfied.
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    \1\ The Secretary of HHS has delegated the authority to issue an 
EUA under section 564 of the FD&C Act to the Commissioner of Food 
and Drugs.
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    No other criteria for issuance have been prescribed by regulation 
under section 564(c)(4) of the FD&C Act. Because the statute is self-
executing, regulations or guidance are not required for FDA to 
implement the EUA authority.

II. EUA Request for an In Vitro Diagnostic Device for Detection of 
MERS-CoV

    On May 29, 2013, under section 564(b)(1)(C) of the FD&C Act (21 
U.S.C. 360bbb-3(b)(1)(C)), the Secretary of HHS determined that there 
is a significant potential for a public health emergency that has a 
significant potential to affect national security or the health and 
security of U.S. citizens living abroad and that involves MERS-CoV. 
Also on May 29, 2013, under section 564(b)(1) of the FD&C Act and on 
the basis of such determination, the Secretary of HHS declared that 
circumstances exist justifying the authorization of emergency use of in 
vitro diagnostic devices for detection of MERS-CoV, subject to the 
terms of any authorization issued under section 564 of the FD&C Act. 
Notice of the determination and declaration of the Secretary was 
published in the Federal Register on June 5, 2013 (78 FR 33842). On 
June 26, 2015, altona Diagnostics GmbH submitted a complete request 
for, and on July 17, 2015, FDA issued, an EUA for the altona 
Diagnostics GmbH RealStar[supreg] MERS-CoV RT-PCR Kit U.S., subject to 
the terms of the Authorization.

III. Electronic Access

    An electronic version of this document and the full text of the 
Authorization are available on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov.

IV. The Authorization

    Having concluded that the criteria for issuance of the 
Authorization under section 564(c) of the FD&C Act are met, FDA has 
authorized the emergency use of an in vitro diagnostic device for 
detection of MERS-CoV subject to the terms of the Authorization. The 
Authorization in its entirety (not including the authorized versions of 
the fact sheets and other written materials) follows and provides an 
explanation of the reasons for its issuance, as required by section 
564(h)(1) of the FD&C Act:
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    Dated: August 26, 2015.
Leslie Kux,
Associate Commissioner for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2015-21585 Filed 8-31-15; 8:45 am]
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