
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 15, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13819-13820]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-05102]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

[Docket No. FDA-2017-D-0154]


Considerations in Demonstrating Interchangeability With a 
Reference Product; Draft Guidance for Industry; Availability; Extension 
of Comment Period

AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability; extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or the Agency) is 
extending the comment period for the notice that appeared in the 
Federal Register of January 18, 2017. In the notice, FDA requested 
comments on ``Considerations in Demonstrating Interchangeability with a 
Reference Product.'' The Agency is taking this action in response to 
several requests for an extension to allow interested persons 
additional time to submit comments.

DATES: FDA is extending the comment period on the notice published 
January 18, 2017 (82 FR 5579). Submit either electronic or written 
comments by May 19, 2017. Late, untimely filed comments will not be 
considered. Electronic comments must be submitted on or before May 19, 
2017. The https://www.regulations.gov electronic filing system will 
accept comments until midnight Eastern Time at the end of May 19, 2017. 
Comments received by mail/hand delivery/courier (for written/paper 
submissions) will be considered timely if they are postmarked or the 
delivery service acceptance receipt is on or before that date.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 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 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): 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-2017-D-0154 for ``Considerations in Demonstrating 
Interchangeability With a Reference Product; Draft Guidance for 
Industry.'' Received comments, those filed in a timely manner (see 
DATES), will be placed in the docket and, except for those submitted as 
``Confidential Submissions,'' publicly viewable at https://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

[[Page 13820]]

redacted/blacked out, will be available for public viewing and posted 
on https://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: https://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 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 Division of Dockets Management, 5630 Fishers 
Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sandra Benton, Center for Drug 
Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New 
Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 51, Rm. 6340, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002, 301-
796-1042, or Stephen Ripley, Center for Biologics Evaluation and 
Research, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 
71, Rm. 7301, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002, 240-402-7911.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the Federal Register of January 18, 2017 
(82 FR 5579), FDA published a notice with a 60-day comment period to 
request comments on ``Considerations in Demonstrating 
Interchangeability With a Reference Product.''
    The Agency has received several requests for a 60-day extension of 
the comment period for the notice. The requests conveyed concern that 
the current 60-day comment period does not allow sufficient time to 
develop a meaningful or thoughtful response to the notice.
    FDA has considered the requests and is extending the comment period 
for the notice for 60 days, until May 19, 2017. The Agency believes 
that a 60-day extension allows adequate time for interested persons to 
submit comments without significantly delaying rulemaking on these 
important issues.

    Dated: March 9, 2017.
Leslie Kux,
Associate Commissioner for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2017-05102 Filed 3-14-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4164-01-P


