[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 141 (Monday, July 25, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44123-44125]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-15825]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

[Docket No. FDA-2020-D-1548]


Failure To Respond to an Abbreviated New Drug Application 
Complete Response Letter Within the Regulatory Timeframe; Guidance for 
Industry; 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 a final guidance for industry entitled ``Failure To 
Respond to an ANDA Complete Response Letter Within the Regulatory 
Timeframe.'' This guidance is intended to assist applicants in 
responding to complete response letters (CRLs) to abbreviated new drug 
applications (ANDAs) submitted to FDA under the Federal Food, Drug, and 
Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act). This guidance provides information and 
recommendations regarding potential courses of action for an ANDA 
applicant after issuance of a CRL as well as the actions that FDA may 
take if the applicant fails to respond to a CRL. In addition, this 
guidance recommends information an applicant may submit in its request 
for an extension to respond to a CRL as well as a non-exhaustive list 
of factors that FDA generally intends to consider in determining 
whether such a request is

[[Page 44124]]

reasonable. This guidance finalizes the draft guidance of the same 
title issued on September 29, 2020.

DATES: The announcement of the guidance is published in the Federal 
Register on July 25, 2022.

ADDRESSES: You may submit either electronic or written comments on 
Agency guidances 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 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-2020-D-1548 for ``Failure To Respond to an ANDA Complete Response 
Letter Within the Regulatory Timeframe.'' 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, 240-402-7500.
     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)).
    Submit written requests for single copies of this guidance to the 
Division of Drug Information, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, 
Food and Drug Administration, 10001 New Hampshire Ave., Hillandale 
Building, 4th Floor, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002; or the Office of 
Communication, Outreach, and Development, Center for Biologics 
Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New 
Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 71, Rm. 3128, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002. Send 
one self-addressed adhesive label to assist that office in processing 
your requests. See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for electronic 
access to the guidance document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa Bercu, Center for Drug Evaluation 
and Research, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., 
Silver Spring, MD 20993, 240-402-6902; 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: 

I. Background

    FDA is announcing the availability of a guidance for industry 
entitled ``Failure to Respond To an ANDA Complete Response Letter 
Within the Regulatory Timeframe.'' This guidance provides information 
and recommendations regarding the potential courses of action for an 
ANDA applicant after issuance of a CRL as well as the actions that FDA 
may take if the applicant fails to respond to the CRL. This guidance 
also identifies information that an applicant may submit in its request 
for an extension to respond to a CRL as well as a non-exhaustive list 
of factors that FDA generally intends to consider in determining 
whether such a request is reasonable.
    This guidance finalizes the draft guidance entitled ``Failure to 
Respond to an ANDA Complete Response Letter Within the Regulatory 
Timeframe'' issued on September 29, 2020 (85 FR 61006). FDA considered 
comments received on the draft guidance as the guidance was finalized. 
Changes from the draft to the final guidance include adding an appendix 
that provides examples of factors that FDA could consider as the basis 
for concluding that an applicant's request for an extension of time to 
respond to a CRL is reasonable. In addition, editorial changes were 
made to improve clarity.
    This guidance is being issued consistent with FDA's good guidance 
practices regulation (21 CFR 10.115). The guidance represents the 
current thinking of FDA on ``Failure To Respond to an ANDA Complete 
Response Letter Within the Regulatory Timeframe.'' 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. Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

    While this guidance contains no collection of information, it does 
refer to previously approved FDA collections of

[[Page 44125]]

information. Therefore, clearance by the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 
3501-3521) is not required for this guidance. The previously approved 
collections of information are subject to review by OMB under the PRA. 
The collections of information in 21 CFR 314.102 and 314.110 have been 
approved under OMB control number 0910-0001.

III. Electronic Access

    Persons with access to the internet may obtain the guidance at 
either https://www.fda.gov/drugs/guidance-compliance-regulatory-information/guidances-drugs, https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents, https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/guidance-compliance-regulatory-information-biologics/biologics-guidances, or https://www.regulations.gov.

    Dated: July 19, 2022.
Lauren K. Roth,
Associate Commissioner for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2022-15825 Filed 7-22-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4164-01-P


