Generic Drug User Fee; Notice of Public Meeting; Reopening of the Comment Period

AGENCY:

Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION:

Notice; reopening of the comment period.

SUMMARY:

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reopening until February 23, 2011, the comment period for the notice of public meeting entitled Generic Drug User Fee; Public Meeting; Request for Comments, published in the Federal Register of August 9, 2010 (75 FR 47820). In that notice, FDA announced a public meeting that took place on September 17, 2010, to gather stakeholder input on the development of a generic drug user fee program. FDA is reopening the comment period to permit public consideration of late-received comments and to provide an opportunity for all interested parties to provide information and share views on the matter.

DATES:

Submit either electronic or written comments by February 23, 2011.

ADDRESSES:

Submit electronic comments to http://www.regulations.gov . Submit written comments to the Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Peter C. Beckerman, Office of Policy, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 32, rm. 4238, Silver Spring, MD 20993. 301-796-4830. FAX: 301-847-3541. e-mail: peter.beckerman@fda.hhs.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

In the Federal Register of August 9, 2010 (75 FR 47820), FDA published a notice of a public meeting on the development of a generic drug user fee program. In that notice, FDA posed several questions related to a user fee for human generic drugs, and sought public input on such a program. The Agency received submissions and presentations from the public meeting, which are now posted on FDA's Web site. In the Federal Register of November 4, 2010 (75 FR 67984), FDA subsequently reopened the comment period for 30 days to allow consideration of submissions received after the original docket closing date. Because FDA has since received multiple requests to reopen the docket, including requests from generic industry segments that did not previously comment, FDA has decided to reopen the docket to permit public input on all the submissions.

Interested persons were originally given until October 17, 2010, to comment on the development of a generic drug user fee program. FDA is now reopening the docket to permit comment until February 23, 2011.

II. Request for Comments

FDA has received several requests to allow interested persons additional time to comment. The requesters represent manufacturers of active pharmaceutical ingredients who did not previously respond to FDA's specific requests for comments. In light of these requests, FDA is reopening the comment period for an additional 30 days.

III. How To Submit Comments

Regardless of attendance at the public meeting interested persons may submit either electronic or written comments to the Division of Dockets Management (see ADDRESSES). It is only necessary to send one set of comments. It is no longer necessary to send two copies of mailed comments. Identify comments with the docket number found in brackets in the heading of this document. Received comments may be seen in the Division of Dockets Management between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.