Question-Based Review for the Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls Technical Section of Animal Drug Applications; Draft Guidance for Industry; Availability

AGENCY:

Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability of a draft guidance for industry (GFI) #234 entitled “Question-Based Review for the Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls Technical Section of Animal Drug Applications.” In order to improve the process for submission and review of chemistry, manufacturing, and controls (CMC) information for animal drugs, the Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) has developed a series of questions that focus on the critical scientific and regulatory issues and pharmaceutical attributes essential for ensuring the quality of new animal drug substances and products. Termed Question-based Review (QbR), these questions provide a general framework for original CMC submissions to investigational new animal drug (INAD) files, generic investigational new animal drug (JINAD) files, new animal drug applications (NADAs), abbreviated new animal drug applications (ANADAs), conditional approval of applications for conditional approval (CNADAs), and veterinary master files (VMFs).

DATES:

Although you can comment on any guidance at any time (see 21 CFR 10.115(g)(5)), to ensure that the Agency considers your comment on this draft guidance before it begins work on the final version of the guidance, submit either electronic or written comments on the draft guidance by May 17, 2016.

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-2016-D-0620 for “Question-Based Review for the Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls Technical Section of Animal Drug Applications.” 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.

Submit written requests for single copies of the guidance to the Policy and Regulations Staff (HFV-6), Center for Veterinary Medicine, Food and Drug Administration, 7519 Standish Pl., Rockville, MD 20855. Send one self-addressed adhesive label to assist that office in processing your requests. See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for electronic access to the draft guidance document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Julie Bailey, Center for Veterinary Medicine (HFV-145), Food and Drug Administration, 7500 Standish Pl., Rockville, MD 20855, 240-402-0700, julie.bailey@fda.hhs.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

Under sections 512(c)(2)(A)(i) and (d)(1)(C), and 571(c)(1) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 360b(c)(2)(A)(i) and (d)(1)(C), and 360ccc(c)(1)), applicants must submit information on CMC to support the approval of NADAs and ANADAs or the conditional approval of CNADAs. CVM reviews the CMC information for new animal drugs to ensure that applicants have methods and controls in place for manufacturing, processing, and packaging that are adequate for assuring and preserving the identity, strength, quality, and purity of the new animal drug and, in the case of a generic drug, to ensure that it is equivalent to the reference listed new animal drug (RLNAD).

In order to improve the process for submission and review of CMC information for animal drugs, CVM has developed draft GFI #234 entitled “Question-Based Review for the Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls Technical Section of Animal Drug Applications.” This guidance contains a series of questions that focus on the critical scientific and regulatory issues and pharmaceutical attributes essential for ensuring the quality of new animal drug substances and products. Termed QbR, these questions provide a general framework for original CMC submissions to INAD and JINAD files, NADAs, ANADAs, CNADAs, and VMFs.

II. Significance of Guidance

This level 1 draft guidance is being issued consistent with FDA's good guidance practices regulation (21 CFR 10.115). The draft guidance, when finalized, will represent the current thinking of FDA on “Question-Based Review for the Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls Technical Section of Animal Drug Applications.” 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.

III. Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

This draft guidance refers to previously approved collections of information found in FDA regulations. These collections of information are subject to review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520). The collections of information in 21 CFR part 514 have been approved under OMB control number 0910-0032; the collections of information in section 512(n)(1) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. 360b(n)(1)) have been approved under OMB control number 0910-0669.

IV. Electronic Access

Persons with access to the Internet may obtain the draft guidance at either http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/GuidanceComplianceEnforcement/GuidanceforIndustry/default.htm or http://www.regulations.gov.