Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for Office of Management and Budget Review; Comment Request; Medical Devices; Exception From General Requirements for Informed Consent

AGENCY:

Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or the Agency) is announcing that a proposed collection of information has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES:

Fax written comments on the collection of information by September 21, 2017.

ADDRESSES:

To ensure that comments on the information collection are received, OMB recommends that written comments be faxed to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, Attn: FDA Desk Officer, Fax: 202-395-7285, or emailed to oira_submission@omb.eop.gov. All comments should be identified with the OMB control number 0910-0586. Also include the FDA docket number found in brackets in the heading of this document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Amber Sanford, Office of Operations, Food and Drug Administration, Three White Flint North 10A63, 11601 Landsdown St., North Bethesda, MD 20852, 301-796-8867, PRAStaff@fda.hhs.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

In compliance with 44 U.S.C. 3507, FDA has submitted the following proposed collection of information to OMB for review and clearance.

Medical Devices; Exception From General Requirements for Informed Consent OMB Control Number 0910-0586—Extension

In the Federal Register of June 7, 2006 (71 FR 32827), FDA issued an interim final rule to amend its regulations to establish a new exception from the general requirements for informed consent, to permit the use of investigational in vitro diagnostic devices to identify chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear agents without informed consent in certain circumstances. The Agency took this action because it was concerned that, during a potential terrorism event or other potential public health emergency, delaying the testing of specimens to obtain informed consent may threaten the life of the subject. In many instances, there may also be others who have been exposed to, or who may be at risk of exposure to, a dangerous chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear agent, thus necessitating identification of the agent as soon as possible. FDA created this exception to help ensure that individuals who may have been exposed to a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear agent are able to benefit from the timely use of the most appropriate diagnostic devices, including those that are investigational.

Section 50.23(e)(1) (21 CFR 50.23(e)(1)) provides an exception to the general rule that informed consent is required for the use of an investigational in vitro diagnostic device. This exception applies to those situations in which the in vitro investigational diagnostic device is used to prepare for, and respond to, a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear terrorism event or other public health emergency, if the investigator and an independent licensed physician make the determination and later certify in writing that: (1) There is a life-threatening situation necessitating the use of the investigational device, (2) obtaining informed consent from the subject is not feasible because there was no way to predict the need to use the investigational device when the specimen was collected and there is not sufficient time to obtain consent from the subject or the subject's legally authorized representative, and (3) no satisfactory alternative device is available. Under the rule, these determinations are made before the device is used, and the written certifications are made within 5 working days after the use of the device. If use of the device is necessary to preserve the life of the subject and there is not sufficient time to obtain the determination of the independent licensed physician in advance of using the investigational device, § 50.23(e)(2) provides that the certifications must be made within 5 working days of use of the device. In either case, the certifications are submitted to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and, under § 50.23(e)(3) (76 FR 36989, June 24, 2011), to FDA within 5 working days of the use of the device.

Section 50.23(e)(4) provides that an investigator must disclose the investigational status of the device and what is known about the performance characteristics of the device at the time test results are reported to the subject's health care provider and public health authorities, as applicable. Under § 50.23(e)(4), the investigator provides the IRB with the information required by § 50.25 (21 CFR 50.25) (except for the information described in § 50.25(a)(8)) and the procedures that will be used to provide this information to each subject or the subject's legally authorized representative.

FDA estimates that there are approximately 150 laboratories that could perform testing that uses investigational in vitro diagnostic devices to identify chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear agents. FDA estimates that in the United States each year there are approximately 450 naturally occurring cases of diseases or conditions that are identified in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's list of category “A” biological threat agents. The number of cases that would result from a terrorist event or other public health emergency is uncertain. Based on its knowledge of similar types of submissions, FDA estimates that it will take about 2 hours to prepare each certification. We estimate the operating and maintenance cost of $200 for copying and mailing the information to FDA.

Based on its knowledge of similar types of submissions, FDA estimates that it will take about 1 hour to prepare a report disclosing the investigational status of the in vitro diagnostic device and what is known about the performance characteristics of the device and submit it to the health care provider and, where appropriate, to public health authorities.

In the Federal Register of April 18, 2017 (82 FR 18294), FDA published a 60-day notice requesting public comment on the proposed collection of information. No comments were received.

FDA estimates the burden of this collection of information as follows: