Document headings vary by document type but may contain
                    the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document
the number of the CFR title and the number of each part
                      the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly
                      related to
the agency docket number / agency internal file number
the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in
                      the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory
                      Actions See the
                    Document Drafting Handbook
                    for more details.
 Department of Health and Human Services Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2019-D-4048]
 AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.
 ACTION: Notice of availability.
 SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or Agency) is announcing the availability of a final guidance entitled “Safer Technologies Program for Medical Devices.” This final guidance describes a new, voluntary program for certain medical devices and device-led combination products that are reasonably expected to significantly improve the safety of currently available treatments or diagnostics that target an underlying disease or condition associated with morbidities and mortalities less serious than those eligible for the Breakthrough Devices Program. Devices and device-led combination products are eligible for this program if they are subject to review under a premarket approval application (PMA), De Novo classification request (“De Novo request”), or premarket notification (510(k)), taking into account the specific eligibility factors described in this guidance. Consistent with the Agency's statutory mission to protect and promote public health, FDA believes that this “Safer Technologies Program” or “STeP” will help patients have more timely access to these medical devices and device-led combination products by expediting their development, assessment, and review, while preserving the statutory standards for premarket approval, De Novo marketing authorization, and 510(k) clearance.
 DATES: The announcement of the guidance is published in the 
                        **Federal Register**
                         on January 6, 2021.
 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-2019-D-4048 for “Safer Technologies Program for Medical Devices.” 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)). An electronic copy of the guidance document is available for download from the internet. See the 
                    **SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION**
                     section for information on electronic access to the guidance. Submit written requests for a single hard copy of the guidance document entitled “Safer Technologies Program for Medical Devices” to the Office of Policy, Guidance and Policy Development, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 66, Rm. 5431, 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 request.
 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christina Savisaar, Center for Devices 
                        ( print page 548)
                        and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 66, Rm. G221, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002, 301-796-6404 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, 240-402-7911.


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Background FDA is introducing a new, voluntary program for certain medical devices and device-led combination products that are reasonably expected to significantly improve the safety of currently available treatments or diagnostics that target an underlying disease or condition associated with morbidities and mortalities less serious than those eligible for the Breakthrough Devices Program; for example, this may include devices treating or diagnosing non-life-threatening or reasonably reversible conditions. Devices and device-led combination products are eligible for this program if they are subject to review under a premarket approval application (PMA), De Novo classification request (“De Novo request”), or premarket notification (510(k)), taking into account the specific eligibility factors described in this guidance. Consistent with the Agency's statutory mission to protect and promote public health, FDA believes that this “Safer Technologies Program” or “STeP” will help patients have more timely access to these medical devices and device-led combination products by expediting their development, assessment, and review, while preserving the statutory standards for premarket approval, De Novo marketing authorization, and 510(k) clearance. FDA has modeled STeP on the key principles and features of FDA's Breakthrough Devices Program as mandated in section 515B of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 360e-3) and further described in the FDA guidance document entitled “Breakthrough Devices Program” (
                    *https://www.fda.gov/​regulatory-information/​search-fda-guidance-documents/​breakthrough-devices-program*). As resources permit, FDA intends for STeP to incorporate similar features offered under the Breakthrough Devices Program, such as interactive and timely communications, early engagement on Data Development Plans, sprint discussions, and senior management engagement. FDA recognizes and anticipates that the Agency may need up to 60 days to perform activities to operationalize STeP following issuance of the final guidance. FDA does not intend to accept requests for inclusion in STeP within this time period. A notice of availability of the draft guidance appeared in the 
                    **Federal Register**
                     of September 19, 2019 (84 FR 49306). FDA considered comments received and revised the guidance as appropriate in response to the comments, including revisions related to program scope, such as providing additional examples of devices that may be eligible for the program, and revisions to clarify the review time clock. The guidance was also revised to further emphasize that participation in STeP does not change or impact the statutory requirements for marketing authorization applicable to a medical device nor does it affect the application of least burdensome policies and approaches. 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 Safer Technologies Program for Medical Devices. 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. Electronic Access Persons interested in obtaining a copy of the guidance may do so by downloading an electronic copy from the internet. A search capability for all Center for Devices and Radiological Health guidance documents is available at 
                    *https://www.fda.gov/​medical-devices/​device-advice-comprehensive-regulatory-assistance/​guidance-documents-medical-devices-and-radiation-emitting-products.*
                     This guidance document is also available at 
                    *https://www.regulations.gov, https://www.fda.gov/​vaccines-blood-biologics/​guidance-compliance-regulatory-information-biologics/​biologics-guidances,*
                     and 
                    *https://www.fda.gov/​regulatory-information/​search-fda-guidance-documents.*
                     Persons unable to download an electronic copy of “Safer Technologies Program for Medical Devices” may send an email request to 
                    *CDRH-Guidance@fda.hhs.gov*
                     to receive an electronic copy of the document. Please use the document number 19001 and complete title to identify the guidance you are requesting. III. Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 While this guidance contains no collection of information, it does refer to previously approved FDA collections of 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 the following FDA regulations and guidance have been approved by OMB as listed in the following table: 21 CFR part or guidance
Topic
OMB Control No.807, subpart E
Premarket notification
0910-0120814, subparts A through E
Premarket approval
0910-0231812
Investigational Device Exemption
0910-0078820
Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP); Quality System (QS) Regulation
0910-0073“De Novo Classification Process (Evaluation of Automatic Class III Designation)”
De Novo classification process
0910-0844“Requests for Feedback and Meetings for Medical Device Submissions: The Q-Submission Program”
Q-submissions
0910-0756
 Dated: December 29, 2020. Lauren K. Roth, Acting Principal Associate Commissioner for Policy.


[FR Doc. 2020-29158 Filed 1-5-21; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4164-01-P