Guidance for Industry

Formal Dispute Resolution:

Appeals Above the Division Level

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Food and Drug Administration

Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER)

Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER)

Procedural

February 2000
Guidance for Industry

Formal Dispute Resolution:

Appeals Above the Division Level

Additional copies of this Guidance are available from:

 Office of Training and Communications

 Division of Communications Management

Drug Information Branch, HFD-210

Center for Drug Evaluation and Research

Food and Drug Administration

 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857

(Phone 301-827-4573)

Internet: http://www.fda.gov/cder/guidance/index.htm.

or

 Office of Communication, Training and

Manufacturers Assistance, HFM-40

Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research

 Food and Drug Administration

1401 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852-1448

Internet: http://www.fda.gov/cber/guidelines.htm. 

Fax: 1-888-CBERFAX or 301-827-3844

Mail: the Voice Information System at 800-835-4709 or 301-827-1800

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Food and Drug Administration

Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER)

Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER)

Procedural
February 2000
TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................................................................1

A. PDUFA PRODUCTS ............................................................................................................................................................. 2

B. SCOPE OF THE GUIDANCE ..................................................................................................................................................... 3

II. FORMAL DISPUTE RESOLUTION..................................................................................................................................3

III. PROCEDURES FOR SUBMITTING A REQUEST FOR FORMAL DISPUTE RESOLUTION..............................4

A. HOW TO REQUEST FORMAL DISPUTE RESOLUTION............................................................................................................... 4

B. SUPPORTING INFORMATION............................................................................................................................................. 5

IV. AGENCY ACTION................................................................................................................................................................6

A. WRITTEN RESPONSE............................................................................................................................................................. 6

B. RESPONSE TO A REQUEST FOR ADVISORY COMMITTEE REVIEW........................................................................................... 7
1

GUIDANCE FOR INDUSTRY1

Formal Dispute Resolution:

Appeals Above the Division Level

I. INTRODUCTION

This document is intended to provide guidance for industry on procedures adopted by the Center

for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) and the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research

(CBER) for resolving scientific and procedural disputes that cannot be resolved at the Division

level. This guidance describes procedures for formally appealing2 such disputes to the Office or

Center level and for submitting information to assist Agency officials in resolving the issue(s)

presented. 

Scientific (including medical) disputes and procedural (including administrative) disputes will

inevitably arise during the drug development, new drug review, generic drug review, and

postmarketing oversight processes. As these disputes can involve complex judgments and issues

that are scientifically and commercially important, it is critical that there be procedures in place that

will encourage open, prompt discussion of such disputes, which will usually lead to their resolution.

 The procedures and policies described in this guidance document are intended to promote rapid

resolution of scientific and procedural disputes between sponsors and the Agency. For the

purposes of this document, the term sponsor includes any sponsor, applicant, or manufacturer of a

new drug, generic drug, or biologic product regulated by the Agency under the Federal Food,

Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act) or section 351 of the Public Health Service Act (the PHS Act).

FDA regulations (21 CFR 10.75) provide a mechanism for any interested person3 to obtain formal

review of any Agency decision by raising the matter with the supervisor of the employee who made the

decision. If the issue is not resolved at the primary supervisory level, the interested person may request

that the matter be reviewed at the next higher supervisory level. This process may continue through the

Agency's chain of command, through the Centers to the Commissioner of Food and Drugs. Regulations

 

1

This guidance has been prepared by the Review Management Working Group in the Center for Drug Evaluation

and Research (CDER) and the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) at the Food and Drug Administration. 

This guidance document represents CDER's and CBER=s current thinking on dispute resolution. It does not create or confer

any rights for or on any person and does not operate to bind FDA or the public. An alternative approach may be used if

such approach satisfies the requirements of the applicable statute, regulations, or both.

2As used in this guidance document, an appeal is a request for formal dispute resolution.

3An interested person is a person who submits a petition, comment, or objection or otherwise asks to participate in

an informal or formal administrative proceeding or court action (21 CFR 10.3). This definition of interested person includes a

sponsor, applicant, or manufacturer of a drug or biological product.
2

for dispute resolution during the IND process (21 CFR 312.48) and the NDA/ANDA process (21

CFR 314.103) specifically establish similar procedures for the resolution of scientific and procedural

matters at the Division level and subsequent formal review of decisions through Center management. 

CDER and CBER regulations also provide that a sponsor may request that the Agency seek the advice

of outside experts, including an appropriate advisory committee, in resolving the matter (312.48(c)(3)

and 314.103(c)(3)).

Section 404 of the Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act of 1997 creates new section 562

of the Act (21 U.S.C. 360bbb-1). Section 562 of the Act provides that if, regarding an obligation

concerning drugs or devices under the Act or section 351 of the PHS Act, there is a scientific dispute

between the Agency and a sponsor, applicant, or manufacturer and no specific provision of the Act or

regulation provides a right of review of the matter in controversy, FDA shall, by regulation, establish a

procedure under which such sponsor, applicant, or manufacturer may request a review of the

controversy, including review by an advisory committee. Section 562 of the Act further provides that

such review of the controversy, if granted, shall take place in a timely manner. 

In the Federal Register of November 18, 1998 (63 FR 63978), FDA amended 21 CFR 10.75 to

explicitly state that a sponsor, applicant, or manufacturer of a drug or device may request review of a

scientific controversy by an appropriate advisory committee. In recognition of the Agency's authority to

determine whether to seek the advice of an advisory committee in resolving a scientific dispute, the

amendment to the regulation states that the reason(s) for any denial of a request for advisory committee

review will be set forth in writing to the requester. A person whose request has been denied at the

Center level may submit a request for review of the denial at the Commissioner's Office level. Such

request should be sent to the Agency's Chief Mediator and Ombudsman. In the preamble to the final

rule, FDA stated that implementation of this provision would be undertaken by the individual FDA

Centers and would be described in guidance documents. This document is intended to meet that

commitment.

A. PDUFA Products

The Prescription Drug User Fee Act of 1992 (PDUFA) was reauthorized in November 1997 (PDUFA

2). In conjunction with PDUFA 2, FDA agreed to specific performance goals (PDUFA goals) for

activities associated with the development and review of products in human drug applications as defined

in section 735(1) of the Act (21 U.S.C. 379g(1)) (PDUFA products). The PDUFA goals are

summarized in "PDUFA Reauthorization Performance Goals and Procedures," an enclosure to a letter

dated November 12, 1997, from the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Donna E. Shalala, to

Senator James M. Jeffords. The PDUFA goals for major dispute resolution provide the following time

frames for Agency response to formal appeals regarding scientific or procedural matters:

Fiscal Year (FY) 1999 70% acted upon within 30 calendar days

FY 2000 80% acted upon within 30 calendar days
3

FY 2001 and subsequent years 90% acted upon within 30 calendar days

Acted upon, in this context, includes, but is not limited to, requesting additional information, scheduling a

meeting with the sponsor (ordinarily such meetings will be considered type A meetings4), deciding to

submit the issue(s) for presentation to an advisory committee, requesting an opinion from the Office of

Chief Counsel, granting the appeal, or denying the appeal.

B. Scope of the Guidance

The policies and procedures described in this guidance document implement section 562 of the Act,

Agency regulations, and the PDUFA goals for dispute resolution. Unless otherwise stated, this

guidance applies to PDUFA products and non-PDUFA products (e.g., generic drugs).

At any time, a sponsor may choose not to follow the formal dispute resolution process and may

informally raise a procedural or administrative matter with the CDER or CBER Ombudsman

('' 312.48 and 314.103). A sponsor who remains dissatisfied with the procedure used by the Center

in formal resolution of a dispute after the Center Director has made a determination on the issue(s)

involved may also seek the assistance of the CDER or CBER Ombudsman in facilitating resolution of

the matter. The procedures described in this guidance do not apply to such informal dispute resolution

through the CDER or CBER Ombudsman. Furthermore, such informal contacts with the Ombudsman

concerning PDUFA products are not subject to the PDUFA goals and therefore progress on the

resolution of the issue(s) will not be formally tracked in CDER or CBER databases. 

II. FORMAL DISPUTE RESOLUTION

As described in Agency regulations (21 CFR 10.75, 312.48, 314.103), a sponsor should initially seek

resolution of any scientific or procedural dispute at the Division level using formal or informal

mechanisms, as appropriate. If these mechanisms do not lead to resolution, the sponsor may formally

request reconsideration of the matter by the Division after providing the Division an opportunity to

review any materials the sponsor intends to rely on in an appeal to the next level. Because all Agency

decisions on the matter must be based on information in the matter's administrative file

(' 10.75(d)), no new information should be submitted as part of a request for reconsideration or

appeal. If the sponsor has new information that may affect the original decision, any appeal should be

deferred and the new information should be submitted and reviewed by the Division. For example, a

response to an action letter should initially be submitted to the Division for review. If an issue is still not

resolved to the satisfaction of the sponsor at the Division level, the sponsor may appeal the matter to the

appropriate Office Director. If the sponsor is not satisfied with the decision made by the Office

Director with respect to the issue(s), the sponsor may appeal the matter to the appropriate Deputy

 

4

 In February 1999 (64 FR 13591), FDA made available for comment a draft guidance for industry, Formal Meetings

with Sponsors and Applicants for PDUFA Products, describing policies and procedures that will be adopted by CDER and

CBER to enhance the productivity of meetings between the Agency and sponsors of PDUFA products. 
4

Center Director. If the sponsor is not satisfied with the decision made by the Deputy Center Director

with respect to the issue(s), the sponsor may appeal the matter to the Center Director. 

At any point in the formal dispute resolution process, a sponsor may request that a scientific dispute be

reviewed by an appropriate advisory committee. Such a request for advisory committee review may be

part of the original formal appeal or may be an amendment to the formal appeal. If a sponsor believes

that review by an advisory committee is the most appropriate venue for resolution of a scientific

controversy, such a request should be made as early in the dispute resolution process as feasible. Such

early notice will enable the Center to evaluate at every step in the process whether to send the matter to

an advisory committee.

III. PROCEDURES FOR SUBMITTING A REQUEST FOR FORMAL DISPUTE

RESOLUTION

A. How to Request Formal Dispute Resolution

A sponsor interested in requesting formal dispute resolution by the Office or Center should do so only if

an attempt for resolution at the previous supervisory level was unsuccessful. The sponsor should submit

a written request and supporting documentation to the appropriate CDER or CBER component as

follows, with a copy submitted as an amendment to the application to the appropriate Division

document room.

Requests for formal dispute resolution with CDER should be submitted to the Center Formal Dispute

Resolution Project Manager (DRPM) except requests for formal dispute resolution concerning generic

drugs should be submitted directly to the Office of Generic Drugs. 

For CDER issues other than generic drug issues the following address should be used:

Formal Dispute Resolution Project Manager (DRPM)

Food and Drug Administration

Center for Drug Evaluation and Research

Mail Code HFD-002

5600 Fishers Lane

Rockville, MD 20857

For CDER generic drug issues the following address should be used:

Director

Office of Generic Drugs

Food and Drug Administration

Center for Drug Evaluation and Research

Mail Code HFD-600

7500 Standish Place
5

Rockville, MD 20855

All requests for formal dispute resolution with CBER should be submitted to:

Formal Dispute Resolution Project Manager (DRPM)

Food and Drug Administration

Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research

Mail Code HFM-007

1401 Rockville Pike

Rockville, MD 20852

B. Supporting Information

To make the most efficient use of Agency and industry resources, any request for formal dispute

resolution should include adequate information to explain the nature of the dispute and to allow the

Agency to determine the necessary steps to resolve the matter quickly and efficiently. Each request

should include the following:

1. Cover sheet that clearly identifies the submission as FORMAL DISPUTE RESOLUTION

REQUEST in bold, uppercase letters.

2. Application number (IND, NDA, BLA, ANDA), if applicable.

3. Proprietary name and established name for a product in CDER; proper name and trade name

for a product in CBER.

4. Division or Office where the application is filed.

5. Proposed indication(s), if applicable.

6. Brief, but comprehensive statement of each issue to be resolved:

! Clearly describe the issue to be resolved.

! Identify the issue as scientific, procedural, or both.

! State the steps that have been taken to resolve the issue, including informal dispute

resolution.

! Identify possible solutions, including, for scientific issues, whether an advisory

committee review is requested.

! State expected outcome.

7. Statement identifying the division that issued the original decision on the matter and, if

applicable, the last Agency official who attempted to formally resolve the matter.

8. List of documents previously submitted to the Agency that are deemed necessary for resolution

of the issue(s). If a sponsor prefers, copies of such documents may be resubmitted to the

Agency.

9. Statement that the previous supervisory level has received and had the opportunity to review all

of the material relied on for dispute resolution.

10. Name, title, and telephone and fax numbers of company contact for the appeal.
6

All Agency decisions on a matter are based on the information in the matter's administrative file

(' 10.75(d)). In general, new information, not seen at the review division or previous supervisory levels

of review, should not be provided. If a sponsor presents new information about an issue in requesting

formal dispute resolution, the matter will be returned to the Division for reevaluation based on the new

information.

IV. AGENCY ACTION

The DRPM will forward the formal request to the appropriate CDER or CBER official (the Official) to

respond to the formal appeal as established under the Center chain of command, enter the necessary

information into the appropriate tracking system, and send an acknowledgment letter to the sponsor. 

The Official will review the matter's administrative record and provide a response. The response could

be a decision on the matter, but could also be a decision to seek advice from an advisory committee or

other internal or external experts or to ask the sponsor for more information.

A. Written Response

FDA will generally send a written response to a sponsor who requests formal dispute resolution. The

written response should specifically agree or disagree with the outcome desired by the sponsor, agree

or disagree with parts of the proposed outcome, or indicate a resolution that is different than that

proposed by the sponsor. If the Agency does not agree with the sponsor's position, the response

should include reasons for the disagreement and any actions that the sponsor can take to address issues

the Agency has raised.

1. PDUFA Products

If the product underlying a procedural or scientific dispute is a PDUFA product, the Official should

complete the review within 30 calendar days from the DRPM's receipt of the formal request. The

Official should contact the sponsor within the 30 day window via written response or telephone

response (30 day response). If the response is by telephone, the reviewing Official should provide a

written confirmation of the formal dispute resolution outcome to the sponsor or applicant within 14

calendar days from the date of the telephone call. If FDA is unable to complete the review and respond

within 30 days, the Official should notify the sponsor, explain the reasons for the delay, and discuss the

time frame for completing the review.

Where additional data or input from others are needed to reach a decision on the appeal, the 30 day

response should be a description of the plan for obtaining the information (e.g., requesting further

information from the sponsor, deciding to schedule a meeting with the sponsor, bringing the issue for

discussion at an advisory committee). In such cases, once the required information is received by the

Agency, the Official will again have 30 calendar days from the receipt of the required information in

which to respond to the appeal and state whether the Agency agrees or disagrees with the sponsor=s

stated position.
7

2. Non-PDUFA Products

If the matter under appeal does not pertain to a PDUFA product, the Official should make all

reasonable efforts to resolve the dispute as expeditiously as possible, taking into consideration available

resources, and should provide a written or telephone response to the sponsor in a timely fashion. If the

response is by telephone, the reviewing Official should subsequently provide a written confirmation of

the formal dispute resolution outcome to the sponsor.

B. Response to a Request for Advisory Committee Review

If a sponsor seeking resolution of a scientific dispute requests advisory committee review of the matter,

the Official will determine whether such review is appropriate and would be helpful to the Agency at that

time in the formal appeal process. The Official will communicate this determination to the sponsor

following the procedures described in Written Response above.

An issue may be appropriate for advisory committee review if it is related to matters of technical

expertise that require some specialized education, training, or experience to understand and resolve. 

Issues that generally are not appropriate for advisory committee review include those that involve: (1)

potential criminal activity (e.g., data fraud, submission of false information, unauthorized disclosure of

proprietary information); (2) allegations of intellectual or regulatory bias, including differential treatment,

on the part of FDA employees, members of FDA advisory committees, or other special Government

employees; (3) regulatory jurisdiction (e.g., which FDA component will have lead regulatory

responsibility for a particular matter) or other matters in which regulatory policy or procedures are the

dominant concerns; and (4) matters for which the Center Director has not been delegated authority.

The Official may decide not to send the matter to an advisory committee and may consult with one or

more of the members of the advisory committee or other internal or external experts in resolving the

matter.

1. Advisory committee review

If the request for review by an advisory committee is granted, the matter will be brought to the next

scheduled advisory committee meeting for which there is time available on the agenda for adequate

discussion of the issue. Due to administrative concerns related to organizing each advisory committee

meeting (e.g., establishing an agenda, sending background information to the advisory committee

members prior to the meeting), it may not be feasible to raise the matter at the next scheduled meeting.

As discussed in Agency regulations (' 14.5(b)) and the preamble to the final rule amending ' 10.75, the

advice and recommendations of an advisory committee after review of a scientific dispute would not

bind the Agency to a particular action or policy. After receiving the advice of the appropriate advisory

committee, the Agency should notify the sponsor of its determination on the matter within 30 days. 
8

Unless otherwise provided by law, an FDA decision based on an advisory committee recommendation

is not final Agency action subject to judicial review. 

2. Denial of a request for advisory committee review

If the Official does not grant advisory committee review, the Official will notify the sponsor in writing of

such decision, including the reason(s) for the denial. This notification may be included in the written

response to the formal dispute resolution.

A sponsor denied advisory committee review of a scientific dispute may appeal the denial up the chain

of command in the Center as part of any subsequent request for dispute resolution of the underlying

matter. After exhausting the Center's mechanisms for appealing the decision denying advisory

committee review, a sponsor may request review of the Center's decision through the Agency's

supervisory chain of command to the Commissioner of Food and Drugs. As stated in ' 10.75, requests

for such review should be submitted to the Agency's Chief Mediator and Ombudsman. Although not

formally in the chain of command, the Chief Mediator and Ombudsman will work with the Center and

the sponsor attempting to develop a mutually acceptable approach, taking into account all relevant

factors. Unless otherwise provided by law, an FDA decision to deny a request for advisory committee

review is not final Agency action subject to judicial review.