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 Department of Health and Human Services Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2008-N-0259]
 AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.
 ACTION: Notice.
 SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 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 24, 2008.
 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: 202-395-6974, or e-mailed to 
                        *baguilar@omb.eop.gov*. All comments should be identified with the OMB control number 0910-0389. Also include the FDA docket number found 
                        ( print page 50029)
                        in brackets in the heading of this document.
 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Berbakos, Office of Information Management (HFA-710), Food and Drug Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857, 301-796-3792.


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. Guidance for Industry: Fast Track Drug Development Programs: Designation, Development, and Application Review—(OMB Control Number 0910-0389)—Extension Section 112(a) of the Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act of 1997 (FDAMA) (Public Law 105-115) amended the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the act) by adding section 506 (21 U.S.C. 356). The section authorizes FDA to take appropriate action to facilitate the development and expedite the review of new drugs, including biological products, intended to treat a serious or life-threatening condition and that demonstrate a potential to address an unmet medical need. Under FDAMA section 112(b), FDA issued guidance to industry on fast track policies and procedures outlined in section 506 of the act. The guidance discusses collections of information that are specified under section 506 of the act, other sections of the Public Health Service Act (the PHS Act), or implementing regulations. The guidance describes three general areas involving collection of information: (1) Fast track designation requests, (2) premeeting packages, and (3) requests to submit portions of an application. Of these, fast track designation requests and premeeting packages, in support of receiving a fast track program benefit, provide for additional collections of information not covered elsewhere in statute or regulation. Information in support of fast track designation or fast track program benefits that has previously been submitted to the agency, may, in some cases, be incorporated into the request by referring to the information rather than resubmitting it. Under section 506(a)(1) of the act, an applicant who seeks fast track designation is required to submit a request to the agency showing that the product: (1) Is intended for a serious or life-threatening condition; and (2) the product has the potential to address an unmet medical need. Mostly, the agency expects that information to support a designation request will have been gathered under existing provisions of the act, the PHS Act, or the implementing regulations. If such information has already been submitted to the agency, the information may be summarized in the fast track designation request. The guidance recommends that a designation request include, where applicable, additional information not specified elsewhere by statute or regulation. For example, additional information may be needed to show that a product has the potential to address an unmet medical need where an approved therapy exists for the serious or life-threatening condition to be treated. Such information may include clinical data, published reports, summaries of data and reports, and a list of references. The amount of information and discussion in a designation request need not be voluminous, but it should be sufficient to permit a reviewer to assess whether the criteria for fast track designation have been met. After the agency makes a fast track designation, a sponsor or applicant may submit a premeeting package which may include additional information supporting a request to participate in certain fast track programs. The premeeting package serves as background information for the meeting and should support the intended objectives of the meeting. As with the request for fast track designation, the agency expects that most sponsors or applicants will have gathered such information to meet existing requirements under the act, the PHS Act, or implementing regulations. These may include descriptions of clinical safety and efficacy trials not conducted under an investigational new drug application (i.e., foreign studies), and information to support a request for accelerated approval. If such information has already been submitted to FDA, the information may be summarized in the premeeting package. Consequently, FDA anticipates that the additional collection of information attributed solely to the guidance will be minimal. Under section 506(c) of the act, a sponsor must submit sufficient clinical data for the agency to determine, after preliminary evaluation, that a fast track product may be effective. Section 506(c) of the act also requires that an applicant provide a schedule for the submission of information necessary to make the application complete before FDA can commence its review. The guidance does not provide for any new collection of information regarding the submission of portions of an application that is not required under section 506(c) of the act or any other provision of the act. All forms referred to in the guidance have a current OMB approval: FDA Forms 1571 (OMB Control No. 0910-0014); 356h (OMB Control No. 0910-0338); and 3397 (OMB Control No. 0910-0297). Respondents to this information collection are sponsors and applicants who seek fast track designation under section 506 of the act. The agency estimates the total annual number of respondents submitting requests for fast track designation to the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research and the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research is approximately 64, and the number of requests received is approximately 77 annually. FDA estimates that the number of hours needed to prepare a request for fast track designation is approximately 60 hours per request. Not all requests for fast track designation may meet the statutory standard. Of the requests for fast track designation made per year, the agency granted 60 from 54 respondents, and for each of these granted requests a pre-meeting package was submitted to the agency. FDA estimates that the preparation hours are approximately 100 hours per pre-meeting package. In the 
                    **Federal Register**
                     of May 6, 2008 (73 FR 25016), FDA published a 60-day notice requesting public comment on the information collection provisions. No comments were received. FDA estimates the burden of this collection of information as follows: **Table 1.—Estimated Annual Reporting Burden**1
Reporting Activity
No. of 
                             Respondents
Annual Frequency 
                             per Response
Total Annual 
                             Responses
Hours per 
                             Response
Total HoursDesignation Request
64
1.28
82
60
4,915Premeeting Packages
54
1.11
60
100
6,000( print page 50030)Total
118
2.39
142
160
10,9151
                        There are no capital costs or operating and maintenance costs associated with this collection of information.
 Dated: August 18, 2008. Jeffrey Shuren, Associate Commissioner for Policy and Planning.


[FR Doc. E8-19626 Filed 8-22-08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4160-01-S