Document ID: FDA-2019-D-0934-0020
Agency: fda
Document Type: Notice
Title: Adjusting for Covariates in Randomized Clinical Trials for Drugs and Biological Products; Draft Guidance for Industry; Availability
Posted Date: 2021-05-21T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 97 (Friday, May 21, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27627-27629]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-10760]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

[Docket No. FDA-2019-D-0934]

Adjusting for Covariates in Randomized Clinical Trials for Drugs 
and Biological Products; Draft Guidance for Industry; Availability

AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or Agency) is announcing 
the availability of a draft guidance for industry entitled ``Adjusting 
for Covariates in Randomized Clinical Trials for Drugs and Biological 
Products.'' The draft guidance, when finalized, will represent the 
current thinking of FDA on adjusting for covariates in randomized 
clinical trials for drugs and biologics. This draft guidance revises 
the draft guidance ``Adjusting for Covariates in Randomized Clinical 
Trials for Drugs and Biologics with Continuous

[[Page 27628]]

Outcomes'' that published April 25, 2019. This revision provides more 
detailed recommendations for the use of linear models for covariate 
adjustment and also includes recommendations for covariate adjustment 
using nonlinear models.

DATES: Submit either electronic or written comments on the draft 
guidance by July 20, 2021 to ensure that the Agency considers your 
comment on this draft guidance before it begins work on the final 
version of the guidance.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on any guidance 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-0934 for ``Adjusting for Covariates in Randomized Clinical 
Trials for Drugs and Biological Products.'' 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)).
    Submit written requests for single copies of the draft guidance to 
the Division of Drug Information, Center for Drug Evaluation and 
Research, Food and Drug Administration, 10001 New Hampshire Ave., 
Hillandale Building, 4th Floor, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002, or to the 
Office of Communication, Outreach and Development, Center for Biologics 
Evaluation and Research (CBER), 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 requests. See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for electronic 
access to the draft guidance document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott N. Goldie, Center for Drug 
Evaluation and Research, Office of Biostatistics, Food and Drug 
Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 21, Rm. 3557, Silver 
Spring, MD 20993-0002, 301-796-2055, or Stephen Ripley, Center for 
Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 
New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 71, Rm. 7301, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002, 
240-402-7911.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    FDA is announcing the availability of a draft guidance for industry 
entitled ``Adjusting for Covariates in Randomized Clinical Trials for 
Drugs and Biological Products.'' The target population for a new drug 
or biological product usually includes individuals with diverse 
prognostic factors, and the population studied in clinical trials 
should reflect this diversity. However, baseline differences in 
prognostic factors may impair the detection and estimation of treatment 
effects. Incorporating prognostic factors in the statistical analysis 
of clinical trial data can mitigate this impairment and can result in a 
more efficient use of data to demonstrate and quantify the effects of 
treatment. The International Council for Harmonisation guidance for 
industry entitled ``E9 Statistical Principles for Clinical Trials'' 
briefly addresses these issues (https://www.fda.gov/downloads/drugs/guidancecomplianceregulatoryinformation/guidances/ucm073137.pdf). This 
draft guidance provides more detailed recommendations for the use of 
covariate adjustment in randomized clinical trials.
    This draft guidance revises the draft guidance ``Adjusting for 
Covariates in Randomized Clinical Trials for Drugs and Biologics with 
Continuous Outcomes'' that published April 25, 2019. Compared with the 
April 2019 draft guidance, this draft guidance provides more detailed 
recommendations and discusses use of nonlinear models in addition to 
linear models.
    This draft guidance is being issued consistent with FDA's good 
guidance practices regulation (21 CFR 10.115). The draft guidance, when 
finalized, will

[[Page 27629]]

represent the current thinking of FDA on ``Adjusting for Covariates in 
Randomized Clinical Trials for Drugs and Biologics.'' 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. Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

    While this draft 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 21 CFR 312.23 for the content and format of 
investigational new drug applications have been approved under OMB 
control number 0910-0014.

III. Electronic Access

    Persons with access to the internet may obtain the draft guidance 
at https://www.fda.gov/drugs/guidance-compliance-regulatory-information/guidances-drugs, https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/guidance-compliance-regulatory-information-biologics/biologics-guidances, or https://www.regulations.gov.

    Dated: May 18, 2021.
Lauren K. Roth,
Acting Principal Associate Commissioner for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2021-10760 Filed 5-20-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4164-01-P