Document ID: FDA-2015-D-4021-0001
Agency: fda
Document Type: Notice
Title: Over-the-Counter Sunscreens: Safety and Effectiveness Data; Draft
Guidance for Industry; Availability
Posted Date: 2015-11-23T05:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 225 (Monday, November 23, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72975-72976]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-29636]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

[Docket No. FDA-2015-D-4021]

Over-the-Counter Sunscreens: Safety and Effectiveness Data; Draft 
Guidance for Industry; Availability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the availability of a draft guidance for industry entitled ``Over-the-
Counter Sunscreens: Safety and Effectiveness Data.'' This draft 
guidance addresses FDA's current thinking about the safety and 
effectiveness data needed to determine whether a nonprescription 
sunscreen active ingredient or combination of active ingredients 
evaluated under the Sunscreen Innovation Act (SIA) is generally 
recognized as safe and effective (GRASE) and not misbranded when used 
under specified conditions. The guidance also addresses FDA's current 
thinking about an approach to safety-related final formulation testing 
that it anticipates adopting in the future.

DATES: Although you can comment on any guidance at any time (see 21 CFR 
10.115(g)(5)), to ensure that the Agency considers your comment on this 
draft guidance before it begins work on the final version of the 
guidance, submit either electronic or written comments on the draft 
guidance by January 22, 2016.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments as follows:

Electronic Submissions

    Submit electronic comments in the following way:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments. Comments submitted 
electronically, including attachments, to http://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 http://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): Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305), Food and Drug 
Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.
     For written/paper comments submitted to the Division of 
Dockets Management, 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-2015-D-4021 for``Over-the-Counter Sunscreens: Safety and 
Effectiveness Data; Draft Guidance for Industry; Availability.'' 
Received comments will be placed in the docket and, except for those 
submitted as ``Confidential Submissions,'' publicly viewable at http://www.regulations.gov or at the Division of Dockets Management between 9 
a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
     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 http://www.regulations.gov. 
Submit both copies to the Division of Dockets Management. 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: http://www.fda.gov/regulatoryinformation/dockets/default.htm.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
the electronic and written/paper comments received, go to http://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 Division of Dockets Management, 5630 Fishers 
Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.
    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. 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: Kristen Hardin, Center for Drug 
Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New 
Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 22, Rm. 5443, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002, 240-
402-4246.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

[[Page 72976]]

I. Background

    FDA is announcing the availability of a draft guidance for industry 
entitled ``Over-the-Counter Sunscreens: Safety and Effectiveness 
Data.'' This draft guidance addresses FDA's current thinking regarding 
the safety and effectiveness data needed to determine whether a 
nonprescription sunscreen active ingredient or combination of active 
ingredients evaluated under the SIA is GRASE and not misbranded when 
used under specified conditions. The guidance also addresses FDA's 
current thinking about an approach to safety-related final formulation 
testing that it anticipates adopting in the future.
    FDA is issuing this guidance in partial implementation of the SIA 
(Pub. L. 113-195), enacted November 26, 2014, which amended the Federal 
Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the FD&C Act). Among other things, the 
SIA established new procedures and review time lines for FDA to 
determine whether a nonprescription sunscreen active ingredient or 
combination of active ingredients is GRASE and not misbranded when used 
under the conditions specified in a final sunscreen order (GRASE 
determination) (21 U.S.C. 360fff-1, -2, and -3). The SIA also directed 
FDA to issue four guidances on various topics, including this guidance 
(21 U.S.C. 360ffff-4). Many of the safety topics addressed in this 
guidance were discussed at a public Nonprescription Drug Advisory 
Committee meeting held September 4 and 5, 2014 (http://www.fda.gov/AdvisoryCommittees/CommitteesMeetingMaterials/Drugs/NonprescriptionDrugsAdvisoryCommittee/ucm380890.htm).
    This draft guidance is being issued consistent with FDA's good 
guidance practices regulation (21 CFR 10.115). The draft guidance, when 
finalized, will represent the current thinking of FDA on ``Over-the-
Counter Sunscreens: Safety and Effectiveness Data; Draft Guidance for 
Industry; Availability.'' 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. The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

    This guidance contains collections of information that are exempt 
from the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520). 
Section 586D(a)(1)(C) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. 360fff-4(a)(1)(C)) as 
amended by the SIA states that the PRA shall not apply to collections 
of information made for purposes of guidance under that subsection.

III. Electronic Access

    Persons with access to the Internet may obtain the draft guidance 
at either http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Guidances/default.htm or http://www.regulations.gov.

    Dated: November 16, 2015.
Leslie Kux,
Associate Commissioner for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2015-29636 Filed 11-20-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4164-01-P