Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Protection of Human Subjects: Informed Consent; Institutional Review Boards
Federal Register, Volume 78 Issue 79 (Wednesday, April 24, 2013)
Federal Register Volume 78, Number 79 (Wednesday, April 24, 2013)
Notices
Pages 24208-24211
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office www.gpo.gov
FR Doc No: 2013-09622
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Food and Drug Administration
Docket No. FDA-2013-N-0403
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Protection of Human Subjects: Informed Consent; Institutional Review Boards
AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the Agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (the PRA), Federal Agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information and to allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments on the regulations that provide protection for human subjects of clinical investigations conducted in support of applications or submissions to FDA for FDA-regulated products. The regulations provide protection of the rights, safety, and welfare of human subjects involved in research activities within FDA's jurisdiction.
DATES: Submit either electronic or written comments on the collection of information by June 24, 2013.
ADDRESSES: Submit electronic comments on the collection of information to http://www.regulations.gov. Submit written comments on the collection of information to the Division of Dockets Management (HFA-
305), Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852. All comments should be identified with the docket number found in brackets in the heading of this document.
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ila S. Mizrachi, Office of Information Management, Food and Drug Administration, 1350 Piccard Dr., PI50-400B, Rockville, MD 20850, 301-796-7726, Ila.mizrachi@fda.hhs.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), Federal Agencies must obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each collection of information they conduct or sponsor. ``Collection of information'' is defined in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR 1320.3(c) and includes Agency requests or requirements that members of the public submit reports, keep records, or provide information to a third party. Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)) requires Federal Agencies to provide a 60-day notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information of an existing collection of information before submitting the collection to OMB for approval. To comply with this requirement, FDA is publishing notice of the proposed collection of information set forth in this document.
With respect to the following collection of information, FDA invites comments on these topics: (1) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of FDA's functions, including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of FDA's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques, when appropriate, and other forms of information technology.
Protection of Human Subjects; Informed Consent; Institutional Review Boards--21 CFR Parts 50 and 56 (OMB Control Number 0910--NEW)
Part 50 (21 CFR part 50) applies to all clinical investigations regulated by FDA under sections 505(i) and 520(g) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the FD&C Act) (21 U.S.C. 355(i) and 360j(g), respectively), as well as clinical investigations that support applications for research or marketing permits for products regulated by FDA, including foods and dietary supplements that bear a nutrient content claim or a health claim, infant formulas, food and color additives, drugs for human use, medical devices for human use, biological products for human use, and electronic products. Compliance with part 50 is intended to protect the rights and safety of subjects involved in investigations filed with the FDA under sections 403, 406, 409, 412, 413, 502, 503, 505, 510, 513-516, 518-520, 721, and 801 of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. 343, 346, 348, 350a, 350b, 352, 353, 355, 360, 360c-360f, 360h-360j, 379e, and 381, respectively) and sections 351 and 354-360F of the Public Health Service Act.
With few exceptions, no investigator may involve a human being as a subject in FDA-regulated research unless the investigator has obtained the legally effective informed consent of the subject or the subject's legally authorized representative (see 21 CFR 50.20). In seeking informed consent, each subject must be provided with certain elements of informed consent. Those elements are listed in Sec. 50.25. Informed consent shall be documented in writing as described in Sec. 50.27.
An institutional review board (IRB) may approve emergency research without requiring the informed consent of all research subjects provided the IRB finds and documents that certain criteria are met as required in Sec. 50.24. We estimate that about five times per year an IRB is requested to review emergency research under Sec. 50.24. We estimate, of the five yearly requests for IRB review under Sec. 50.24, a particular IRB will take about an hour during each of three separate fully convened IRB meetings to review the request under Sec. 50.24 (one meeting occurring after community consultation). The total annual reporting burden for IRB review of emergency research under Sec. 50.24 is estimated at 15 hours (see table 1).
The information requested in the regulations for exception from the general requirements for informed consent for medical devices (21 CFR 812.47), and the information requested in the regulations for exception from the general requirements of informed consent in Sec. 50.23, paragraphs (a) through (c), and (e), is currently approved under OMB control number 0910-0586. The information requested in the investigational new drug (IND) regulations concerning exception from informed consent for emergency research under Sec. 50.24 is currently approved under OMB control number 0910-0014. In addition, the information requested in the regulations for IND safety reporting requirements for human drug and biological products and safety reporting requirements for bioavailability and bioequivalence studies in humans (21 CFR 320.31(d) and 312.32(c)(1)(ii) and (iv)) is currently approved under OMB control number 0910-0672.
Some clinical investigations involving children, although otherwise not approvable, may present an opportunity to understand, prevent, or alleviate a serious problem affecting the health or welfare of children (see Sec. 50.54). Certain clinical investigations involving children may proceed if the IRB finds and documents that the clinical investigation presents a reasonable opportunity to further the understanding, prevention, or alleviation of a serious problem affecting the health or welfare of children and when the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, after consultation with a panel of experts in pertinent disciplines and following opportunity for public review and comment, makes a determination that certain conditions are met (see Sec. 50.54(b)).
The information requested for clinical investigations in children of FDA-regulated products is covered by the collections of information in the IND regulations (part 312 (21 CFR part 312), the investigational device exemption (IDE) regulations (part 812 (21 CFR part 812), the IRB regulations (21 CFR 56.115), the food additive petition and nutrient content claim petition regulations (21 CFR 101.69 and 101.70), and the infant formula regulations (parts 106 and 107 (21 CFR parts 106 and 107)), all of which are approved by OMB. Specifically, the information collected under the IND regulations is currently approved under OMB control number 0910-0014. The information collected under the IDE regulations is currently approved under OMB control number 0910-0078. The information collected under the IRB regulations is currently approved under OMB control number 0910-0130. The information collected in food additive and nutrient content claim petitions is currently approved under OMB control number 0910-0381 (general requirements) and 0910-0016 (Form FDA 3503). The information collected under the infant formula regulations is currently approved under OMB control number 0910-0256 (general requirements) and 0910-0188 (infant formula recalls).
Part 56 (21 CFR part 56) contains the general standards for the composition, operation, and responsibility of an IRB that reviews clinical investigations regulated by FDA under sections 505(i) and 520(g) of the FD&C Act, as well as clinical investigations that support applications for research or marketing permits for products regulated by FDA, including foods and dietary supplements that bear a nutrient content claim or a health claim, infant formulas,
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food and color additives, drugs for human use, medical devices for human use, biological products for human use, and electronic products. Compliance with part 56 is intended to protect the rights and welfare of human subjects involved in such investigations.
The information collected under the IRB regulations, ``Protection of Human Subjects--Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements for Institutional Review Boards (part 56)'', including the information collection activities in the provisions in Sec. 56.108(a)(1) and (b), is currently approved under OMB control number 0910-0130. The information collected under the regulations for the registration of IRBs in Sec. 56.106 is currently approved under OMB control number 0910-0279. The information collected for IRB review and approval for the IDE regulations (part 812) is currently approved under OMB control number 0910-0078. The information collected for premarket approval of medical devices (part 814 (21 CFR part 814)) is currently approved under OMB control number 0910-0231. The information collected under the regulations for IRB requirements for humanitarian use devices (part 814, subpart H) is currently approved under OMB control number 0910-
0332. The information collected under the regulations for IRB review and approval of INDs (part 312) is currently approved under OMB control number 0910-0014.
This new collection of information is limited to certain provisions in part 50, subpart B (informed consent of human subjects), and part 56 (IRBs), not currently approved under the OMB control numbers referenced elsewhere in this document. Those new proposed collections of information in part 50 are Sec. Sec. 50.24 (emergency research), 50.25 (elements of informed consent), and 50.27 (documentation of informed consent).
In part 56, those new proposed collections of information are in Sec. 56.109(e) (IRB written notification to approve or disapprove research); Sec. 56.109(f) (continuing review of research); Sec. 56.113 (suspension or termination of IRB approval of research); Sec. 56.120(a) (IRB response to lesser administrative actions for noncompliance); and Sec. 56.123 (reinstatement of an IRB or institution).
In Sec. 56.109(f), the amount of time an IRB spends on the continuing review of a particular study will vary depending on the nature and complexity of the research, the amount and type of new information presented to the IRB, and whether the investigator is seeking approval of substantive changes to the research protocol or informed consent document. For many studies, continuing review can be fairly straightforward, and the IRB should be able to complete its deliberations and approve the research within a brief period of time.
When an IRB or institution violates the regulations, FDA issues to the IRB or institution a noncompliance letter (see Sec. 56.120(a)). The IRB or institution must respond to the noncompliance letter describing the corrective actions that will be taken by the IRB or institution. FDA estimates about five IRBs or institutions will be issued a noncompliance letter annually. We estimate that the IRB's or institution's response will take about 10 hours to prepare, with an estimated total annual burden of 50 hours.
To date, no IRB or institution has been disqualified by FDA under Sec. 56.121. Therefore, no IRB or institution has been reinstated under Sec. 56.123. For this reason, we estimate the annual reporting burden for one respondent only. We estimate a 5-hour burden per response, with an estimated total annual burden of 5 hours.
Those regulatory provisions in parts 50 and 56 not currently approved under certain OMB control numbers are shown in table 1.
FDA estimates the burden of this collection of information as follows:
Table 1--Estimated Annual Reporting Burden \1\
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Number of
21 CFR Section Number of responses per Total annual Average burden Total hours
respondents respondent responses per response
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56.109(e) IRB Written 6,000 40 240,000 1 240,000
Notification to Approve or
Disapprove Research; 56.109(f)
Continuing Review; 50.25
Elements of Informed Consent;
and 50.27 Documentation of
Informed Consent...............
50.24 Exception from Informed 5 3 15 1 15
Consent for Emergency Research.
56.113 Suspension or Termination 6,000 1 6,000 0.5 3,000
of IRB Approval of Research.... (30 minutes)
56.120(a) IRB Response to Lesser 5 1 5 10 50
Administrative Actions for
Noncompliance..................
56.123 Reinstatement of an IRB 1 1 1 5 5
or Institution.................
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Total....................... .............. .............. .............. .............. 243,070
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\1\ There are no capital costs or operating and maintenance costs associated with this collection of
information.
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Dated: April 18, 2013.
Leslie Kux,
Assistant Commissioner for Policy.
FR Doc. 2013-09622 Filed 4-23-13; 8:45 am
BILLING CODE 4160-01-P
