02-1713. Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

AGENCY:

Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION:

Notice.

This notice announces a forthcoming meeting of a public advisory committee of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The meeting will be open to the public.

Name of Committee: Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee.

General Function of the Committee: To provide advice and recommendations to the agency on FDA's regulatory issues.

Date and Time: The meeting will be held on January 30, 2002, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Location: Holiday Inn, Versailles I and II, 8120 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, MD.

Contact: William Freas or Denise H. Royster, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (HFM-71), Food and Drug Administration, 1401 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852, 301-827-0314, or FDA Advisory Committee Information Line, 1-800-741-8138 (301-443-0572 in the Washington, DC area), code 12391. Please call the Information Line for up-to-date information on this meeting.

Agenda: On January 30, 2002, the committee will discuss the influenza virus vaccine formulation for the 2002-2003 season.

Procedure: Interested persons may present data, information, or views, orally or in writing, on issues pending before the committee. Written submissions may be made to the contact person by January 22, 2002. Oral presentations from the public will be scheduled between approximately 9:30 a.m. and 9:45 a.m., and approximately 4:15 p.m. and 5 p.m. Time allotted for each presentation may be limited. Those desiring to make formal oral presentations should notify the contact person before January 22, 2002, and submit a brief statement of the general nature of the evidence or arguments they wish to present, the names and addresses of proposed participants, and an indication of the approximate time requested to make their presentation.

FDA regrets that it was unable to publish this notice 15 days prior to the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee meeting. Because the agency believes there is some urgency to bring this issue to public discussion and qualified members of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee were available at this time, the Commissioner of Food and Drugs concluded that it was in the public interest to hold this meeting even if there was not sufficient time for the customary 15-day public notice.

Notice of this meeting is given under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. app. 2).

Dated: January 17, 2001.

Linda A. Suydam,

Senior Associate Commissioner.