2020-22911. Request for Nominations on Public Advisory Panels of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee

AGENCY:

Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is requesting that any industry organizations interested in participating in the selection of nonvoting industry representatives to serve on certain panels of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee (MDAC or Committee) in the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) notify FDA in writing. FDA is also requesting nominations for nonvoting industry representatives to serve on certain device panels of the MDAC in the CDRH. A nominee may either be self-nominated or nominated by an organization to serve as a nonvoting industry representative. Nominations will be accepted for current and upcoming vacancies effective with this notice.

DATES:

Any industry organization interested in participating in the selection of an appropriate nonvoting member to represent industry interests must send a letter stating that interest to FDA by November 16, 2020 (see sections I and II of this document for further details). Concurrently, nomination materials for prospective candidates should be sent to FDA by November 16, 2020.

ADDRESSES:

All statements of interest from industry organizations interested in participating in the selection process of nonvoting industry representative nomination should be sent to Margaret Ames (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). All nominations for nonvoting industry representatives should be submitted electronically by accessing the FDA Advisory Committee Membership Nomination Portal: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/​scripts/​FACTRSPortal/​FACTRS/​index.cfm or by mail to Advisory Committee Oversight and Management Staff, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 32, Rm. 5103, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002. Information about becoming a member of an FDA advisory committee can also be obtained by visiting FDA's website at https://www.fda.gov/​AdvisoryCommittees/​default.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Margaret Ames, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 66, Rm. 5213, Silver Spring, MD 20993, 301-796-5960, email: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Agency is requesting nominations for nonvoting industry representatives to the panels listed in the table in this document.

I. Medical Devices Advisory Committee

The Committee reviews and evaluates data on the safety and effectiveness of marketed and investigational devices and makes recommendations for their regulation. The panels engage in a number of activities to fulfill the functions the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the FD&C Act) envisions for device advisory panels. With the exception of the Medical Devices Dispute Resolution Panel, each panel, according to its specialty area, advises the Commissioner of Food and Drugs (the Commissioner) regarding recommended classification or reclassification of devices into one of three regulatory categories; advises on any possible risks to health associated with the use of devices; advises on formulation of product development protocols; reviews premarket approval applications for medical devices; reviews guidelines and guidance documents; recommends exemption of certain devices from the application of portions of the FD&C Act; advises on the necessity to ban a device; and responds to requests from the Agency to review and make recommendations on specific issues or problems concerning the safety and effectiveness of devices. With the exception of the Medical Devices Dispute Resolution Panel, each panel, according to its specialty area, may also make appropriate recommendations to the Commissioner on issues relating to the design of clinical studies regarding the safety and effectiveness of marketed and investigational devices. The Committee also provides recommendations to the Commissioner or designee on complexity categorization of in vitro diagnostics under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988.

Panels	Function
Anesthesiology and Respiratory Therapy Devices Panel	Reviews and evaluates data concerning the safety and effectiveness of marketed and investigational devices for use in anesthesiology and respiratory therapy and makes appropriate recommendations to the Commissioner.
Dental Products Panel (one representative—to represent the dental drug industry)	Reviews and evaluates data concerning the safety and effectiveness of marketed and investigational products for use in dentistry, endodontics or bone physiology relative to the oral and maxillofacial area and makes appropriate recommendations to the Commissioner.
Medical Devices Dispute Resolution Panel	Provides advice to the Center Director on complex or contested scientific issues between FDA and medical device sponsors, applicants, or manufacturers relating to specific products, marketing applications, regulatory decisions and actions by FDA, and Agency guidance and policies.
Microbiology Devices Panel	Reviews and evaluates data concerning the safety and effectiveness of marketed and investigational in vitro diagnostic devices for use in clinical laboratory medicine including microbiology, virology, and infectious disease and makes recommendations to the Commissioner.
Molecular and Clinical Genetics Panel	Reviews and evaluates data concerning the safety and effectiveness of marketed and investigational in vitro devices for use in clinical laboratory medicine including clinical and molecular genetics and makes appropriate recommendations to the Commissioner.
Neurological Devices Panel	Reviews and evaluates data concerning the safety and effectiveness of marketed and investigational devices for use in the neurological system and makes appropriate recommendations to the Commissioner.
Radiological Devices Panel	Reviews and evaluates data concerning the safety and effectiveness of marketed and investigational diagnostic or therapeutic radiological and nuclear medicine devices and makes appropriate recommendations to the Commissioner.

II. Qualifications

Persons nominated for the device panels should be full-time employees of firms that manufacture products that would come before the panel, or consulting firms that represent manufacturers, or have similar appropriate ties to industry.

III. Selection Procedure

Any industry organization interested in participating in the selection of an appropriate nonvoting member to represent industry interests should send a letter stating that interest to the FDA contact (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) within 30 days of publication of this document (see DATES). Within the subsequent 30 days, FDA will send a letter to each organization that has expressed an interest, attaching a complete list of all such organizations; and a list of all nominees along with their current résumés. The letter will also state that it is the responsibility of the interested organizations to confer with one another and to select a candidate, within 60 days after the receipt of the FDA letter, to serve as the nonvoting member to represent industry interests for a particular device panel. The interested organizations are not bound by the list of nominees in selecting a candidate. However, if no individual is selected within 60 days, the Commissioner will select the nonvoting member to represent industry interests.

IV. Application Procedure

Individuals may self-nominate and/or an organization may nominate one or more individuals to serve as a nonvoting industry representative. Nomination must include a current, complete résumé or curriculum vitae for each nominee including current business address and telephone number, email address if available, and a signed copy of the Acknowledgement and Consent form available at the FDA Advisory Committee Membership Nomination Portal (see ADDRESSES) within 30 days of publication of this document (see DATES). Nominations must also specify the advisory panel for which the nominee is recommended. Nominations must also acknowledge that the nominee is aware of the nomination unless self-nominated. FDA will forward all nominations to the organizations expressing interest in participating in the selection process for the particular device panels listed in the table. (Persons who nominate themselves as nonvoting industry representatives will not participate in the selection process).

FDA seeks to include the views of women and men, members of all racial and ethnic groups, and individuals with and without disabilities on its advisory committees and, therefore encourages nominations of appropriately qualified candidates from these groups.

This notice is issued under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. app. 2) and 21 CFR part 14, relating to advisory committees.

Dated: October 9, 2020.

Lauren K. Roth,

Acting Principal Associate Commissioner for Policy.