2018-08711. Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

AGENCY:

Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announces a forthcoming public advisory committee meeting of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC). The general function of the committee is to provide advice and recommendations to the Agency on FDA's regulatory issues. At least one portion of the meeting will be closed to the public.

DATES:

The meeting will be held on May 17, 2018, from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

ADDRESSES:

FDA White Oak Campus, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 31 Conference Center, the Great Room (Rm. 1503), Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002. Answers to commonly asked questions including information regarding special accommodations due to a disability, visitor parking, and transportation may be accessed at: https://www.fda.gov/​AdvisoryCommittees/​AboutAdvisoryCommittees/​ucm408555.htm.

For those unable to attend in person, the meeting will also be webcast and will be available at the following link: https://collaboration.fda.gov/​vrbpac2018/​.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Serina Hunter-Thomas or Rosanna Harvey, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 71, Rm. 6338, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002, 240-402-5771, [e-mail] and 240-402-8072, [e-mail], or FDA Advisory Committee Information Line, 1-800-741-8138 (301-443-0572 in the Washington, DC area). A notice in the Federal Register about last minute modifications that impact a previously announced advisory committee meeting cannot always be published quickly enough to provide timely notice. Therefore, you should always check the Agency's website at https://www.fda.gov/​AdvisoryCommittees/​default.htm and scroll down to the appropriate advisory committee meeting link, or call the advisory committee information line to learn about possible modifications before coming to the meeting.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Agenda: On May 17, 2018, under Topic I, the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research's (CBER) VRBPAC will meet in open session to discuss approaches for demonstrating effectiveness of group B streptococcus (GBS) vaccines intended for use in pregnant women to protect the newborn infant. Also on May 17, 2018, under Topic II, the committee will meet in open session to hear an overview of the research program in the Laboratory of Respiratory Viral Diseases (LRVD), Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, CBER, FDA.

FDA intends to make background material available to the public no later than 2 business days before the meeting. If FDA is unable to post the background material on its website prior to the meeting, the background material will be made publicly available at the location of the advisory committee meeting, and the background material will be posted on FDA's website after the meeting. Background material is available at https://www.fda.gov/​AdvisoryCommittees/​Calendar/​default.htm. Scroll down to the appropriate advisory committee meeting link.

Procedure: On May 17, 2018, from 8 a.m. to 4:10 p.m., the meeting is open to the public. 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 on or before May 10, 2018. Oral presentations from the public will be scheduled between approximately 12:35 p.m. to 1:20 p.m. for the GBS vaccine portion of the meeting, and 3:50 p.m. to 4:05 p.m. for the overview portion of the LRVD Site Visit. Those individuals interested in making formal oral presentations should notify the contact person 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 on or before May 2, 2018. Time allotted for each presentation may be limited. If the number of registrants requesting to speak is greater than can be reasonably accommodated during the scheduled open public hearing session, FDA may conduct a lottery to determine the speakers for the scheduled open public hearing session. The contact person will notify interested persons regarding their request to speak by May 3, 2018.

Closed Committee Deliberations: On May 17, 2018, from 4:10 p.m. to 4:45 p.m., the meeting will be closed to permit discussion where disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy (5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(6)). The recommendations of the advisory committee regarding the progress of the investigator's research will, along with other information, be used in making personnel and staffing decisions regarding individual scientists.

We believe that public discussion of these recommendations on individual scientists would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.

Persons attending FDA's advisory committee meetings are advised that the Agency is not responsible for providing access to electrical outlets.

FDA welcomes the attendance of the public at its advisory committee meetings and will make every effort to accommodate persons with disabilities. If you require accommodations due to a disability, please contact Serina Hunter-Thomas at least 7 days in advance of the meeting (see, FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).

FDA is committed to the orderly conduct of its advisory committee meetings. Please visit our website at: https://www.fda.gov/​AdvisoryCommittees/​AboutAdvisoryCommittees/​ucm111462.htm for procedures on public conduct during advisory committee meetings.

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

Dated: April 20, 2018.

Leslie Kux,

Associate Commissioner for Policy.