2015-07816. Blood 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). At least one portion of the meeting will be closed to the public.

Name of Committee: Blood 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 May 13, 2015, from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Location: FDA White Oak Campus, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 31 Conference Center, the Great Room (Rm.1503), Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002. For those unable to attend in person, the meeting will also be available via Web cast. The Web cast will be available at the following link: https://collaboration.fda.gov/​bpac2015/​. When accessing the Web cast please enter as a guest. Answers to commonly asked questions including information regarding special accommodations due to a disability, visitor parking, and transportation may be accessed at: http://www.fda.gov/​AdvisoryCommittees/​AboutAdvisoryCommittees/​ucm408555.htm.

Contact Person: Bryan Emery or Joanne Lipkind, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 71, Rm. 6132, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002, 240-402-8054 or 240-402-8129, 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 Web site at http://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.

Agenda: On May 13, 2015, the Blood Products Advisory Committee will meet in open session to discuss strategies for implementation of serological and nucleic acid testing for Babesia microti in blood donors. In the afternoon, the committee will hear update presentations on the following topics: (1) FDA considerations for Hemoglobin S Testing in blood donors; and (2) FDA considerations for a revised blood donor deferral policy for men who have sex with men. Following the update presentations, the committee will hear presentations on the research programs of the Laboratory of Cellular Hematology, Division of Hematology Research and Review, Office of Blood Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, 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 Web site 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 Web site after the meeting. Background material is available at http://www.fda.gov/​AdvisoryCommittees/​Calendar/​default.htm. Scroll down to the appropriate advisory committee meeting link.

Procedure: On May 13, 2015, from 8:30 a.m. to approximately 5 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 6, 2015. Oral presentations from the public on May 13, 2015, will be scheduled between approximately 11:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. until 5 p.m. 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 April 28, 2015. 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 April 29, 2015.

Closed Committee Deliberations: On May 13, 2015, from approximately 5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., the meeting will be closed to the public to permit discussion where disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy (5 U.S.C. 552b(c) (6)). The committee will discuss the site visit report of the intramural research programs of the Laboratory of Cellular Hematology and make recommendations regarding personnel staffing decisions.

Persons attending FDA's advisory committee meetings are advised that the Agency is not responsible for providing access to electrical outlets. Seating for this meeting may be limited, so the public is encouraged to watch the free Web cast if you are unable to attend. The Web cast will be available at 8:30 a.m. on May 13, 2015, at the link provided.

FDA welcomes the attendance of the public at its advisory committee meetings and will make every effort to accommodate persons with physical disabilities or special needs. If you require special accommodations due to a disability, please contact Bryan Emery at least 7 days in advance of the meeting.

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

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

Dated: March 31, 2015.

Leslie Kux,

Associate Commissioner for Policy.