2023-11898. Nonclinical Evaluation of the Immunotoxic Potential of Pharmaceuticals; Guidance for Industry; Availability  

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    AGENCY:

    Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

    ACTION:

    Notice of availability.

    SUMMARY:

    The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or Agency) is announcing the availability of a final guidance for industry entitled “Nonclinical Evaluation of the Immunotoxic Potential of Pharmaceuticals.” This guidance finalizes the draft guidance entitled “Nonclinical Safety Evaluation of the Immunotoxic Potential of Drugs and Biologics” issued on February 20, 2020.

    DATES:

    The announcement of the guidance is published in the Federal Register on June 5, 2023.

    ADDRESSES:

    You may submit either electronic or written comments on Agency guidances at any time as follows:

    Electronic Submissions

    Submit electronic comments in the following way:

    Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. Comments submitted electronically, including attachments, to https://www.regulations.gov will be posted to the docket unchanged. Because your comment will be made public, you are solely responsible for ensuring that your comment does not include any confidential information that you or a third party may not wish to be posted, such as medical information, your or anyone else's Social Security number, or confidential business information, such as a manufacturing process. Please note that if you include your name, contact information, or other information that identifies you in the body of your comments, that information will be posted on https://www.regulations.gov.

    • If you want to submit a comment with confidential information that you do not wish to be made available to the public, submit the comment as a written/paper submission and in the manner detailed (see “Written/Paper Submissions” and “Instructions”).

    Written/Paper Submissions

    Submit written/paper submissions as follows:

    Mail/Hand delivery/Courier (for written/paper submissions): Dockets Management Staff (HFA–305), Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.

    • For written/paper comments submitted to the Dockets Management Staff, FDA will post your comment, as well as any attachments, except for information submitted, marked and identified, as confidential, if submitted as detailed in “Instructions.”

    Instructions: All submissions received must include the Docket No. FDA–2019–D–5607 for “Nonclinical Evaluation of the Immunotoxic Potential of Pharmaceuticals.” Received comments will be placed in the docket and, except for those submitted as “Confidential Submissions,” publicly viewable at https://www.regulations.gov or at the Dockets Management Staff between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, 240–402–7500.

    • Confidential Submissions—To submit a comment with confidential information that you do not wish to be made publicly available, submit your comments only as a written/paper submission. You should submit two copies total. One copy will include the information you claim to be confidential with a heading or cover note that states “THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.” The Agency will review this copy, including the claimed confidential information, in its consideration of comments. The second copy, which will have the claimed confidential information redacted/blacked out, will be available for public viewing and posted on https://www.regulations.gov. Submit both copies to the Dockets Management Staff. If you do not wish your name and contact information to be made publicly available, you can provide this information on the cover sheet and not in the body of your comments and you Start Printed Page 36590 must identify this information as “confidential.” Any information marked as “confidential” will not be disclosed except in accordance with 21 CFR 10.20 and other applicable disclosure law. For more information about FDA's posting of comments to public dockets, see 80 FR 56469, September 18, 2015, or access the information at: https://www.govinfo.gov/​content/​pkg/​FR-2015-09-18/​pdf/​2015-23389.pdf.

    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or the electronic and written/paper comments received, go to https://www.regulations.gov and insert the docket number, found in brackets in the heading of this document, into the “Search” box and follow the prompts and/or go to the Dockets Management Staff, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852, 240–402–7500.

    You may submit comments on any guidance at any time (see 21 CFR 10.115(g)(5)).

    Submit written requests for single copies of this guidance to the Division of Drug Information, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, 10001 New Hampshire Ave., Hillandale Building, 4th Floor, Silver Spring, MD 20993–0002. Send one self-addressed adhesive label to assist that office in processing your requests. See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for electronic access to the guidance document.

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    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

    Ronald Wange, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 22, Rm. 3342, Silver Spring, MD 20993–0002, 301–796–1304.

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    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    I. Background

    FDA is announcing the availability of a final guidance for industry entitled “Nonclinical Evaluation of the Immunotoxic Potential of Pharmaceuticals.” The purpose of this guidance is to assist sponsors in the nonclinical safety evaluation of the immunotoxic potential of pharmaceuticals, which for purposes of the guidance is defined to encompass drug products, including small molecule drugs, and oligonucleotides, as well as certain biological products, such as biotechnology-derived therapeutic proteins. Immunotoxicity is any adverse unintended immunosuppression or stimulation, which can be the result of off-target effects or exaggerated pharmacology of pharmaceuticals that are intended to act as immunomodulators.

    This guidance finalizes the draft guidance entitled “Nonclinical Safety Evaluation of the Immunotoxic Potential of Drugs and Biologics” issued February 20, 2020 (85 FR 9784). FDA considered comments received on the draft guidance as the guidance was finalized. Changes made in the draft guidance in response to public comment were focused on placing this guidance within the appropriate context as it relates to other guidances relevant to the assessment of immunotoxicity. Additionally, the scope was rewritten to better clarify the types of products that were to be considered within or outside of the scope.

    Although the 2020 draft guidance was issued by the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) and the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, the finalized guidance is being issued by CDER only.

    This guidance is being issued consistent with FDA's good guidance practices regulation (21 CFR 10.115). The guidance represents the current thinking of FDA on “Nonclinical Evaluation of the Immunotoxic Potential of Pharmaceuticals.” It does not establish any rights for any person and is not binding on FDA or the public. You can use an alternative approach if it satisfies the requirements of the applicable statutes and regulations.

    II. Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

    While this guidance contains no collection of information, it does refer to previously approved FDA collections of information. Therefore, clearance by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501–3521) is not required for this guidance. The previously approved collections of information are subject to review by OMB under the PRA. The collections of information in 21 CFR parts 312 and 314 have been approved under OMB control numbers 0910–0014 and 0910–0001, respectively.

    III. Electronic Access

    Persons with access to the internet may obtain the guidance at https://www.fda.gov/​drugs/​guidance-compliance-regulatory-information/​guidances-drugs, https://www.fda.gov/​regulatory-information/​search-fda-guidance-documents, or https://www.regulations.gov.

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    Dated: May 31, 2023.

    Lauren K. Roth,

    Associate Commissioner for Policy.

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    [FR Doc. 2023–11898 Filed 6–2–23; 8:45 am]

    BILLING CODE 4164–01–P

Document Information

Published:
06/05/2023
Department:
Food and Drug Administration
Entry Type:
Notice
Action:
Notice of availability.
Document Number:
2023-11898
Dates:
The announcement of the guidance is published in the Federal Register on June 5, 2023.
Pages:
36589-36590 (2 pages)
Docket Numbers:
Docket No. FDA-2019-D-5607
PDF File:
2023-11898.pdf