2017-08326. Extending Expiration Dates of Doxycycline Tablets and Capsules in Strategic Stockpiles; Draft Guidance for Government Public Health and Emergency Response Stakeholders; Availability

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or Agency) is announcing the availability of a draft guidance for government public health and emergency response stakeholders entitled “Extending Expiration Dates of Doxycycline Tablets and Capsules in Strategic Stockpiles.” This document, once finalized, will provide guidance to government stakeholders on testing to extend the shelf life (i.e., expiration date) under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the FD&C Act) of stockpiled doxycycline tablets and capsules for public health emergency preparedness and response purposes for an anthrax emergency. This draft guidance has been prepared in response to requests from States asking FDA what would be necessary to provide confidence that stockpiled doxycycline tablets and capsules have retained their original quality beyond the manufacturer's labeled expiration date so the replacement of stockpiled product could be deferred. This guidance and any resulting expiration date extensions authorized by FDA do not apply to doxycycline available commercially or otherwise held for any other non-emergency purpose.

DATES:

Although you can comment on any guidance at any time (see 21 CFR 10.115(g)(5)), to ensure that the Agency considers your comment on this draft guidance before it begins work on the final version of the guidance, submit either electronic or written comments on the draft guidance by June 26, 2017.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments 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): Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.
• For written/paper comments submitted to the Division of Dockets Management, 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-2017-D-0762 for “Extending Expiration Dates of Doxycycline Tablets and Capsules in Strategic Stockpiles.” 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 Division of Dockets Management between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

• 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 Division of Dockets Management. 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 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.fda.gov/​regulatoryinformation/​dockets/​default.htm.

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 Division of Dockets Management, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.

Submit written requests for single copies of the draft 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 draft guidance document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Frederick Ensor, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002, 240-402-2733.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

FDA is announcing the availability of a draft guidance for government public health and emergency response stakeholders entitled “Extending Expiration Dates of Doxycycline Tablets and Capsules in Strategic Stockpiles.” A number of government public health and emergency response stakeholders maintain stockpiles of doxycycline tablets or capsules for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) or treatment of inhalational anthrax in the event of an anthrax emergency. States have asked FDA what would be necessary to provide confidence that stockpiled doxycycline tablets and capsules have retained their original quality (i.e., purity and potency) beyond the manufacturer's labeled expiration date so the replacement of stockpiled product could be deferred. This document, once finalized, will provide guidance to government stakeholders on testing to extend the shelf life (i.e., expiration date) under section 564A(b) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. 360bbb-3a(b)) of stockpiled doxycycline tablets and capsules for public health emergency preparedness and response purposes for an anthrax emergency.

The draft guidance applies to both doxycycline monohydrate and doxycycline hyclate tablets and capsules equivalent to 50 mg and 100 mg of doxycycline that are indicated for PEP or treatment of inhalational anthrax. Where doxycycline is mentioned throughout this guidance, it is meant to include both the hyclate and monohydrate forms of the drug that are indicated for PEP or treatment of inhalational anthrax.

This draft guidance is being issued consistent with FDA's good guidance practices regulation (21 CFR 10.115). The draft guidance, when finalized, will represent the current thinking of FDA on “Extending Expiration Dates of Doxycycline Tablets and Capsules in Strategic Stockpiles.” 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

This guidance refers to previously approved collections of information that are subject to review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520). The collection of information has been approved under OMB control number 0910-0595.

III. Electronic Access

Persons with access to the Internet may obtain the draft guidance at either http://www.fda.gov/​Drugs/​GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/​Guidances/​default.htm or https://www.regulations.gov.

Dated: April 19, 2017.

Anna K. Abram,

Deputy Commissioner for Policy, Planning, Legislation, and Analysis.