Department of Health and Human Services April 28, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability of a draft document entitled ``Guidance for Industry: Use of Nucleic Acid Tests to Reduce the Risk of Transmission of West Nile Virus from Donors of Whole Blood and Blood Components Intended for Transfusion and Donors of Human Cells, Tissues, and Cellular and Tissue-Based Products (HCT/Ps)'' dated April 2008. This draft guidance is intended for establishments that collect Whole Blood and blood components intended for transfusion and establishments that make donor eligibility determinations for donors of human cells, tissues, and cellular and tissue-based products (HCT/Ps). The document provides recommendations for testing of donations of Whole Blood and blood components and HCT/P donor specimens for West Nile Virus (WNV) using an FDA-licensed donor screening assay. FDA believes that the use of a licensed nucleic acid test (NAT) will reduce the risk of transmission of WNV, and therefore recommend use of a licensed NAT to screen donors of Whole Blood and blood components intended for transfusion and for testing donors of HCT/Ps for infection with WNV. FDA recommends the use of licensed NAT testing for WNV within 6 months after a final guidance is issued.

As stipulated by the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is hereby giving notice that the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports will hold a meeting. This meeting is open to the public. A description of the Council's functions is included also with this notice.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined that the 19 drug products listed in this document were not withdrawn from sale for reasons of safety or effectiveness. This determination means that FDA will not begin procedures to withdraw approval of abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs) that refer to the drug products, and it will allow FDA to continue to approve ANDAs that refer to the products as long as they meet relevant legal and regulatory requirements.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (the PRA), Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension of an existing collection of information, and to allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments on the information collection provisions of FDA's current good manufacturing practice (CGMPs) regulations for finished pharmaceuticals.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reopening for 90 days, the comment period for the proposed rule, published in the Federal Register of February 20, 2002 (67 FR 7620), on the classification of encapsulated amalgam alloy and dental mercury, the reclassification of dental mercury, and the issuance of special controls for amalgam alloy. In the Federal Register of July 17, 2002 (67 FR 46941), the initial comment period was reopened for 60 days. The agency is taking this action to provide the public with an additional opportunity to comment and to request data and information that may have become available since publication of the proposed rule.