Department of Health and Human Services July 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing that a proposed collection of information has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing that a proposed collection of information has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

In compliance with the requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. Proposed Collection: Title: Evaluation of Risk Factors Associated with Viral Infections in Chinese Donors: a. Risk factors associated with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), b. Risk factors associated with Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C virus (HCV). This collection will cover two protocols as stated in the title. The first protocol will aim to study risk factors associated with HIV in Chinese donors and the second protocol will study risk factors related to HBV and HCV in Chinese donors. Type of Information Collection Request: NEW. Need and Use of Information Collection: Understanding the risk factors associated with HIV, HBV and HCV infections in donors is essential for developing donor behavioral screening policies. Injection drug use, sexual transmissions, transfusion history, and medical injections are thought to be major routes of transmission in China but their relative importance in blood donors is unknown. In the U.S., risk factors have been better characterized but, questions still remain. Risk factors cannot be identified in 33% and 40% of persons with acute hepatitis B and C respectively, and risk factors may differ between the U.S. and China. This study will improve our understanding of potential transfusion transmitted viral risk factors that cannot be optimally studied in the U.S. because of their low prevalence. For example, we may be able to assess whether treatments commonly used in China, such as acupuncture and medical injections, are important routes of HBV and HCV transmission. The primary objectives of the proposed study are to assess: The primary risk factors associated with HIV, HBV and HCV. The relative importance of injection drug use, heterosexual transmission, family history, transfusion history, history of previous whole blood or plasma donation, male to male sex, medical injections, acupuncture, and tattoos as routes of transmission for HIV, HBV and HCV. Other important routes of transmission for these viruses such as sex with an injection drug user, snorting drugs, living with someone who has HBV and HCV, living with someone who injects drugs, sharing a toothbrush or a razor, having been in jail, occupational history, having surgery, etc. It is proposed to conduct a large, multi blood center case-control study to meet the study objectives. Cases for the HIV protocol will be donors with confirmed anti-HIV antibody reactivity. Blood Centers will select a random group of donors with negative infectious disease test results as Controls for this study. Controls will be enrolled with a 2:1 ratio to Cases and will be matched to the Cases by blood center and donation month. Blood Centers will contact potential Controls by phone and/or mail, inviting them to come back to participate in this study. Cases and Controls will be consented and interviewed using the same Risk Factor Questionnaire (RFQ) by Chinese-CDC (C-CDC) or blood center staff, either at the local C-CDC or blood center. The second protocol assessing risk factors related to HBV and HCV will have three groups of donors: ``HBV Group'': HBV (HBsAg) positive donors either from prescreening (rapid testing) or routine screening testing. Confirmatory testing for HBV will be done for these donors. ``HCV Group'': HCV (anti-HCV) positive donors from routine screening testing (blood centers do not do prescreening rapid testing for anti- HCV). Confirmatory testing for HCV will be done for these donors. The third group will be a ``Control Group'' including donors with negative results for all prescreening and routine screening tests. No additional testing is done for these donors. On a monthly basis, the blood centers will use the confirmatory testing results for HBV and HCV respectively, to generate a list of cases. For that same month, the blood center will generate a list of controls (randomly selected and matched by blood center and month of donation.) The same control group will be used for HBV and HCV cases. Donors in all three groups will be mailed a Risk Factor Survey study packet. The packet will include a study information sheet (discussing the purpose and nature of this study), an informed consent document explaining the voluntary nature, the benefits and risks of this study, a RFQ, a small monetary reward for taking the survey and an envelope with paid postage for the donor to mail their completed questionnaire back to the blood center. Frequency of Response: Once. Affected Public: Individuals. Type of Respondents: Adult Blood Donors. The annual reporting burden is as follows: Estimated Number of Respondents: 3,920; Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1; Average Burden of Hours per Response: 0.33; and Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours Requested: 1,293.5. The annualized cost to respondents is estimated at: $1,940.25 (based on $1.50 per hour). According to China's National Bureau of Statistics in 2006, the average annual wage in China is 21,001 Chinese Yuan (or $ 2,958 U.S. dollars based on current exchange rate of 1 U.S. dollar = 7.1). There are no Capital Costs to report. There are no Operating or Maintenance Costs to report.

The inventions listed below are owned by an agency of the U.S. Government and are available for licensing in the U.S. in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 207 to achieve expeditious commercialization of results of federally-funded research and development. Foreign patent applications are filed on selected inventions to extend market coverage for companies and may also be available for licensing.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability of a draft document entitled ``Guidance for Industry: Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT) to Reduce the Possible Risk of Parvovirus B19 Transmission by Plasma-Derived Products,'' dated July 2008. The draft guidance document provides to manufacturers of plasma-derived products recommendations for performing parvovirus B19 NAT as an in- process test for Source Plasma and recovered plasma to identify and help to prevent the use of plasma units containing high levels of parvovirus B19. The draft guidance also recommends how to report to the FDA implementation of parvovirus B19 NAT.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is requesting comments relevant to the implementation of section 912 of the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007 (FDAAA). Section 912 of FDAAA establishes section 301(ll) in the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the act), which prohibits the interstate shipment of certain foods to which an approved drug or a licensed biological product has been added. Section 301(ll) also prohibits the interstate shipment of foods containing an added drug or a biological product that has been the subject of substantial clinical investigations, the existence of which has been made public. FDA requests that interested persons submit data, information, and comments that will help provide a context for the agency's decisions on implementation of this provision. To encourage responsive comments, FDA is including a series of questions for interested persons to consider in preparing comments.

This notice announces the 22nd meeting of the American Health Information Community Confidentiality, Privacy, & Security Workgroup in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. No. 92-463, 5 U.S.C., App.).

This notice announces the 19th meeting of the American Health Information Community Quality Workgroup in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. No. 92-463, 5 U.S.C., App.).

The Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD) reopens the public comment period on the proposed rule published in the Federal Register on April 10, 2008 (73 FR19708) to propose clarifications and new requirements to implement the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (DD Act of 2000). During the comment period there were instances when the electronic system was not available and individuals were having difficulties using the system. ADD is reopening the comment period of the NPRM to ensure that all individuals have an opportunity to comment on the proposed rule. Also, the submission of comments electronically will now be through the OMB regulations Web site, regulations.gov, rather than ACF's regulations Web site.