Department of Health and Human Services January 5, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

HRSA will be providing temporary critical HIV medical care and treatment services through the Medical Center of Louisiana at New Orleans to avoid a disruption of HIV clinical care to clients in Orleans Parish in Louisiana.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability of a guidance for industry entitled ``Labeling OTC Human Drug ProductsQuestions and Answers.'' This guidance is intended to assist manufacturers, packers, and distributors of over-the-counter (OTC) drug products in complying with the agency's regulation on standardized content and format requirements for the labeling of OTC drug products. This guidance primarily discusses labeling questions that have been frequently asked by manufacturers, packers, and distributors relating to these requirements. The labeling examples in this guidance show various format and content features and suggest how OTC drug monograph labeling information finalized before the new requirements can be converted to the new format. This guidance finalizes the draft guidance of the same name published January 13, 2005 (70 FR 2415).

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability of the draft guidance entitled ``Assay Migration Studies for In Vitro Diagnostic Devices.'' This draft guidance presents a least burdensome regulatory approach to gaining FDA approval of Class III or certain licensed in vitro diagnostic devices in cases when a previously approved assay is migrating (i.e., transitioning) to a New System for which the assay has not been previously approved or licensed.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is revising its requirements for cochineal extract and carmine by requiring their declaration by name on the label of all food and cosmetic products that contain these color additives. This final rule responds to reports of severe allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, to cochineal extract- containing food and carmine-containing food and cosmetics and will allow consumers who are allergic to these color additives to identify and thus avoid products that contain these color additives. This action also responds to a citizen petition submitted by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).