Department of Health and Human Services February 13, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice announces the cancellation of the March 18, 2009 public meeting of the Medicare Evidence Development & Coverage Advisory Committee (MEDCAC) (``Committee'') that was published in the January 16, 2009 Federal Register (74 FR 3051 through 3053). This notice also announces a public meeting on Wednesday, June 17, 2009. The Committee generally provides advice and recommendations concerning the adequacy of scientific evidence needed to determine whether certain medical items and services can be covered under the Medicare statute. This meeting will focus on the use of Bayesian statistics to interpret evidence in making coverage decisions. The meeting will introduce Bayesian concepts, contrast Bayesian approaches with frequentist approaches, and provide some examples of using Bayesian techniques for meta-analyses. This meeting is open to the public in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App. 2, section 10(a)).

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending the animal drug regulations to reflect approval of a supplemental new animal drug application (NADA) filed by Novartis Animal Health US, Inc. The supplemental NADA provides for removal of a 250-pound weight restriction and the addition of a reproductive caution statement to labeling of tiamulin concentrate solution used in drinking water for the treatment of certain bacterial respiratory and enteric diseases in swine.

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 requirements for food irradiation processors. This notice also notifies the public of and solicits comments on FDA's proposal to transfer the collection of information and associated burden hours from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number 0910-0549 to the subject collection of information (OMB control number 0910-0186).

This notice announces a forthcoming meeting of a public advisory committee of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The meeting will be open to the public. Name of Committee: Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee. General Function of the Committee: To provide advice and recommendations to the agency on FDA's regulatory issues. Date and Time: The meeting will be held on March 19, 2009, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Location: Marriott Conference Centers, UMUC Inn and Conference Center by Marriott, 3501 University Blvd., East, Adelphi, MD. The hotel telephone number is 301-985-7385. Contact Person: Elaine Ferguson, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (HFD-21), Food and Drug Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, (for express delivery, 5630 Fishers Lane, rm. 1093), Rockville, MD 20857, 301-827-7001, FAX: 301-827-6776, e-mail: elaine.ferguson@fda.hhs.gov, or FDA Advisory Committee Information Line, 1-800-741-8138 (301-443-0572 in the Washington, DC area), code 3014512533. Please call the Information Line for up-to-date information on this meeting. A notice in the Federal Register about last minute modifications that impact a previously announced advisory committee meeting cannot always be published quickly enough to provide timely notice. Therefore, you should always check the agency's Web site and call the appropriate advisory committee hot line/phone line to learn about possible modifications before coming to the meeting. Agenda: The committee will discuss new drug application (NDA) 22- 406, rivaroxaban oral tablets (10 milligrams) Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C., for the proposed indication for use in prophylaxis of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in patients undergoing hip replacement surgery or knee replacement surgery. FDA intends to make background material available to the public no later than 2 business days before the meeting. If FDA is unable to post the background material on its Web site prior to the meeting, the background material will be made publicly available at the location of the advisory committee meeting, and the background material will be posted on FDA's Web site after the meeting. Background material is available at https://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/acmenu.htm, click on the year 2009 and scroll down to the appropriate advisory committee link. Procedure: Interested persons may present data, information, or views, orally or in writing, on issues pending before the committee. Written submissions may be made to the contact person on or before March 5, 2009. Oral presentations from the public will be scheduled between approximately 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Those desiring to make formal oral presentations should notify the contact person and submit a brief statement of the general nature of the evidence or arguments they wish to present, the names and addresses of proposed participants, and an indication of the approximate time requested to make their presentation on or before February 25, 2009. Time allotted for each presentation may be limited. If the number of registrants requesting to speak is greater than can be reasonably accommodated during the scheduled open public hearing session, FDA may conduct a lottery to determine the speakers for the scheduled open public hearing session. The contact person will notify interested persons regarding their request to speak by February 26, 2009. Persons attending FDA's advisory committee meetings are advised that the agency is not responsible for providing access to electrical outlets. FDA welcomes the attendance of the public at its advisory committee meetings and will make every effort to accommodate persons with physical disabilities or special needs. If you require special accommodations due to a disability, please contact Elaine Ferguson at least 7 days in advance of the meeting. FDA is committed to the orderly conduct of its advisory committee meetings. Please visit our Web site at https://www.fda.gov/oc/advisory/ default.htm for procedures on public conduct during advisory committee meetings. Notice of this meeting is given under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. app. 2).

HRSA is publishing a final Agency Guidance (``Policy Information Notice'' (PIN) 2009-02), to describe the policy and processes pertaining to requests from federally-funded health centers to change the scope of their Federal project. The PIN, ``Specialty Services and Health Centers'' Scope of Project,'' and the Agency's ``Response to Public Comments'' are available on the Internet at http:/ /bphc.hrsa.gov.