Department of Health and Human Services February 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is requesting expressions of interest from organizations that evaluate clinical evidence used to support private payer coverage decisions for medical devices (coverage organizations) that wish to provide input to medical device developers (sponsors) on clinical trial design or other plans for gathering clinical evidence needed to support positive coverage decisions. These coverage organizations include third-party commercial health insurance organizations, payer/provider organizations, health technology assessment groups and various organizations that evaluate clinical evidence and make coverage recommendations to and decisions for private payers and health plans. The Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) is taking this step to assist sponsors in identifying such organizations and soliciting clinical trial design or other evidence-gathering input from them. If coverage organizations express interest, FDA intends to provide a mechanism for such organizations to identify themselves so that medical device sponsors who would like to obtain coverage input can voluntarily contact them to participate in a FDA Pre-Submission meeting. Early input from payers regarding their evidentiary needs can streamline the process from FDA approval or clearance to payer coverage and improve public health by facilitating earlier access to innovative, safe, and effective medical devices.

In compliance with section 3507(a)(1)(D) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has submitted an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. Comments submitted during the first public review of this ICR will be provided to OMB. OMB will accept further comments from the public during the review and approval period.

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 and to allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments on Outcomes Evaluation Survey for Graduates of the FDA Commissioner's Fellowship Program.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Center for Tobacco Products (CTP), is announcing a public workshop to gather scientific information on waterpipes and waterpipe tobacco and to identify areas of research that may inform CTP's regulation of these tobacco products. The workshop will include presentations and panel discussions about the current state of the science, and will focus on product use and design, smoke constituents, environmental impacts, and the impact of marketing these products on population health, including on both users and nonusers. FDA is also opening a public docket to receive data, information, and comments on this topic.

This notice announces the dates, time, and location of the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) public meetings to be held in calendar year 2016 to discuss our preliminary coding and payment determinations for all new public requests for revisions to the HCPCS. These meetings provide a forum for interested parties to make oral presentations or to submit written comments in response to preliminary coding and payment determinations. The discussion will be focused on responses to our specific preliminary recommendations and will include all items on the public meeting agenda. As indicated in this notice, we are reorganizing public meeting content under two main headings: (1) Drugs/Biologics, Radiopharmaceuticals/Radiologic Imaging Agents, and (2) Durable Medical Equipment (DME) and Accessories; Orthotics and Prosthetics (O & P); Supplies and Other.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or Agency) is extending the comment period provided in the notice entitled ``Design Considerations and Pre-market Submission Recommendations for Interoperable Medical Devices; Draft Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff; Availability'' that appeared in the Federal Register of January 26, 2016. That notice announced the availability of a draft guidance for industry and FDA staff and requested comments by March 28, 2016. FDA is extending the draft guidance's comment period by 30 days in response to requests for an extension to allow interested persons additional time to submit comments.

This quarterly notice lists of the OMHA Case Processing Manual (OCPM) manual instructions that were published from October through December, 2015. This manual standardizes the day-to-day procedures for carrying out adjudicative functions, in accordance with applicable statutes, regulations and OMHA directives, and gives OMHA staff direction for processing appeals at the OMHA level of adjudication.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined the regulatory review period for BREO ELLIPTA and is publishing this notice of that determination as required by law. FDA has made the determination because of the submission of an application to the Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Department of Commerce, for the extension of a patent which claims that human drug product.

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 associated with the guidance ``Hypertension Indication: Drug Labeling for Cardiovascular Outcome Claims,'' which is intended to assist applicants in developing labeling for outcome claims for drugs that are indicated to treat hypertension.