21 CFR Part 601 - LICENSING

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending its regulations governing drug establishment registration and drug listing. These amendments reorganize, modify, and clarify current regulations concerning who must register establishments and list human drugs, human drugs that are also biological products, and animal drugs. The final rule requires electronic submission, unless waived in certain circumstances, of registration and listing information. This rulemaking pertains to finished drug products and to active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) alone or together with one or more other ingredients. The final rule describes how and when owners or operators of establishments at which drugs are manufactured or processed must register their establishments with FDA and list the drugs they manufacture or process. In addition, the rule makes certain changes to the National Drug Code (NDC) system. We are taking this action to improve management of drug establishment registration and drug listing requirements and make these processes more efficient and effective for industry and for us. This action also supports implementation of the electronic prescribing provisions of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) and the availability of current drug labeling information through DailyMed, a computerized repository of drug information maintained by the National Library of Medicine.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA, the Agency, or we) is removing two regulations that prescribe procedures for FDA's review and classification of biological products licensed before July 1, 1972. FDA is taking this action because the two regulations are obsolete and no longer necessary in light of other statutory and regulatory authorities established since 1972, which allow FDA to evaluate and monitor the safety and effectiveness of all biological products. In addition, other statutory and regulatory authorities authorize FDA to revoke a license for biological products because they are not safe and effective, or are misbranded. FDA is taking this action as part of its retrospective review of its regulations to promote improvement and innovation.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending its regulations to update address information for the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) as a result of the recent relocation of CBER offices and laboratories to the FDA White Oak campus in Silver Spring, MD, as well as make other related technical revisions. These changes are being made to ensure the accuracy of the Agency's regulations.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing a 1-day public meeting entitled “Supplemental Applications Proposing Labeling Changes for Approved Drugs and Biological Products.” The purpose of the meeting is to provide a public forum for FDA to listen to comments on the proposed rule on “changes being effected” supplements that was published in the Federal Register of November 13, 2013, and alternatives offered to this proposed rule. FDA is also reopening the comment period for the proposed rule to receive submissions of additional written comments on the proposed rule as well as alternative proposals presented during the public meeting.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is correcting, and extending the comment period for, the proposed rule that appeared in the Federal Register of November 13, 2013. In the proposed rule, FDA requested comments on the proposal to revise and clarify procedures for application holders of an approved drug or biological product to change the product labeling to reflect certain types of newly acquired information in advance of FDA's review of the change. The proposed rule published without a reference or a link to the accompanying Regulatory Impact Analysis. The Agency is taking this action to correct this omission and to extend the comment period in response to requests for an extension to allow interested persons additional time to submit comments on the proposed rule.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or the Agency) is proposing to amend its regulations to revise and clarify procedures for application holders of an approved drug or biological product to change the product labeling to reflect certain types of newly acquired information in advance of FDA's review of the change. The proposed rule would create parity among application holders with respect to such labeling changes by permitting holders of abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs) to distribute revised product labeling that differs in certain respects, on a temporary basis, from the labeling of its reference listed drug (RLD) upon submission to FDA of a “changes being effected” (CBE-0) supplement. The proposed rule describes the process by which information regarding a CBE-0 labeling supplement submitted by a new drug application (NDA) holder, an ANDA holder, or a biologics license application (BLA) holder would be made publicly available during FDA's review of the labeling change and clarifies requirements for all ANDA holders to submit conforming labeling revisions after FDA has taken an action on the NDA or ANDA holder's CBE-0 labeling supplement. The proposed rule also would amend the regulations to allow submission of a CBE-0 labeling supplement for certain changes to the “Highlights of Prescribing Information” for drug products with labeling in the “Physician Labeling Rule” (PLR) format.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the establishment of a docket to receive comments on the proposed implementation of FDA's Prescription Drug Labeling Improvement and Enhancement Initiative and on a proposed pilot project relating to the voluntary conversion of labeling to the “Physician Labeling Rule (PLR)” format described in the 2006 FDA final rule, “Requirements on Content and Format of Labeling for Human Prescription Drug and Biological Products.” The purpose of the initiative and the pilot project is to enhance the safe and effective use of prescription drugs by facilitating optimal communication through labeling. FDA is seeking public comment on this initiative, and the pilot project, particularly from stakeholders who develop and use prescription drug labeling. Comments received from stakeholders will assist the Agency in identifying and addressing feasibility and implementation issues associated with this initiative.