Developing a Consensus Voice: The Combination Products Policy Council

Posted on April 6, 2016 by FDA Voice

By: Nina L. Hunter, Ph.D., and Rachel E. Sherman, M.D., M.P.H.

We recently announced the launch of lean process mapping to build a better system for combination products review – one that is more cohesive, more collaborative, more systematic, and more predictable. We look forward to providing an update on this effort soon.

Nina L. Hunter, Ph.D., FDA’s Associate Director for Science Policy in the Office of Medical Products and Tobacco

In the meantime, we’re delighted to announce the creation of FDA’s first Combination Products Policy Council. Building on successful cross-cutting efforts such as the Biosimilars Implementation Committee and the Medical Policy Counsel in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), the Council will be a senior-level, agency-wide forum for discussing, resolving, and implementing product and policy issues. Because of the multiple FDA organizations involved, this council will have decisional authority on issues relating tocombination products, cross-labeled products, and medical product classification.

The different parts of a combination product and the different product types labeled for use together in premarket applications for combination products and cross-labeled products can create complexities for reviewers and require expertise from multiple centers.

Rachel E. Sherman, M.D., M.P.H., is FDA’s Associate Deputy Commissioner in the Office of Medical Products and Tobacco

Currently, the lead center manages the review process using procedures associated with the center-specific application type and user fee goal dates. But differences in statutory and regulatory requirements for different application types, including evidentiary standards, data requirements, and review limitations, make it challenging to coordinate reviews and ensure alignment and consistency in addressing issues across centers.

In response to these complexities, we are creating a key component in the Office of the Commissioner that can convene parties across centers, foster understanding and consistent application of requirements, and develop a unified FDA position on issues that arise. Although this process will not replace the existing formal appeal process, we anticipate that many issues can be resolved before reaching that stage.

Council Mission

Modernize the inter-center consultation process and related aspects of combination product and cross-labeled product review;
Promote development of innovative, safe, and effective combination products and cross-labeled products; and
Promote alignment in addressing challenging medical product classification issues.

The Council will be composed of representatives from relevant centers and offices. In addition, experts from within centers and other FDA offices will provide expertise as needed for specific policy topics under consideration.

In addition to serving as a communications hub, the Council will be involved in the development of agency-wide and external communications such as draft guidances, publications, and blog posts on policy decisions. FDA envisions a variety of topics may be relevant for consideration by the Council, including such “front-burner” items as product jurisdiction and designation practices, application of evidentiary standards for clearance/approval to combination products and cross-labeled products, and regulation of novel products.

We’ve heard that many stakeholders desire a voice in modernizing the combination review program, and we’re listening! In addition to the topics listed above, one of the Council’s priorities will be to consider how best to seek input from external stakeholders on various issues. We would hope that such comments include policy issues recommended for discussion and recommendations on how the policy issue could be addressed or implemented.

We are confident that the Council’s efforts will ensure transparency and consistency in our approach to combination product policy development and implementation, ultimately helping to ensure that innovative combination products marketed to the American people are safe, effective, and appropriately labeled. We look forward to providing updates about the Council, as well as additional modernization efforts in this important area.

Nina L. Hunter, Ph.D., is FDA’s Associate Director for Science Policy in the Office of Medical Products and Tobacco

Rachel E. Sherman, M.D., M.P.H., is FDA’s Associate Deputy Commissioner in the Office of Medical Products and Tobacco and the Chairperson of the Council