By Mason Weeda
FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (“CDRH”) and Center Biologics Evaluation and Research (“CBER”) recently published a new draft guidance entitled “Acceptance of Medical Device Clinical Data from Studies Conducted Outside the United States [(“OUS”)] (“Draft Guidance”) (available here). With this Draft Guidance, FDA aims to minimize the possibility for additional or duplicative U.S. studies, to harmonize global clinical trial standards, and to promote public health and innovation.
The Draft Guidance adds to a myriad of policies, statutory and regulatory provisions, and proposed rules on OUS studies, including:
- FDCA § 569B (or 21 U.S.C. § 360bbb-8) which requires FDA to accept data from clinical investigations conducted OUS, in deciding whether to approve or clear a device. Pursuant to §569B, if FDA finds that such data are inadequate under applicable standards to support clearance or approval of the device, then FDA must provide the sponsor with written notice of the finding and FDA’s rationale.
- 21 C.F.R. § 814.15 which provides that OUS clinical study data submitted in support of a Premarket Approval Application (“PMA”) and conducted under an Investigational Device Exemption (“IDE”) shall comply with Part 812. If an OUS study in support of a PMA is not conducted under an IDE, FDA will accept studies which have been conducted outside the United States and begun after November 18, 1986, “if the data are valid and the investigator has conducted the studies in conformance with the ‘Declaration of Helsinki’ or the laws and regulations of the country in which the research is conducted, whichever accords greater protection to the human subjects.” If relying on a study that started before November 19, 1986, FDA must be satisfied that “the data are scientifically valid and that the rights, safety, and welfare of human subjects have not been violated.” A PMA based solely on foreign clinical data and otherwise meeting the criteria for approval under this part may be approved if the foreign data are: “applicable to the U.S. population and U.S. medical practice;” “have been performed by clinical investigators of recognized competence;” and “considered valid without the need for an on-site inspection by FDA or… FDA can validate the data through an on-site inspection or other appropriate means.”
- Proposed Rulemaking. Over two years ago, FDA published a proposed rule on “Human Subject Protection; Acceptance of Data from Clinical Studies for Medical Devices.” The proposed rule, when finalized, would require that foreign clinical studies in support of PMAs, IDEs, HDEs and 510(k)s be conducted in accordance with good clinical practice (“GCP”).
- 2001 Guidance. In March 2001, FDA issued guidance on acceptance of foreign clinical studies titled “Guidance for Industry-Acceptance of Foreign Clinical Studies”, which describes the acceptance of foreign clinical studies in support of an application for marketing approval of human drugs, medical devices and biological products. This guidance merely clarifies that FDA incorporated the 1989 Declaration of Helsinki in its regulation governing investigational drug trials conducted in foreign countries and that it was not amending the regulation to incorporate the 2000 amendments to the Declaration.
The Draft Guidance elaborates on FDA’s regulation and provides some insight on what FDA may focus on when evaluating the adequacy of an OUS study. Not surprisingly, FDA makes it clear that sponsors should seek input from FDA prior to initiating an OUS device study to ensure that it will generate adequate and valid scientific data. The Draft Guidance essentially provides three primary considerations related to relying on OUS clinical data:
- Differences in study populations. To the extent a device has disparate safety effects in different demographic groups, differences in the race, ethnicity, age, gender and sex of a foreign population can affect the applicability of the study to the intended U.S. population. Reporting on the representation of such groups in the device submission allows appropriate sub-group analyses. The foreign population and the intended U.S. patient populations may also differ in the prevalence of clinical factors that can affect risks of an intervention as well as clinical response.
- Differences in clinical conditions. Differences in OUS clinical conditions versus those in the U.S. can affect the relevance of the data to the intended U.S. population. OUS countries may have different standards of care, clinical facilities, or levels of clinical skill which can cause OUS data to not be generalized to U.S. clinical practice and which can impact the data’s usefulness in supporting the safety and/or effectiveness of the device.
- Differences in regulatory requirements. When studies conducted OUS are initiated to satisfy the requirements of foreign countries, the studies may not be designed to address the questions necessary to satisfy FDA requirements.
The Draft Guidance provides a number of useful examples that demonstrate the application of the above considerations. Although the proposed rulemaking on “Acceptance of Data from Clinical Studies for Medical Devices” is not yet final, the Draft Guidance concludes by highlighting the importance of GCP. It states that “showing compliance with GCP is one way sponsors of device applications may be able to show that their OUS data comply with applicable FDA requirements.” FDA’s requirements for IDE studies address GCPs through applicable regulations, such as 21 C.F.R. Part 50, 54, 56 and 812. The Draft Guidance also provides that FDA considers the following two standards to be GCP principles that articulate ethical and policy standards for OUS clinical trials:
- ICH E6, “Good Clinical Practice: Consolidated Guidance,” and
- ISO 14155 “Clinical Investigation Of Medical Devices For Human Subjects – [GCP]”
FDA is requesting comments on the Draft Guidance before it begins work on the final guidance. The Agency will be accepting comments until July 21, 2015.
