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  6. Charter of the Blood Products Advisory Committee
  1. Blood Products Advisory Committee

Charter of the Blood Products Advisory Committee

COMMITTEE’S OFFICIAL DESIGNATION
Blood Products Advisory Committee

AUTHORITY
The Blood Products Advisory Committee (the Committee) is established under 15 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.; 21 U.S.C. 321, 341, 342, 343, 343-1, 344, 345, 346, 348, 349, 350, 350a, 351, 352, 353(f), 355, 355h, 360b, 360c-j, 371, 375, 376, 378, 379e, 381, 393, 394, 881(b); 42 U.S.C. 217a, 241, 242, 242a, 262, 264; 21 CFR Part 14, and is governed by the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, (5 U.S.C. 1001 et seq).

OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE OF ACTIVITIES
The Committee advises the Commissioner of Food and Drugs or designee in discharging responsibilities as they relate to helping to ensure safe and effective drugs and biologic products for human use and as required, any other product for which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has regulatory responsibility.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES
The Committee reviews and evaluates available data concerning the safety, effectiveness, and appropriate use of blood, products derived from blood and serum or biotechnology which are intended for use in the diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of human diseases, and as required, any other product for which the FDA has regulatory responsibility. The Committee also advises the Commissioner of Food and Drugs of its findings regarding screening and testing (to determine eligibility) of donors and labeling of the products, on clinical and laboratory studies involving such products, on the affirmation or revocation of biological products licenses, and on the quality and relevance of FDA's research program which provides the scientific support for regulating these agents. The Committee will function at times as a medical device panel under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act Medical Device Amendments of 1976. As such, the Committee recommends classification of devices subject to its review into regulatory categories; recommends the assignment of a priority for the application of regulatory requirements for devices classified in the standards or premarket approval category; advises on formulation of product development protocols and reviews premarket approval applications for those devices to recommend changes in classification as appropriate; recommends exemption of certain devices from the application of portions of the Act; advises on the necessity to ban a device; and responds to requests from the Agency to review and make recommendations on specific issues or problems concerning the safety and effectiveness of devices.

AGENCY OR OFFICIAL TO WHOM THE COMMITTEE REPORTS
The Committee provides advice to the Commissioner of Food and Drugs.

SUPPORT
Management and support services shall be provided by the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

ESTIMATED ANNUAL OPERATING COSTS AND STAFF YEARS
The estimated annual cost for operating the Committee, including compensation and travel expenses for members but excluding staff support, is $168,111. The estimated person years of staff support required is 2.5, at an estimated annual cost of $500,175.

DESIGNATED FEDERAL OFFICER
FDA will select a full-time or permanent part-time Federal employee to serve as the Designated Federal Officer (DFO) to attend each Committee meeting and ensure that all procedures are within applicable statutory, regulatory, and HHS General Administration Manual directives. The DFO will approve and prepare all meeting agendas, call all the Committee and subcommittee meetings, adjourn any meeting when the DFO determines adjournment to be in the public interest and chair meetings when directed to do so by the official to whom the Committee reports. The DFO shall be present at all meetings of the full committee and subcommittees.

ESTIMATED NUMBER AND FREQUENCY OF MEETINGS
Meetings shall be held approximately three times a year. Meetings shall be open to the public except as determined otherwise by the Commissioner or designee in accordance with the Government in the Sunshine Act (5 U.S.C. 552b(c)) and the Federal Advisory Committee Act. Notice of all meetings shall be given to the public.

DURATION
Continuing

TERMINATION
Unless renewed by appropriate action the Blood Products Advisory Committee will terminate two years from the date the charter is filed.

MEMBERSHIP AND DESIGNATION
The Committee shall consist of a core of fifteen voting members including the Chair. Members and the Chair are selected by the Commissioner or designee from among authorities knowledgeable in the fields of clinical and administrative medicine, hematology, immunology, blood banking, surgery, internal medicine, biochemistry, engineering, biological and physical sciences, biotechnology, computer technology, statistics, epidemiology, sociology/ethics, and other related professions. Members will be invited to serve for overlapping terms of up to four years. Non-Federal members of this committee will serve either as Special Government Employees or non-voting representatives. Federal members will serve as Regular Government Employees or Ex-Officios. The core of voting members may include one technically qualified member, selected by the Commissioner or designee, who is identified with consumer interests and is recommended by either a consortium of consumer-oriented organizations or other interested persons. In addition to the voting members, the Committee may include one non-voting representative member who is identified with industry interests. There may also be an alternate industry representative.

The Commissioner or designee shall have the authority to select members of other scientific and technical FDA advisory committees (normally not to exceed 10 members) to serve temporarily as voting members and to designate consultants to serve temporarily as voting members when: (1) expertise is required that is not available among current voting standing members of the Committee (when additional voting members are added to the Committee to provide needed expertise, a quorum will be based on the combined total of regular and added members), or (2) to comprise a quorum when, because of unforeseen circumstances, a quorum is or will be lacking. Because of the size of the Committee and the variety in the types of issues that it will consider, FDA may, in connection with a particular committee meeting, specify a quorum that is less than majority of the current voting members. The Agency's regulations (21 CFR §14.22(d)) authorize a committee charter to specify quorum requirements.

If functioning as a medical device panel, an additional non-voting representative member of consumer interests and an additional non-voting representative member of industry interests will be included in addition to the voting members.

SUBCOMMITTEE
Temporary subcommittees consisting of two or more Committee members may be established by the Commissioner or designee as needed to address specific issues within their respective areas of expertise.

Subcommittees make preliminary recommendations to the full Committee regarding specific issues for subsequent action by the full Committee. The Department Committee Management Officer shall be notified upon establishment of each subcommittee, and shall be provided information on its name, membership, function, and estimated frequency of meetings. Subcommittees must report back to the parent committee and must not provide advice or work products directly to the agency.

RECORDKEEPING
Meetings of the Committee and its subcommittees will be conducted according to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, other applicable laws, and Departmental policies. Committee and subcommittee records will be handled in accordance with General Records Schedule 6.2, Federal Advisory Committee Records, or other approved Agency records disposition schedule. These records will be available for public inspection and copying, subject to the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552.

FILING DATE
May 13, 2024

APPROVED:
April 17, 2024
Date

-S-
Rachel Bressler
Acting Director, Advisory Committee Oversight and Management Staff

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