§20.61. Trade secrets and commercial or financial information which is privileged or confidential. — Inbound Citations

(1) A portion of a meeting closed for the presentation or discussion of information that constitutes a trade secret or confidential commercial or financial information as defined in § 20.61 may be attended only by voting advisory committee members, nonvoting members representing consumer interests who are also special government employees as provided in § 14.80(b), the Designated Federal Officer of the advisory committee, a transcriber, consultants, and such other regular employees of FDA (including members of the Office of the Chief Counsel) as the Chairperson of the advisory committee may invite, and by those persons authorized to be present under § 14.25(c), for presentation of information prohibited from public disclosure. A person making a presentation described in § 14.25(c) may be accompanied by a reasonable number of employees, consultants, or other persons in a commercial arrangement within the meaning of § 20.81(a).

(2) A nonvoting member who is a representative of industry interest may have access to data and information that constitute a trade secret or confidential commercial or financial information as defined in § 20.61 only if the person has been appointed as a special Government employee under § 14.80(b).

(a) A regulatory hearing is public, except when the Commissioner determines that all or part of a hearing should be closed to prevent a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy; to prevent the disclosure of a trade secret or confidential commercial or financial information that is not available for public disclosure under § 20.61; or to protect investigatory records complied for law enforcement purposes that are not available for public disclosure under § 20.64.

(1) The Commissioner may determine that a regulatory hearing is closed either on the Commissioner's initiative or on a request by the party asking for a regulatory hearing, in the request for the hearing.

(2) If the hearing is a private hearing, no persons other than the party requesting the hearing, counsel and witnesses, and an employee or consultant or other person subject to a commercial arrangement as defined in § 20.81(a) and FDA representatives with a direct professional interest in the subject matter of the proceeding are entitled to attend.

(b) When issuing a protective order, the presiding officer may make any order which justice requires to protect a party or person from oppression or undue burden or expense, or to protect trade secrets or confidential commercial information, as defined in § 20.61 of this chapter, information the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, or other information that would be withheld from public disclosure under 21 CFR part 20. Such orders may include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following:

(1) That the discovery not be had;

(2) That the discovery may be had only on specified terms and conditions, including a designation of the time or place;

(3) That the discovery may be had only through a method of discovery provided for by this part other than that requested;

(4) That certain matters not be inquired into, or that the scope of discovery be limited to certain matters;

(5) That the contents of discovery or evidence be sealed;

(6) That the information not be disclosed to the public or be disclosed only in a designated way; or

(7) That the parties simultaneously file specified documents or information enclosed in sealed envelopes to be opened as directed by the presiding officer.

(d) The hearing shall be open to the public unless otherwise ordered by the presiding officer, who may order closure only to protect trade secrets or confidential commercial information, as defined in § 20.61 of this chapter, information the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, or other information that would be withheld from public disclosure under part 20 of this chapter.

(c) The administrative record may be inspected and copied (upon payment of a reasonable fee) by anyone unless otherwise ordered by the presiding officer, who shall upon motion of any party order otherwise when necessary to protect trade secrets or confidential commercial information, as defined in § 20.61 of this chapter, information the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, or other information that would be withheld from public disclosure under part 20.

(b) Upon the awarding of a contract by the Food and Drug Administration, the technical proposal submitted by the successful offeror will be available for public disclosure. All cost proposals and the technical proposals of unsuccessful offerors submitted in response to a request for proposals are exempt from disclosure as confidential commercial or financial information pursuant to § 20.61.

(2) A protocol for a test or study, unless it is shown to fall within the exemption established in § 20.61 for trade secrets and confidential commercial or financial information.

(a) If the report is submitted by the manufacturer, after deletion of data and information falling within the exemptions established in § 20.61 for trade secrets and confidential commercial or financial information and in § 20.63 for personal privacy.

(b) Other computer printouts containing IND and NDA information are available to the extent that they do not reveal data or information prohibited from disclosure under §§ 20.61, 312.130, and 314.430 of this chapter.

(a) Data and information subject to the exemptions established in § 20.61 for trade secrets and confidential commercial or financial information, and in § 20.63 for personal privacy, shall be disclosed only to the persons for the protection of whom these exemptions exist.

Whenever the Food and Drug Administration denies a request for a record or portion thereof on the grounds that the record or portion thereof is exempt from public disclosure as trade secret or confidential commercial or financial data and information under § 20.61, and the person requesting the record subsequently contests the denial in the courts, the Food and Drug Administration will so inform the person affected, i.e., the person who submitted the record, and will require that such person intervene to defend the exempt status of the record. If a court requires the Food and Drug Administration to itemize and index such records, the Food and Drug Administration will so inform the person affected and will require that such person undertake the itemization and indexing of the records. If the affected person fails to intervene to defend the exempt status of the records and to itemize and index the disputed records, the Food and Drug Administration will take this failure into consideration in deciding whether that person has waived such exemption so as to require the Food and Drug Administration to promptly make the records available for public disclosure.

(a) The exemptions established in this subpart shall apply to all Food and Drug Administration records, except as provided in subpart E of this part. Accordingly, a record that is ordinarily available for public disclosure in accordance with the provisions in subpart F of this part or of another regulation cross-referenced in § 20.100(c) is not available for such disclosure to the extent that it falls within an exemption contained in this subpart, except as provided by the limitations on exemptions specified in subpart E of this part. For example, correspondence that is ordinarily disclosable under § 20.103 is not disclosable to the extent that it contains trade secrets exempt from disclosure under § 20.61 and is not subject to discretionary release under § 20.82.

(c) Requests for deletion of business or product names prior to disclosure of any record to the public shall not be granted on the ground of privacy, but such deletion may be justified under another exemption established in this subpart, e.g., the exemption for trade secrets and confidential commercial or financial information under § 20.61.

(1) Exempt from public disclosure pursuant to § 20.61.

(1) Investigatory records compiled for law enforcement purposes by State and local government officials who perform counterpart functions to the Food and Drug Administration at the State and local level, and trade secrets and confidential commercial or financial information obtained by such officials, which are voluntarily disclosed to the Food and Drug Administration as part of cooperative law enforcement and regulatory efforts, shall be exempt from public disclosure to the same extent to which the records would be so exempt pursuant to §§ 20.61 and 20.64, as if they had been prepared by or submitted directly to Food and Drug Administration employees, except that investigatory records shall be exempt from disclosure for a longer period of time if the State or local government officials so require as a condition of their furnishing the information to the Food and Drug Administration.

(a) Investigatory records compiled for law enforcement purposes by foreign government officials who perform counterpart functions to the Food and Drug Administration in a foreign country, and trade secrets and confidential commercial or financial information obtained by such officials, which are voluntarily disclosed to the Food and Drug Administration as part of cooperative law enforcement and regulatory efforts, shall be exempt from public disclosure to the same extent to which the records would be so exempt pursuant to §§ 20.61 and 20.64, as if they had been prepared by or submitted directly to Food and Drug Administration employees, except that investigatory records shall be exempt from disclosure for a longer period of time if the foreign government officials so require as a condition of their furnishing the information to the Food and Drug Administration.

(2) A protocol for a test or study, unless it is shown to fall within the exemption established for trade secrets and confidential commercial information in § 20.61 of this chapter.

(i) Information contained in State notification letters shall be exempt from public disclosure to the same extent to which such information would be so exempt pursuant to §§ 20.61, 20.64, and 20.88 of this chapter.

(k) The following information submitted to the Food and Drug Administration under this section is not available for public disclosure unless it has been previously disclosed to the public as defined in § 20.81 of this chapter or it relates to a product or ingredient that has been abandoned and no longer represents a trade secret or confidential commercial or financial information as defined in § 20.61 of this chapter:

(2) Production, sales, distribution, and similar information, except that any compilation of the information aggregated and prepared in a way that does not reveal information which is not available for public disclosure under this provision is available for public disclosure.

(1) All records required by this part are not available for public disclosure unless they have been previously disclosed to the public, as defined in § 20.81 of this chapter, or unless they relate to a product or ingredient that has been abandoned and no longer represent a trade secret or confidential commercial or financial information as defined in § 20.61 of this chapter.

(1) Subject to the limitations in paragraph (d)(2) of this section, all plans and records required by this part are not available for public disclosure unless they have been previously disclosed to the public as defined in § 20.81 of this chapter or they relate to a product or ingredient that has been abandoned and they no longer represent a trade secret or confidential commercial or financial information as defined in § 20.61 of this chapter.

(2) A protocol for a test or study, unless it is exempt from disclosure under § 20.61 of this chapter.

(ii) A protocol for a test or study, unless it is shown to fall within the exemption established for trade secrets and confidential commercial information in § 20.61 of this chapter.

(2) The names of any inactive ingredients submitted under § 207.49(a)(4) for which the registrant makes a valid assertion of confidentiality under § 20.61 of this chapter or other provision of law, or

(3) A protocol for a test or study, unless it is shown to fall within the exemption established for trade secrets and confidential commercial information in § 20.61.

(vii) A status report of each postmarketing study of the drug product concerning clinical safety, clinical efficacy, clinical pharmacology, and nonclinical toxicology that is required by FDA (e.g., accelerated approval clinical benefit studies, pediatric studies) or that the applicant has committed, in writing, to conduct either at the time of approval of an application for the drug product or a supplement to an application, or after approval of the application or a supplement. For pediatric studies, the status report shall include a statement indicating whether postmarketing clinical studies in pediatric populations were required by FDA under § 201.23 of this chapter. The status of these postmarketing studies shall be reported annually until FDA notifies the applicant, in writing, that the agency concurs with the applicant's determination that the study commitment has been fulfilled or that the study is either no longer feasible or would no longer provide useful information.

(a) Content of status report. The following information must be provided for each postmarketing study reported under this paragraph:

(1) Applicant's name.

(2) Product name. Include the approved drug product's established name and proprietary name, if any.

(3) NDA, ANDA, and supplement number.

(4) Date of U.S. approval of NDA or ANDA.

(5) Date of postmarketing study commitment.

(6) Description of postmarketing study commitment. The description must include sufficient information to uniquely describe the study. This information may include the purpose of the study, the type of study, the patient population addressed by the study and the indication(s) and dosage(s) that are to be studied.

(7) Schedule for completion and reporting of the postmarketing study commitment. The schedule should include the actual or projected dates for submission of the study protocol to FDA, completion of patient accrual or initiation of an animal study, completion of the study, submission of the final study report to FDA, and any additional milestones or submissions for which projected dates were specified as part of the commitment. In addition, it should include a revised schedule, as appropriate. If the schedule has been previously revised, provide both the original schedule and the most recent, previously submitted revision.

(8) Current status of the postmarketing study commitment. The status of each postmarketing study should be categorized using one of the following terms that describes the study's status on the anniversary date of U.S. approval of the application or other agreed upon date:

(i) Pending. The study has not been initiated, but does not meet the criterion for delayed.

(ii) Ongoing. The study is proceeding according to or ahead of the original schedule described under paragraph (b)(2)(vii)(a)(7) of this section.

(iii) Delayed. The study is behind the original schedule described under paragraph (b)(2)(vii)(a)(7) of this section.

(iv) Terminated. The study was ended before completion but a final study report has not been submitted to FDA.

(v) Submitted. The study has been completed or terminated and a final study report has been submitted to FDA.

(9) Explanation of the study's status. Provide a brief description of the status of the study, including the patient accrual rate (expressed by providing the number of patients or subjects enrolled to date, and the total planned enrollment), and an explanation of the study's status identified under paragraph (b)(2)(vii)(a)(8) of this section. If the study has been completed, include the date the study was completed and the date the final study report was submitted to FDA, as applicable. Provide a revised schedule, as well as the reason(s) for the revision, if the schedule under paragraph (b)(2)(vii)(a)(7) of this section has changed since the last report.

(b) Public disclosure of information. Except for the information described in this paragraph, FDA may publicly disclose any information described in paragraph (b)(2)(vii) of this section, concerning a postmarketing study, if the agency determines that the information is necessary to identify the applicant or to establish the status of the study, including the reasons, if any, for failure to conduct, complete, and report the study. Under this section, FDA will not publicly disclose trade secrets, as defined in § 20.61 of this chapter, or information, described in § 20.63 of this chapter, the disclosure of which would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.

(b) Any notification establishing, amending, or revoking an import tolerance will be made publicly available. A summary of the basis for the decision will be publicly released in accordance with the provisions of part 20 of this chapter. If FDA determines that the new animal drug referred to in the request is a new animal drug that induces cancer when ingested by people or animals, and the requester complies with the requirements of §§ 500.80 through 500.92 of this chapter (Subpart E, Regulation of Carcinogenic Compounds Used in Food-Producing Animals), the regulatory method for ascertaining the marker residue in the target tissue will be made publicly available. All information and safety data submitted with the request, or previously submitted information incorporated in, and considered as part of, a request on the basis of specific reference to such information, shall be available for public disclosure, also in accordance with the provisions of part 20 of this chapter. Trade secrets and confidential commercial or financial information are exempted from release under § 20.61 of this chapter.

(3) A protocol for a test or study, unless it is shown to fall within the exemption established for trade secrets and confidential commercial information in § 20.61 of this chapter.

(e) Sales and distribution data and information reported under this section will be considered to fall within the exemption for confidential commercial information established in § 20.61 of this chapter and will not be publicly disclosed, except that summary reports of such information aggregated in such a way that does not reveal information that is not available for public disclosure under this provision will be prepared by FDA and made available to the public as provided in paragraph (f) of this section.

(3) A protocol for a test or study, unless it is shown to fall within the exemption established for trade secrets and confidential commercial information in § 20.61 of this chapter.

(ii) A protocol for a test or study, unless it is shown to fall within the exemption established for trade secrets and confidential commercial information in § 20.61 of this chapter.

(2) FDA may choose not to make information collected to implement this paragraph available on the biological product shortages list or available under section 506C(c) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 356c(c)) if FDA determines that disclosure of such information would adversely affect the public health (such as by increasing the possibility of hoarding or other disruption of the availability of the biological product to patients). FDA will also not provide information on the public shortages list or under section 506C(c) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act that is protected by 18 U.S.C. 1905 or 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4), including trade secrets and commercial or financial information that is considered confidential or privileged under § 20.61 of this chapter.

(2) A protocol for a test or study, unless it is shown to fall within the exemption established for trade secrets and confidential commercial or financial information in § 20.61 of this chapter.

(e) Except for the information described in this paragraph, FDA may publicly disclose any information concerning a postmarketing study, within the meaning of this section, if the agency determines that the information is necessary to identify an applicant or to establish the status of the study including the reasons, if any, for failure to conduct, complete, and report the study. Under this section, FDA will not publicly disclose trade secrets, as defined in § 20.61 of this chapter, or information, described in § 20.63 of this chapter, the disclosure of which would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.

(g) A final determination that an ingredient is not a trade secret within the meaning of § 20.61 of this chapter constitutes final Agency action that is subject to judicial review under 5 U.S.C. Chapter 7. If suit is brought within 30 calendar days after such a determination, FDA will not disclose the records involved or require that the disputed ingredient or ingredients be disclosed in labeling until the matter is finally determined in the courts. If suit is not brought within 30 calendar days after a final determination that an ingredient is not a trade secret within the meaning of § 20.61 of this chapter, the records involved will be available for public disclosure in accordance with part 20 of this chapter.

(1) Any information that constitutes trade secret or confidential commercial or financial information under § 20.61 of this chapter;

(1) Any information that constitutes trade secret or confidential commercial or financial information under § 20.61 of this chapter; and

(p) 510(k) statement means a statement, made under section 513(i) of the act, asserting that all information in a premarket notification submission regarding safety and effectiveness will be made available within 30 days of request by any person if the device described in the premarket notification submission is determined to be substantially equivalent. The information to be made available will be a duplicate of the premarket notification submission, including any adverse safety and effectiveness information, but excluding all patient identifiers, and trade secret or confidential commercial information, as defined in § 20.61 of this chapter.

(c) The information provided to requestors will be a duplicate of the premarket notification submission, including any adverse information, but excluding all patient identifiers, and trade secret and confidential commercial information as defined in § 20.61 of this chapter.

Data and information submitted under § 809.10(c) that are shown to fall within the exemption established in § 20.61 of this chapter shall be treated as confidential by the Food and Drug Administration and any person to whom the data and information are referred. The Food and Drug Administration will determine whether information submitted will be treated as confidential in accordance with the provisions of part 20 of this chapter.

(2) Any protocol for a test or study unless the protocol is shown to constitute trade secret or confidential commercial or financial information under § 20.61.

(2) Thirty days after publication of a final regulation under § 860.84 classifying a device into class I or class II, safety and effectiveness data submitted for that device that had been regarded as confidential under paragraph (c)(1) of this section will be available for public disclosure and placed on public display in the office of the Dockets Management Staff, Food and Drug Administration unless, within that 30-day period, the person who submitted the data demonstrates that the data still fall within the exemption for trade secrets and confidential commercial information described in § 20.61 of this chapter. Safety and effectiveness data submitted for a device that is classified into class III by regulation in accordance with § 860.84 will remain confidential and unavailable for public disclosure so long as such data have not been disclosed to the public as described in § 20.81 of this chapter.

(1) If including a health information summary with the SE Report, the applicant must provide a copy of the full SE Report that excludes research subject identifiers and trade secret and confidential commercial information as defined in §§ 20.61 and 20.63 of this chapter; and either

(i) Provide accurate, complete, and not false or misleading, additional health information, including information, research, or data about adverse health effects, that the applicant has or knows about concerning the new tobacco product that is not contained in the SE Report; or

(ii) “Applicant does not have or know of any additional health information, including information, research or data regarding adverse health effects, about the new tobacco product that is the subject of this SE Report.”

(a) Except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, the applicant may submit an amendment to an SE Report in accordance with subpart C of this part. If an applicant chose to submit a health information summary with its SE Report under § 1107.18(j)(1), the applicant must submit with the amendment a redacted copy of the amendment that excludes research subject identifiers and trade secret and confidential commercial information as defined in §§ 20.61 and 20.63 of this chapter.

(2) Any protocol for a test or study, except to the extent it is shown to fall within the exemption established for trade secrets and confidential commercial information in § 20.61 of this chapter;

(2) Any protocol for a test or study, unless it is shown to fall within the exemption established for trade secrets and confidential commercial information in § 20.61 of this chapter;

(e) The Food and Drug Administration will inform the requestor by letter whether the specific food-contact application is exempt from regulation as a food additive or not. Although a substance that migrates to food at a level that results in a dietary concentration at or below the threshold of regulation will not be the subject of a regulation published in the Federal Register and will not appear in the Code of Federal Regulations, the Food and Drug Administration will maintain a list of substances exempted from regulation as food additives under this section on display at the Dockets Management Staff. This list will include the name of the company that made the request, the chemical name of the substance, the specific use for which it has received an exemption from regulation as a food additive, and any appropriate limitations on its use. The list will not include any trade names. This list will enable interested persons to see the types of uses of food-contact materials being exempted under the regulation. Interested persons may also obtain a copy of the list of exempted substances by contacting the Food and Drug Administration's Office of Food Additive Safety (HFS-200), 5001 Campus Dr., College Park, MD 20740. For actions requiring an environmental assessment, the agency's finding of no significant impact and the evidence supporting that finding, contained in the petitioner's environmental assessment, also will be available for public inspection at the Dockets Management Staff in accordance with § 25.51(b)(2) of this chapter. Requests for copies of releasable information contained in submissions requesting exemptions from the food additive regulations will be handled in accordance with the Food and Drug Administration's Freedom of Information Act procedures, as described in part 20 of this chapter. In particular, data and information that fall within the definitions of a trade secret or confidential commercial or financial information are not available for public disclosure in accordance with § 20.61(c) of this chapter.