Description
The purpose of this guidance is to provide recommendations to sponsors interested in studying multiple versions of a cellular or gene therapy product in an early-phase clinical trial for a single disease. Sponsors have expressed interest in gathering preliminary evidence of safety and activity using multiple versions of a cellular or gene therapy product in a single clinical trial. Although multiple versions of a product can be studied together in a single clinical trial, each version of the product is distinct and is generally submitted to FDA in a separate investigational new drug application (IND). The objective of these early-phase clinical studies is to guide which version(s) of the product to pursue for further development in later-phase studies. Thus, these studies are not intended to provide primary evidence of effectiveness to support a marketing application and generally are not adequately powered to demonstrate a statistically significant difference in efficacy between the study arms. In this guidance, we, FDA, provide recommendations for studies that evaluate multiple versions of a cellular or gene therapy product, including how to organize and structure the INDs, submit new information, and report adverse events. This guidance finalizes the draft guidance of the same title dated September 2021.
Key Topics
Terms and concepts identified from this document
Scope & Applicability
Product Classes
3Additional considerations may exist for cellular therapies.
A type of ATMP involving recombinant nucleic acids or viral vectors.
The scope of the guidance regarding versions of products.
Stakeholders
3Entity responsible for submitting applications under section 524B
External entity responsible for manufacturing activities
Institutional Review Board providing study approvals
Regulatory Context
Regulatory Activities
3Investigational New Drug submissions
discuss these considerations with OTP prior to the IND submission as part of a pre-IND meeting
Initial Targeted Engagement for Regulatory Advice on CBER Products meeting type.; INitial Targeted Engagement for Regulatory Advice on CBER/CDER ProducTs
Document Types
3Single trial infrastructure used in umbrella trials
Must include summary of pharmacogenomic associations.
Reporting category for minor changes like removing a color additive
Attributes
2Cell source attribute for mesenchymal stromal cell products.
Cell source attribute for mesenchymal stromal cell products.
Technical Details
Substances
5Example of a product version (CAR T cell)
Example of a cellular product version change from bulk to purified CD8+.
Example of a cellular product version change involving pulsing with peptides.
Example of a cellular product version change involving cell source.
Example of a cell bank change to produce the same cell type.
Processes
2Manufacturing process change from serum-containing to serum-free media.
Manufacturing process change from adherent to suspension.
Clinical Concepts
3Scope of the guidance is limited to early-phase studies
derivation in a simple case that power can be increased with disproportionately greater randomization
Reporting adverse events when engaging with patients.; changes may be related to benefits, tolerability, and/or unintended effects
Standards & References
Specifications
1electronic common technical document format for IND submissions
Related CFR Sections (5)
- 21CFR312.40§ 312.40 General requirements for use of an investigational new drug in a clinical investigation.
(a) An investigational new drug may be used in a clinical investigation if the following conditions are met:Read full regulation →
- 21CFR56.103§ 56.103 Circumstances in which IRB review is required.
(a) Except as provided in §§ 56.104 and 56.105 , any clinical investigation which must meet the requirements for prior submission (as required in parts 312, 812, and 813) to the Food and Drug Administration shall not be initiated unless that investigation has been reviewed and approved by, and remaiRead full regulation →
- 21CFR312.42§ 312.42 Clinical holds and requests for modification.
(a) General. A clinical hold is an order issued by FDA to the sponsor to delay a proposed clinical investigation or to suspend an ongoing investigation. The clinical hold order may apply to one or more of the investigations covered by an IND. When a proposed study is placed on clinical hold, subjectRead full regulation →
- 21CFR312.32§ 312.32 IND safety reporting.
(a) Definitions. The following definitions of terms apply to this section:Read full regulation →
- 21CFR312.33§ 312.33 Annual reports.
A sponsor shall within 60 days of the anniversary date that the IND went into effect, submit a brief report of the progress of the investigation that includes:Read full regulation →
Enforcement Impact
Deficiencies cited in Warning Letters referencing the same regulations
Related Warning Letters (1)
Related MFDS Guidelines
Korean regulatory guidelines covering similar topics
See Also (8)
- Preparation of IDEs and INDs for Products Intended to Repair or Replace Knee Cartilage: Guidance for Industry (Status: Final)
- Master Protocols: Efficient Clinical Trial Design Strategies to Expedite Development of Oncology Drugs and Biologics Guidance for Industry: Guidance for Industry (Status: Final)
- Expansion Cohorts: Use in First-In-Human Clinical Trials to Expedite Development of Oncology Drugs and Biologics Guidance for Industry: Guidance for Industry (Status: Final)
- Institutional Review Board (IRB) Review of Individual Patient Expanded Access Submissions for Investigational Drugs and Biological Products: Guidance for IRBs and Clinical Investigators (Status: Final)
- Research Involving Children as Subjects and Not Otherwise Approvable by an Institutional Review Board: Process for Referrals to Food and Drug Administration and Office for Human Research Protections: Draft Guidance for Institutional Review Boards, Investigators, and Sponsors (Status: Draft)
- Expanded Access to Investigational Drugs for Treatment Use: Questions and Answers (Status: Final)
- Content and Format of Investigational New Drug Applications (INDs) for Phase 1 Studies of Drugs, Including Well-Characterized, Therapeutic, Biotechnology-derived Products: Guidance for Industry (Status: Final)
- PHS Guideline on Infectious Disease Issues in Xenotransplantation: PHS Guideline (Status: Final)