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Institutional Review Boards Frequently Asked Questions: Guidance for Institutional Review Boards and Clinical Investigators

FinalOffice of the Commissioner,Office of the Chief Medical Officer,Office of Clinical Policy02/05/2025

Description

The following is a compilation of answers to questions asked of FDA regarding the protection of human subjects of research. For ease of reference, the numbers assigned to the questions are consecutive throughout this section. These questions and answers are organized as follows.

Scope & Applicability

Product Classes

3
Radioactive Drug

Includes radioactive biological products labeled with a radionuclide; Compounds with radionuclides used in research studies.; Drugs labeled with a radionuclide used in research.; Drugs labeled with radionuclides used in human research.; subject of the guidance and dose limits; Drugs used in basic science research under 21 CFR 361.1.; Subject of the RDRC review and checklist

In Vitro Diagnostic Product

IVDs requiring UDI on labels

Medical Device

FDA intends to assess device cybersecurity based on a number of factors; demonstrate or maintain its safety and effectiveness; ensuring cybersecurity has become essential to FDA’s ability to protect the public health; Cyber-resiliency capabilities for medical devices

Stakeholders

3
Legally Authorized Representative

Person who may give consent on behalf of a participant

Clinical Investigator

Veterinarian responsible for selecting anesthetic regimens and conducting field studies

Institutional Review Board

Governs top dose in clinical studies

Identified Hazards

Hazards

1
Conflict of Interest

Must be disclosed and certified against by expert panel members.

Related CFR Sections (6)

Related Warning Letters (10)

  • Clinical Investigator

    Shirish M. Gadgeel, M.D.

    2025-09-09
  • Clinical Investigator

    Mark J. Savant, M.D

    2025-07-15
  • Bioresearch Monitoring Program/Institutional Review Board (IRB)

    United Health Products, Inc.

    2025-05-20
  • Clinical Investigator

    Americo F. Padilla, M.D.

    2025-03-25
  • Institutional Review Board (IRB)

    Armstrong County Memorial Hospital

    2024-11-05
  • Clinical Investigator

    Namita A. Goyal, M.D.

    2024-10-22
  • Institutional Review Board (IRB)

    Louisiana State University Health Science Center IRB

    2024-10-08
  • Bioresearch Monitoring Program/IRB

    Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT

    2024-07-16
  • Clinical Investigator (Sponsor)

    Angela D. Ritter, M.D.

    2024-06-18
  • Institutional Review Board (IRB)

    New York State Psychiatric Institute IRB

    2024-03-26

See Also (8)

Institutional Review Boards Frequently Asked Questions: Guidance for Institutional Review Boards and Clinical Investigators | Guideline Explorer | BioRegHub