Act of June 25, 1938, ch. V, subch. E, sec. 565B (as amended)
MEDICAL COUNTERMEASURE MASTER FILES.
SEC. 565B. [360bbb-4b] MEDICAL COUNTERMEASURE MASTER FILES.
(a) Applicability of Reference.—
(1) In general.—A person may submit data and information in a master file to the Secretary with the intent to
reference, or to authorize, in writing, another person to reference, such
data or information to support a medical countermeasure submission
(including a supplement or amendment to any such submission), without
requiring the master file holder to disclose the data and information to
any such persons authorized to reference the master file. Such data and
information shall be available for reference by the master file holder or
by a person authorized by the master file holder, in accordance with
applicable privacy and confidentiality protocols and regulations.
(2) Reference of certain master files.—In the case that data or information within a medical countermeasure master file is used only to
support the conditional approval of an application filed under section
571, such master file may be relied upon to support the effectiveness of a
product that is the subject of a subsequent medical countermeasure
submission only if such application is supplemented by additional data or
information to support review and approval in a manner consistent with the
standards applicable to such review and approval for such countermeasure,
qualified countermeasure, or qualified pandemic or epidemic product.
(b) Medical Countermeasure Master File Content.—
(1) In general.—A master file under this section may include data or information to support—
(A) the development of medical countermeasure submissions to support the approval, licensure,
classification, clearance, conditional approval, or authorization of one
or more security countermeasures, qualified countermeasures, or qualified
pandemic or epidemic products; and
(B) the manufacture of security countermeasures, qualified countermeasures, or qualified pandemic or
epidemic products.
(2) Required updates.—The Secretary may require, as appropriate, that the master file holder ensure that the contents of
such master file are updated during the time such master file is
referenced for a medical countermeasure submission.
(c) Sponsor Reference.—
(1) In general.—Each incorporation of data or information within a medical countermeasure master file shall
describe the incorporated material in a manner in which the Secretary
determines appropriate and that permits the review of such information
within such master file without necessitating resubmission of such data or
information. Master files shall be submitted in an electronic format in
accordance with sections 512(b)(4), 571(a)(4), and 745A, as applicable,
and as specified in applicable guidance.
(2) Reference by a master file holder.—A master file holder that is the sponsor of a medical countermeasure submission shall notify the
Secretary in writing of the intent to reference the medical countermeasure
master file as a part of the submission.
(3) Reference by an authorized person.—A person submitting an application for review may, where the Secretary determines appropriate,
incorporate by reference all or part of the contents of a medical
countermeasure master file, if the master file holder authorizes the
incorporation in writing.
(d) Acknowledgment of and Reliance Upon a Master File by the Secretary.—
(1) In general.—The Secretary shall provide the master file holder with a written notification indicating that the
Secretary has reviewed and relied upon specified data or information
within a master file and the purposes for which such data or information
was incorporated by reference if the Secretary has reviewed and relied
upon such specified data or information to support the approval,
classification, conditional approval, clearance, licensure, or
authorization of a security countermeasure, qualified countermeasure, or
qualified pandemic or epidemic product. The Secretary may rely upon the
data and information within the medical countermeasure master file for
which such written notification was provided in additional applications,
as applicable and appropriate and upon the request of the master file
holder so notified in writing or by an authorized person of such holder.
(2) Certain applications.—If the Secretary has reviewed and relied upon specified data or information within a medical
countermeasure master file to support the conditional approval of an
application under section 571 to subsequently support the approval,
clearance, licensure, or authorization of a security countermeasure,
qualified countermeasure, or qualified pandemic or epidemic product, the
Secretary shall provide a brief written description to the master file
holder regarding the elements of the application fulfilled by the data or
information within the master file and how such data or information
contained in such application meets the standards of evidence under
subsection (c) or (d) of section 505, subsection (d) of section 512, or
section 351 of the Public Health Service Act (as applicable), which shall
not include any trade secret or confidential commercial information.
(e) Rules of Construction.—Nothing in this section shall be construed to—
(1) limit the authority of the Secretary to approve, license, clear, conditionally approve, or
authorize drugs, biological products, or devices pursuant to, as
applicable, this Act or section 351 of the Public Health Service Act (as
such applicable Act is in effect on the day before the date of enactment
of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2019), including the standards of evidence, and applicable conditions, for approval under the
applicable Act;
(2) alter the standards of evidence with respect to approval, licensure, or clearance, as applicable,
of drugs, biological products, or devices under this Act or section 351 of
the Public Health Service Act, including, as applicable, the substantial
evidence standards under sections 505(d) and 512(d) or this Act and
section 351(a) of the Public Health Service Act; or
(3) alter the authority of the Secretary under this Act or the Public Health Service Act to determine
the types of data or information previously submitted by a sponsor or any
other person that may be incorporated by reference in an application,
request, or notification for a drug, biological product, or device
submitted under sections 505(i), 505(b), 505(j), 512(b)(1), 512(b)(2),
512(j), 564, 571, 520(g), 515(c), 513(f)(2), or 510(k) of this Act, or
subsection (a) or (k) of section 351 of the Public Health Service Act,
including a supplement or amendment to any such submission, and the
requirements associated with such reference.
(f) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) The term “master file holder” means a person who submits data and information to the Secretary with the intent to reference or
authorize another person to reference such data or information to support
a medical countermeasure submission, as described in subsection (a).
(2) The term “medical countermeasure submission” means an investigational new drug application under section 505(i), a new drug application under
section 505(b), or an abbreviated new drug application under section
505(j) of this Act, a biological product license application under section
351(a) of the Public Health Service Act or a biosimilar biological product
license application under section 351(k) of the Public Health Service Act,
a new animal drug application under section 512(b)(1) or abbreviated new
animal drug application under section 512(b)(2), an application for
conditional approval of a new animal drug under section 571, an
investigational device application under section 520(g), an application
with respect to a device under section 515(c), a request for
classification of a device under section 513(f)(2), a notification with
respect to a device under section 510(k), or a request for an emergency
use authorization under section 564 to support—
(A) the approval, licensure, classification, clearance, conditional approval, or authorization of a
security countermeasure, qualified countermeasure, or qualified pandemic
or epidemic product; or
(B) a new indication to an approved security countermeasure, qualified countermeasure, or qualified
pandemic or epidemic product.
(3) The terms “qualified countermeasure”, “security countermeasure”, and “qualified pandemic or epidemic product” have the meanings given such terms in sections 319F–1, 319F–2, and 319F–3, respectively, of the
Public Health Service Act.