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GUIDANCE DOCUMENT

Establishment and Operation of Clinical Trial Data Monitoring Committees Guidance for Clinical Trial Sponsors March 2006

Final
Docket Number:
FDA-2001-D-0219
Issued by:
Guidance Issuing Office
Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research
Center for Devices and Radiological Health
Center for Drug Evaluation and Research
OMB Control No. 0910-0581
Expiration Date:  11/30/2024

This guidance discusses the roles, responsibilities and operating procedures of Data Monitoring Committees (DMCs) (also known as Data and Safety Monitoring Boards (DSMBs) or Data and Safety Monitoring Committees (DSMCs)) that may carry out important aspects of clinical trial monitoring. This guidance is intended to assist clinical trial sponsors in determining when a DMC may be useful for study monitoring, and how such committees should operate. We recognize that in many clinical trials the sponsor delegates some decision-making regarding the design and conduct of the trial to some other entity such as a steering committee (see Section 3.2) or contract research organization (CRO) (see 21 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 312.3(b)). This document, while pertaining primarily to the sponsor with regard to trial management and decision-making, may also be relevant to any individual or group to whom the sponsor has delegated applicable management responsibilities (see Section 3). This guidance finalizes the draft guidance entitled "Guidance for Clinical Trial Sponsors: On the Establishment and Operation of Clinical Trial Data Monitoring Committees" dated November 2001.


Submit Comments

You can submit online or written comments on any guidance at any time (see 21 CFR 10.115(g)(5))

If unable to submit comments online, please mail written comments to:

Dockets Management
Food and Drug Administration
5630 Fishers Lane, Rm 1061
Rockville, MD 20852

All written comments should be identified with this document's docket number: FDA-2001-D-0219.

Questions?

Contact Point
Manufacturers Assistance and Technical Training Branch (CBER)
Division of Manufacturers Assistance and Training
Office of Communication, Outreach and Development
Food and Drug Administration
10903 New Hampshire Ave WO71-3103
Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002
industry.biologics@fda.hhs.gov
(800) 835-4709
(240) 402-8020
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