Exceptions or alternatives to labeling requirements for biological products held by the Strategic National Stockpile.
21 C.F.R. § 610.68
in effectEffective: 2024-07-01(a) The appropriate FDA Center Director may grant an exception or alternative to any provision listed in paragraph (f) of this section and not explicitly required by statute, for specified lots, batches, or other units of a biological product, if the Center Director determines that compliance with such labeling requirement could adversely affect the safety, effectiveness, or availability of such product that is or will be included in the Strategic National Stockpile.
(b)(1)(i) A Strategic National Stockpile official or any entity that manufactures (including labeling, packing, relabeling, or repackaging), distributes, or stores a biological product that is or will be included in the Strategic National Stockpile may submit, with written concurrence from a Strategic National Stockpile official, a written request for an exception or alternative described in paragraph (a) of this section to the Center Director.
(ii) The Center Director may grant an exception or alternative described in paragraph (a) of this section on his or her own initiative.
(2) A written request for an exception or alternative described in paragraph (a) of this section must:
(i) Identify the specified lots, batches, or other units of the biological product that would be subject to the exception or alternative;
(ii) Identify the labeling provision(s) listed in paragraph (f) of this section that are the subject of the exception or alternative request;
(iii) Explain why compliance with such labeling provision(s) could adversely affect the safety, effectiveness, or availability of the specified lots, batches, or other units of the biological product that are or will be included in the Strategic National Stockpile;
(iv) Describe any proposed safeguards or conditions that will be implemented so that the labeling of the product includes appropriate information necessary for the safe and effective use of the product, given the anticipated circumstances of use of the product;
(v) Provide a draft of the proposed labeling of the specified lots, batches, or other units of the biological product subject to the exception or alternative; and
(vi) Provide any other information requested by the Center Director in support of the request.
(c) The Center Director must respond in writing to all requests under this section.
(d) A grant of an exception or alternative under this section will include any safeguards or conditions deemed appropriate by the Center Director so that the labeling of product subject to the exception or alternative includes the information necessary for the safe and effective use of the product, given the anticipated circumstances of use.
(e) If you are a sponsor receiving a grant of a request for an exception or alternative to the labeling requirements under this section:
(1) You need not submit a supplement under § 601.12(f)(1) through (f)(2) of this chapter; however,
(2) You must report any grant of a request for an exception or alternative under this section as part of your annual report under § 601.12(f)(3) of this chapter.
(f) The Center Director may grant an exception or alternative under this section to the following provisions of this chapter, to the extent that the requirements in these provisions are not explicitly required by statute:
(1) § 610.60;
(2) § 610.61(c) and (e) through (r);
(3) § 610.62;
(4) § 610.63;
(5) § 610.64;
(6) § 610.65; and
(7) § 312.6.
Source: eCFRURL: https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2024-07-01/title-21.xmlFetched: 7/26/2026