Docket Number:
FDA-2016-D-0734
Issued by:
Guidance Issuing Office
Center for Devices and Radiological Health
Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research

The purpose of this guidance is to outline the FDA’s expectations and provide recommendations for the evaluation and reporting of age-, race-, and ethnicity-specific data in medical device clinical studies. The primary intent of these recommendations is to improve the quality, consistency, and transparency of data regarding the performance of medical devices within specific age, racial, and ethnic groups. Proper evaluation and reporting of this data can benefit patients, clinicians, researchers, regulators, and others. Additionally, it is important that clinical trials include diverse populations that reflect the intended use population. In general, to achieve an unbiased estimate of treatment effect in the general population, sponsors should develop a strategy to enroll diverse populations including representative proportions of relevant age, racial, and ethnic subgroups, which are consistent with the intended use population of the device. This guidance includes recommendations and considerations to assist sponsors in developing such a strategy. FDA recognizes the practical challenges in achieving the appropriate enrollment of diverse populations. This guidance includes recommendations to overcome barriers to enrollment in order to balance these recommendations with least burdensome principles.


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All written comments should be identified with this document's docket number: FDA-2016-D-0734.