Tobacco Products, Exemptions From Substantial Equivalence Requirements

FDA has established in its regulations a pathway for manufacturers to request exemptions from the substantial equivalence requirements of the FD&C Act. An exemption request must be submitted with supporting documentation, the manufacturer's contact information, and a detailed explanation of the modification and its purpose. This information is submitted to FDA so FDA can determine whether an exemption from substantial equivalence to the predicate product is appropriate for the protection of the public health. FDA determines whether to grant or deny the request for an exemption based on whether the criteria in the statute have been satisfied. If FDA determines that the information is insufficient, FDA may request additional information from the manufacturer. If the manufacturer fails to respond within the timeframe requested, FDA will consider the exemption request withdrawn. FDA may rescind an exemption where necessary to protect the public health. FDA may exempt tobacco products that are modified by adding or deleting a tobacco additive, or increasing or decreasing the quantity of an existing tobacco additive, from the requirement of demonstrating substantial equivalence if the Agency determines that (1) the modification would be a minor modification of a tobacco product, (2) a report demonstrating substantial equivalence is not necessary for the protection of public health, and (3) an exemption is otherwise appropriate.

The latest form for Tobacco Products, Exemptions From Substantial Equivalence Requirements expires 2022-09-30 and can be found here.

Tobacco Product Exemption from Substantial Equivalence Request 21 CFR 1107.1(b)

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