(a) Acceptance review. (1) After an applicant submits a PMTA, FDA will perform an initial review of the PMTA to determine whether it may be accepted for further review. FDA may refuse to accept an application that:

(i) Does not comply with the applicable format requirements in § 1114.7(b), § 1114.15, or § 1114.17 (as applicable);

(ii) Is not administratively complete because it does not appear to contain the information required by § 1114.7 (excluding product samples), § 1114.15 or § 1114.17, as applicable;

(iii) Does not pertain to a tobacco product subject to chapter IX of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (as required by § 1105.10 of this chapter); or

(iv) FDA can otherwise refuse to accept under § 1105.10.

(2) If FDA accepts an application for further review, FDA will issue an acknowledgement letter to the applicant that specifies the PMTA STN. If FDA determines that it will require product samples as part of the PMTA, it will send instructions on how and where to submit product samples, as described in § 1114.7(e) of this chapter.

(3) If FDA refuses to accept an application, FDA will issue a letter to the applicant identifying the deficiencies, where practicable, that prevented FDA from accepting the application.

(b) Filing review. (1) After accepting a PMTA, FDA will make a threshold determination of whether the application contains sufficient information to permit a substantive review. FDA may refuse to file a PMTA if any of the following applies:

(i) The PMTA does not contain sufficient information required by section 910(b)(1) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and by § 1114.7, § 1114.15, or § 1114.17, as applicable, to permit a substantive review of the application;

(ii) The application does not contain any substantive information, including information from published literature or bridged from an investigation of another tobacco product, regarding each of the following topics.

(A) The health risks of the new tobacco product as described in either § 1114.7(k)(1)(i)(A), (B), or (C));

(B) The health risks of the new tobacco product compared to the health risks generally presented by products in the same product category as well as products in at least one different category that are used by the consumers an applicant expects will use its new tobacco product (as described in a portion of § 1114.7(k)(1)(i)(D)).

(C) The abuse liability of the new tobacco product (as set forth in § 1114.7(k)(1)(ii)(A));

(D) How consumers would be expected to actually use the product, such as use frequency, use trends over time, and how such use affects the health risks of the product to individual users (as described in § 1114.7(k)(1)(ii)(B));

(E) The potential impact that the marketing of the new tobacco product would have on the likelihood that current tobacco product users would change their tobacco product use behavior, such as starting to using the new tobacco product, using the product in conjunction with other tobacco products, or, after using the product, switching to or switch back to other tobacco products that may present increased risks to individual health (i.e., any of the information set forth in either § 1114.7(k)(1)(ii)(C), (D), (E), or (F));

(F) The impact of the tobacco product and its label, labeling, or advertising, to the extent that advertising has been studied, on tobacco product use behavior of current nonusers of tobacco products (i.e., any of the information described in § 1114.7(k)(1)(iii));

(G) The impact of the product and its label, labeling, or advertising, to the extent that advertising has been studied, on individuals' perception of the product and their use intentions (i.e., any of the information described in § 1114.7(k)(1)(iv)); and

(H) The ways in which human factors can affect the health risks of the new tobacco product (i.e., any of the information described in § 1114.7(k)(1)(v));

(iii) The PMTA contains a false statement of material fact;

(iv) The PMTA is a supplemental PMTA that does not comply with § 1114.15; or

(v) The PMTA is a resubmission that does not comply with § 1114.17.

(2) If FDA refuses to file an application, FDA will issue a letter to the applicant identifying the deficiencies, where practicable, that prevented FDA from filing the application.

(3) If FDA files an application, FDA will issue a filing letter to the applicant.

(c) Application review. (1) Except as described in this paragraph and § 1114.9(b), within 180 days of receipt of an application described in section 910(b)(1) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act meeting the filing requirements set out in 1114.27(b), FDA will complete its review of the PMTA and act on the application.

(2) FDA will begin substantive review of the application after it is filed under paragraph (b) of this section. FDA may communicate with the applicant as set forth under § 1114.25 to seek additional or clarifying information.

(3) FDA may refer the PMTA or portions of the PMTA, upon its own initiative or applicant request, to TPSAC for reference and for the submission of a report and recommendation respecting the application, together with all underlying data and the reasons or basis for the recommendation.

(4) FDA may conduct inspections of the applicant's manufacturing sites, and sites and entities involved with clinical and nonclinical research (including third parties and contract research organizations) to support FDA's review of the PMTA. Where an applicant prevents FDA from scheduling and conducting inspections that are necessary for FDA to complete its review of the PMTA in a timely manner, FDA may pause the 180-day review period for the number of days necessary to complete the inspection.

(5) FDA may defer review of a PMTA for a new product that, if introduced or delivered for introduction into interstate commerce, would be adulterated or misbranded due to the manufacturer or importer's failure to comply with user fee payment and reporting requirements under part 1150.