The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office schedules a series of public roundtables “to solicit stakeholder input on ways the agency can reduce the number of Request for Continued Examination (RCE) filings.” The sessions began February 20, 2013, in California, and will end March 8 in Chicago.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Cincinnati District announces a March 12-14, 2013, public conference at Xavier University to explore issues relating to pharmaceutical quality in a global supply chain. Speakers include key FDA officials, global regulators and industry representatives.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requests comments “on certain questions related to drug and biological product shortages” on or before March 14, 2013. The comments will aid the agency “in drafting a strategic plan on drug shortages.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration extends the comment period for a draft environmental assessment and a preliminary finding of no significant impact relating to a new animal drug application for a genetically engineered Atlantic salmon. The documents were made available in a December 26, 2012, Federal Register notice. The new comment deadline is April 26, 2013.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issues draft guidance describing “the accreditation, reaccreditation, and accreditation withdrawal process, including criteria that will be considered to accredit, reaccredit, deny accreditation to, and deny reaccreditation to third party reviewers under the Third Party Review Program” relating to premarket review of medical devices. The guidance is based in part on a draft document prepared by the International Medical Device Regulators Forum, which intends to finalize its guidance at the end of 2013. Comments on FDA’s document are requested by April 16.