Regulation — pharma-specific

FDA PCCP Draft Guidance — the envelope of allowed AI modification

The Predetermined Change Control Plan is FDA's answer to "how does an AI model change over its life without a new submission each time?" For sponsors, the PCCP is where "we monitor drift" becomes a specific + auditable commitment — and where silent drift outside the envelope becomes a live regulatory question.

What the guidance actually says

"A PCCP describes the planned modifications to the device that the manufacturer intends to implement … the associated methodology to develop, validate, and implement those modifications … and an assessment of the impact of those modifications." FDA Guidance: Marketing Submission Recommendations for a PCCP for AI/ML-Enabled Device Software Functions (2023 draft, referenced in ongoing rulemaking)
"Modifications that are outside of the PCCP … would require a new marketing submission before implementation." FDA PCCP Guidance — the envelope-breach trigger

What this means in plain English

Two obligations for any sponsor whose trial AI has a PCCP on file (or whose vendor claims one):

  1. Real-world model behavior must stay inside the pre-approved PCCP envelope. Distributional drift of the magnitude in this sample may fall outside.
  2. The sponsor must be able to detect + document envelope breaches. Silent breaches become a live compliance question the moment anyone asks.

Sponsors often assume "the vendor holds the PCCP." The sponsor's own reliance on the AI in a regulated trial is a separate matter — and BIMO inspects sponsors, not just device manufacturers.

What triggers the exposure in the sample

A 53 percentage-point exclude-lane rate shift on P3 is not standard PCCP-envelope drift. It is behavior the pre-market submission almost certainly did not contemplate at that magnitude for the elderly-multimorbid subgroup. The moment the sponsor knows — or should have known — a PCCP breach is a live question, the CAPA + notification timelines begin.

What the $499 Snapshot shows against this rule

See the drift-detection chart →

How does this help me?

PCCP breach timing is a bright line. Late or missing sponsor-side documentation becomes its own enforcement matter, separate from the underlying AI performance.

Read: FDA PCCP -- why "when did you know" is the pivotal question →

$499 Snapshot. 3 business days.

Independent evidence of when the sponsor learned + what the pattern looked like. The timeline record that documents the good-faith investigation stance.

Buy $499
Snapshot credit applies to Baseline ($2,500) or Enterprise Attestation ($35-55K) upgrade within 30 days.