US FDA plans move to speed up vape, pouch approvals: Report

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to unveil measures in the coming days that would speed up approvals for vaping products and nicotine pouches, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The FDA is expected to announce it will revisit a 2021 rule outlining requirements for new tobacco applications, according to the report.

The agency could also simplify requirements for scientific studies and speed up review times to add flexibility for more products to get authorized, the report said.


Reuters could not immediately verify the report. The FDA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Tobacco companies have long urged U.S. President Donald Trump and other ​key officials for changes including a faster, clearer FDA authorization process.

Last month, the FDA allowed the marketing of three ​new 'JUUL2' e-cigarette products, adding to a series of approvals for nicotine products that the agency says may offer a better alternative to traditional cigarettes.

"The Trump administration is committed to keeping nicotine out of the hands of kids, getting counterfeit vaping products off the streets and providing safer alternatives for adults who want to quit smoking cigarettes," a HHS spokeswoman said, according to the WSJ report.

During Trump's first term, his administration had moved to pull flavored e-cigarettes from retail shelves as part of a broader effort to curb youth vaping, warning that sweet flavors had enticed millions of children to become addicted to nicotine.