US FDA Set to Ease Approval Path for Vaping Products and Nicotine Pouches

The US Food and Drug Administration is expected to announce measures in the coming days aimed at accelerating approvals for vaping products and nicotine pouches, people familiar with the matter said.

Under the anticipated plan, the agency would revisit a 2021 rule that set out requirements for new tobacco applications. It could also simplify the requirements for scientific studies and shorten review times, giving more products the flexibility to secure authorization.

The FDA did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and the reported plans could not be independently verified.

Tobacco companies have repeatedly pressed US President Donald Trump and other senior officials to overhaul the authorization process, seeking faster and clearer decisions. 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 spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services said.

The expected move marks a shift from Trump's first term, when his administration sought to pull flavored e-cigarettes from retail shelves as part of a broader effort to curb youth vaping, warning that sweet flavors had drawn millions of children into nicotine addiction.