British American Tobacco (BAT) said it has paused a pilot plan to launch an unlicensed disposable vape in the U.S., as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) moves to crack down on illicit products and speed up licenses, reported Reuters.
Its Reynolds American company will pause the release of Vuse One, which it acquired in April, for now, a spokesperson told Reuters, after the U.S. subsidiary had laid out plans for the launch without FDA authorization earlier this year.
“BAT’s previously unreported reversal reveals the complex battle big tobacco faces to compete with a wave of unregulated products, largely from China, that have dented profits in the $22 billion U.S. market for smoking alternatives,” Reuters wrote.
“While only a pilot, the plan marked an assertive shift in big tobacco’s approach to FDA rules the industry says stymie its ability to compete and triggered broad interest among investors, rivals and regulators,” Reuters said.
Reynolds said it would focus on its existing portfolio, including a nicotine pouch already on sale without FDA approval.
The FDA has recently stepped up raids on illicit vapes and also launched a pilot aimed at testing a streamlined application process for nicotine pouches.
In July, NACS and a coalition of retail groups sent a letter to the Trump Administration asking it to address the crisis of illicit vapes by providing lists of what can and cannot be on the market, finalizing decisions on all outstanding PMTAs and enforcing against bad actors.
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