On August 29, 2023, a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit unanimously ruled against FDA on the Agency’s review of Fontem LLC’s “unflavored” (i.e., tobacco-flavored) myblu electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) products, vacating FDA’s marketing denial orders (MDOs) for these products. For Fontem’s non-tobacco flavored myblu ENDS
Nicotine
2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey Shows Significant Decline in High School Vaping



On November 2, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released data from the 2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey (“NYTS”), a cross-sectional, school-based, self-administered, web-based survey of U.S. middle school (grades 6-8) and high school (grades 9-12) students. The NYTS has been conducted periodically during…
Largest U.S. E-Cigarette Clinical Trial Confirms Role in Smoking Cessation


A new study published this month in The Lancet’s eClinical Medicine – the largest electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) clinical trial in the U.S. to date – confirms the role of e-cigarettes in smoking cessation. Specifically, the new research supports that e-cigarettes can be a viable means of quitting or reducing more harmful combustible cigarette use for…
Azim Chowdhury Quoted in Law360 Article on Legislation to Watch at Midyear

Keller and Heckman Partner Azim Chowdhury was quoted in the Law360 article, “Product Liability Regulation & Legislation To Watch At Midyear.” The article discusses e-cigarette company Juul’s decision to file an application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a new device that has been on the market in the U.K. for several…
Keller and Heckman Files Supreme Court Amicus Brief on Behalf of ENDS Industry in Support of Request to Overturn or Limit the Chevron Doctrine


On July 24, 2023, Keller and Heckman Partners Eric Gotting and Azim Chowdhury, along with co-counsel, on behalf of members of the Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) industry[i], filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) in support of petitioners in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo[ii]…
Azim Chowdhury Quoted in a CSP Magazine Article on 2023 Tobacco Regulations

Keller and Heckman Partner Azim Chowdhury was interviewed for the CSP Magazine article, “Regulations 2023: One Thing After Another.” The article discusses the many regulatory updates coming for tobacco products in 2023, including a likely ban on menthol cigarettes, an effective ban on non-tobacco flavored vapor products, new retail signage requirements, and even the likelihood…
Experts Recommend FDA Adopt an Enhanced Regulatory Strategy for Nicotine and Tobacco Products to Help Reach Cancer Moonshot Goals


As we previously reported, the Reagan-Udall Report evaluated FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) and reported that stakeholders were concerned over, among other things, a lack of clear guidance and transparency regarding regulations, the premarket review process, and enforcement priorities. On February 24, 2023, CTP responded to the report and committed to addressing all…
Keller and Heckman Tobacco and E-Vapor Attorneys to Speak at Upcoming Industry Events


On June 7, Partner Kathryn (Katie) Skaggs will present at the Food and Drug Law Institute’s (FDLI) Legal and Practical Issues in Cannabis Regulation virtual event, to be held June 7 – 8, 2023. Katie will participate on the panel, “Packaging and Labeling: Product Safety and Youth Use Prevention,” which will focus on the role…
The Reagan Udall Foundation – A Critical Evaluation of FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products



I. Reagan-Udall Report
In July 2022, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner, Dr. Robert Califf, released a public statement saying the agency “has confronted a series of challenges that have tested our regulatory frameworks and stressed the agency’s operations.” As such, Commissioner Califf was “prompt[ed] . . . to take a closer look at…
News Alert: Public Consultation on the EU’s Tobacco Products Legislation: Comment Period Open Until May 16, 2023




On February 21, 2023, the European Commission opened a public consultation[1] seeking feedback on the performance of the current legislative framework for tobacco products, and ways that the legislation could be improved. All interested stakeholders can submit comments until May 16, 2023.
I. Background
In May 2008, the European Commission issued a report[2]…