Photo of Azim ChowdhuryPhoto of Neelam GillPhoto of Brian Frank

On December 19, 2025, FDA issued Marketing Granted Orders authorizing six on! PLUS oral nicotine pouches from Helix Innovations (Altria): Mint, Tobacco, and Wintergreen, each in 6 mg and 9 mg nicotine strengths. FDA framed these as the first decisions to come out of its nicotine-pouch PMTA pilot, designed to speed reviews without lowering

Photo of Azim ChowdhuryPhoto of LieAnn T. Van-Tull

On July 17, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued Marketing Granted Orders (MGOs) to JUUL Labs Inc. (JUUL), authorizing for sale JUUL’s tobacco- and menthol-flavored pod-based electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) products in the United States, reversing its previous position and marking a major regulatory milestone in the years-long evaluation of JUUL’s

Photo of Azim ChowdhuryPhoto of Eric P. GottingPhoto of Neelam Gill

On April 2, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in the Wages and White Lion Investments d/b/a Triton Distribution (hereafter “Triton”) Premarket Tobacco Product Application (PMTA) Marketing Denial Order (MDO) challenge. In a 9-0 unanimous ruling, the Supreme Court held that FDA did not act arbitrarily and capriciously when it denied the

Photo of Azim ChowdhuryPhoto of Neelam Gill

In a groundbreaking move, FDA has kicked off the year with its very first marketing authorization for an oral nicotine pouch product. On January 16, 2025, FDA authorized twenty ZYN nicotine pouch products, marketed by Swedish Match (a subsidiary of Philip Morris International), in two nicotine strengths, 3 mg and 6 mg. The newly authorized

Photo of Azim ChowdhuryPhoto of Kaitlyn Johnson

On December 10, 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA or the Agency) Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) advanced a proposal to set a maximum nicotine level in cigarettes and certain other combusted tobacco products. The Agency requested the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) expedite a proposed tobacco product standard in

Keller and Heckman Tobacco and E-Vapor attorneys, led by Partner Azim Chowdhury, co-authored with Latham & Watkins the upcoming Food and Drug Law Institute (FDLI) publication, “Nicotine Delivery Products: Navigating FDA’s Policies and Regulations in a Dynamic Environment.” The following Keller and Heckman attorneys also contributed: Kathryn Skaggs, Neelam Gill, LieAnn Van-Tull, Thomas Smith, Kelsey


We are excited to announce the agenda for Keller and Heckman’s 2025 E-Vapor and Tobacco Law Symposium, featuring Keynote Speaker, Dr. Brian King, Director of FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP). Click here to view the full program agenda.

Register now to join us Monday, January 27 – Tuesday, January 28, 2025, in Las

Photo of Azim ChowdhuryPhoto of Kelsey AnlikerPhoto of Thomas Smith

On May 4, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) initiated a notice and comment rulemaking process to ban menthol-flavored cigarettes and all characterizing flavors in cigars and cigarillos.[1] Recently, Health and Human Secretary Xavier Becerra announced the ban on menthol-flavored cigarettes will be delayed indefinitely. This article explores the long history of

Photo of Azim ChowdhuryPhoto of Kaitlyn Johnson

On December 18, 2023, Dr. Brian King, the Director of FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products announced the Center’s new five-year strategic plan which outlines the Center’s programmatic and workforce initiatives and includes five goals, ten outcomes, and several corresponding objectives.

The new strategic plan incorporates recommendations from the Reagan-Udall Foundation report published in December 2022.