Azim Chowdhury Quoted in Law360 Article on the Cost of FDA’s Regulation of Juul and Nicotine Products

Keller and Heckman Partner Azim Chowdhury was quoted in the Law360 article, “FDA Flexes Muscle on Juul and Nicotine, But At What Cost?” The article discusses the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recent decision to deny marketing authorization to Juul Labs Inc.’s market-leading cartridge-based electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), which come in tobacco and menthol flavors. According to Azim, “there were political pressures, [according to] reports coming out of Politico about senators meeting and talking to the FDA commissioner, causing pressure to eliminate vaping.” Azim also suggested that this restriction may lead to more adult smokers who switched to Juul ENDS going back to traditional combustible cigarettes. Azim also indicated that Juul may have been counting on getting FDA authorization for their products, so this decision “could have a secondary effect of really hurting” the company in pending personal injury lawsuits against the e-cigarette leader. Juul has petitioned the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to review the marketing denial order, which the court has at least temporarily stayed pending further review. 

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