5th Circuit Rules in Favor of Vape Companies, Criticizes FDA’s ‘Regulatory Switcheroos’

The court criticized federal regulators for sending e-cigarette makers ‘on a wild goose chase’
5th Circuit Rules in Favor of Vape Companies, Criticizes FDA’s ‘Regulatory Switcheroos’
A woman smokes a Juul e-cigarette in New York on Sept. 27, 2018. Brendan McDermid/Reuters
Bill Pan
Updated:

In a legal setback to the regulatory regime surrounding vape pens, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has sided with vape companies challenging the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) rejection of its product applications, criticizing the federal agency for sending e-cigarettes makers “on a wild goose chase.”

The long-awaited court decision, handed down on Jan. 3 by a full panel of the 5th Circuit judges, found that the FDA acted “arbitrarily and capriciously” when it required vape companies Triton and Vapetasia to submit marketing plans without ever actually considering approval of their products.