U.K. regulator supports medicinal e-cigs

The U.K. Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said on Jan. 4 that it wants to ensure licensed nicotine containing products—including e-cigarettes—that make medicinal claims are available and meet appropriate standards of safety, quality and efficacy to help reduce the harms from smoking, reports Reuters.

The agency has already given a drug license to British American Tobacco’s e-Voke, allowing the e-cigarette to be prescribed on the National Health Service for patients trying to quit cigarette smoking,

The MHRA added it would continue to encourage companies to voluntarily submit medicines license applications for e-cigarettes and other nicotine containing products as medicines.