When U.S Food and Drug Administration authorized several tobacco-flavored products from Logic Technology Development for sale in the U.S. the vapor industry wasn’t surprised. Vaping advocacy groups have long expected the FDA to approve many of the brands that had premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) submitted and are owned by major tobacco companies.
“Although we are not surprised to learn that Japan Tobacco Inc., brand owner of Logic, is now among the Big Tobacco companies with FDA market authorization, we certainly aren’t pleased with FDA’s consistent rejection of flavored products and will continue to apply pressure in that regard, as well as in the enforcement discretion arena – particularly for the manufacturers with products still in review that participate in our Responsible Industry Network program,” said April Meyers, CEO of the Smoke-Free Alternatives Trade Association (SFATA). “As the nation’s leading regulatory body, the agency appears to be cherry-picking what science it utilizes for decision making. That FDA cited the recent NYTS data but failed to acknowledge the steep decline in youth use while coining the low rates an “epidemic”, makes its rejection of flavored products today seem more an act of fear over what might happen than a decision based on scientific evidence. This is disappointing, at best, but again, not surprising.”
Logic, based in Teaneck, New Jersey, is a part of the JT Group of companies. JTI is a international tobacco and vaping company headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, with operations in more than 130 countries. JTI employs over 50,000 people. In a release, Logic stated that it submitted PMTAs for its Logic Pro, Logic Power, and Vapeleaf products on August 19, 2019, well before the Sept. 9, 2020, PMTA deadline.
“We take the quality of our products extremely seriously, along with the way they are marketed and sold, and we are proud that we have received marketing orders from FDA for our Logic products to remain on retailers’ shelves,” said Corrado Mautone, president of Logic. “By receiving FDA marketing orders now, Logic can remain a reliable partner for retailers going forward.”
Amanda Wheeler, owner of Jvapes and the president of American Vapor Manufacturers, said that it is good to see that the FDA is acknowledging that vaping is safer than combustible cigarettes, but the fight for small business owners continues.
“People forget that in the story, Dr. Jekyll was a benevolent physician in a lab coat who only wanted to help people. But tomorrow morning, (FDA Commissioner) Robert Califf and (director of the FDA’s Center of Tobacco Products) Mitch Zeller will transform back into their Mr. Hyde alter-egos and resume their hellbent mission to sabotage the single-most effective smoking cessation device ever devised,” said Wheeler. “Well, the American people are watching and I for one am not going to stand by and let them get away with it. So, here’s my own announcement for today: FDA and CDC have my approval to stop deceiving the American public about the safety and efficacy of nicotine vaping.”
The agency also issued marketing denial orders to Logic for multiple other electronic nicotine-delivery systems (ENDS) products, mostly non-tobacco flavors.
“While Logic received marketing orders for its tobacco-flavored products, it is still awaiting a determination from the FDA on its menthol products. At the FDAs discretion, products like Logic’s menthol capsules can continue to be marketed while under review,” Logic stated in the release. “Additionally, Logic received marketing denial orders (MDOs) for flavored products that are not currently on retailers’ shelves. Logic is reviewing the FDAs determination and rationale before taking further action.”
The FDA also indicated that it was moving closer to issuing decisions on other applications that account for “a large part” of the marketplace, which based on Nielsen ratings, are mostly owned by large tobacco companies.
Logic is only the second company to have vaping products approved for marketing by the FDA. In Oct. of 2021, the agency authorized the marketing approval of three outdated vapor products to the RJ Reynolds (RJR) Vapor Company for its Vuse Solo device and two tobacco-flavored pods. The agency also denied Vuse PMTAs for flavored products other than tobacco.