Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
FDA Says Juul-Altria Partnership Shows That Their Promises To Keep E-Cigarettes Away From Minors Aren't Serious
The New York Times: F.D.A. Accuses Juul And Altria Of Backing Off Plan To Stop Youth Vaping
The Food and Drug Administration is accusing Juul and Altria of reneging on promises they made to the government to keep e-cigarettes away from minors. Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the agency’s commissioner, is drafting letters to both companies that will criticize them for publicly pledging to remove nicotine flavor pods from store shelves, while secretly negotiating a financial partnership that seems to do the opposite. He plans to summon top executives of the companies to F.D.A. headquarters to explain how they will stick to their agreements given their new arrangement. (Kaplan, 1/4)
BBC News: Juul: The Rise Of A $38B E-Cigarette Phenomenon
Juul has all the qualities of a standard Silicon Valley success - fat profit margins, explosive growth, and even the cultural cachet to make its name a verb. But the three-year-old start-up is not a simple technology company: it sells addictive e-cigarettes. Its popularity among teens has provoked a backlash from authorities, and the announcement last month that it would join forces with Altria, which makes Marlboro cigarettes, has only ramped up the controversy. (Sherman, 1/6)
