The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has on Tuesday put on hold its decision to ban the sales of Juul Labs’ e-cigarettes.
The agency administratively stayed the marketing denial order issued on June 23, saying there are scientific issues unique to the Juul application that warrant additional review.
“This administrative stay temporarily suspends the marketing denial order during the additional review but does not rescind it,” it clarified.
A US federal appeals court has already put on hold the FDA ban, after the company appealed the health agency’s order and said the ban would cause it “irreparable harm”.
The temporary freeze by the court lasts at least until July 12, according to the court’s scheduling order.
The pause gives Juul time to argue for why the order should be placed on hold for a longer amount of time pending the court’s review of it. The court can extend the pause on the agency’s order, or it can let the order take effect while Juul’s appeal is pending.
