The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued two marketing denial orders (MDOs) against two Vuse Solo menthol vapes.
The MDOs against the Vuse Replacement Cartridge Menthol 4.8 percent G1 and the Vuse Replacement Cartridge Menthol 4.8 percent G2, will mean that R.J. Reynolds Vapor Co., will not be allowed to market or distribute these products in the US.
On reviewing the premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) for the products, the FDA concluded that the applications lacked sufficient evidence demonstrating that the products contribute positively to public health.
Vuse’s market expansion
Meanwhile, the latest Nielsen convenience store report revealed that Vuse is filling up the market gap being left by Juul. The data shared by the report covered the four-week period ending Feb. 25, and indicated that Vuse’s market share rose from 41.5% in the previous report to 42.7%, while Juul’s declined from 26.4% to 25.6%.
A previous Nielsen analysis released last Summer had already shown that the US market gap between Vuse and Juul was widening given the uncertainty of Juul’s future. This previous analysis covered the four-week period ending August 13th, and found that Vuse’s market share had risen from 37.4% in the previous report to 39%, while Juul’s had declined from 30.7% to 29.4%.
Meanwhile, last month it was reported that Juul was in talks with three tobacco giants Philip Morris International Inc (PM.N), Japan Tobacco Group (2914.T) and Altria Group Inc (MO.N), over an investment deal. The report also revealed that Juul had to be bailed out by board members and is planning to lay off about 400 people, in a bid to avoid bankruptcy.