FDA Approves Philip Morris International Heat-Not-Burn IQOS Device for Sale in U.S.

By Jennifer Maloney

The Food and Drug Administration said it would allow two of the world's biggest cigarette makers to start selling in the U.S. a hand-held device that heats but doesn't burn tobacco, though the agency hasn't yet ruled on whether they will be allowed to market it as safer than cigarettes.

Philip Morris International Inc. has spent billions of dollars and years developing the product, called IQOS, which is already sold in several other countries. It has been waiting for FDA approval for its U.S. partner Altria Group Inc. to market IQOS to adult smokers.

IQOS is a hand-held device that heats tobacco but doesn't burn it, so it doesn't produce smoke when users inhale. It differs from other smoking alternatives like e-cigarettes that produce vapor from nicotine-laced liquid.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 30, 2019 14:45 ET (18:45 GMT)

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