Juul Labs Inc. filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The suit is focused on the FDA’s refusal to release documents said to support a previous order to remove Juul’s e-cigarettes from the U.S. market, according to Axios. The agency made the decision to remove the popular vape cartridges from the shelves in June following a two-year investigation into data provided by the company.
Juul is now accusing the FDA of withholding most of the “scientific disciplinary reviews” that underlie the sales ban, violating the Freedom of Information Act, the complaint detailed.
“The public deserves a complete picture of the scientific facts behind one of the agency’s most controversial and closely scrutinized decisions in recent years, especially where even FDA recognizes its order is suspect,” the complaint reads.
E-Cigarette Company Juul To Pay $40 Million In Lawsuit For Unlawfully Targeting Youth https://t.co/1uH2AgjJVs
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) June 28, 2021
Juul alleges that “none of the requested material is protected by the deliberative process privilege” of FOIA requests, noting that the FDA is relying on two of the withheld reviews to make their final decision, the complaint continues.
“Disclosing the requested materials also would not interfere with the agency’s deliberative process,” it notes. (RELATED: Video Of Vape Store Owner Stabbing Alleged Attempted Thief 7 Times Goes Viral)
The company voluntarily stopped selling flavored vape cartridges in the U.S. in 2019 after it was accused of marketing products to adolescents. The FDA then banned sales of all fruity and mint flavored vape products in 2020.