FDA CTP Acting Director Supports Expanding Authorized Flavored E-Cigs and Legal Marketplace

Key Highlights

• FDA CTP Acting Director Bret Koplow advocates tobacco harm reduction strategy.
• Supports wider authorization of flavored e-cigarettes.
• Calls for legal marketplace limited to authorized low-risk products.
• Urges FDA to simplify and accelerate product reviews.
• Plans to improve public understanding of the continuum of risk.

2Firsts, October 29, 2025 — According to posts by public health expert Cliff Douglas on X, FDA Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) Acting Director Bret Koplow voiced support for promoting tobacco harm reduction as a core approach to reduce smoking.

Speaking at the Food and Drug Law Institute (FDLI) Tobacco and Nicotine Policy Conference, Koplow highlighted the importance of developing a legal marketplace limited to authorized reduced-risk products supported by strong enforcement.

He also signaled support for potentially expanding the range of flavored e-cigarettes eligible for authorization, provided they serve public health goals.

Koplow said the FDA must dramatically streamline, simplify, and accelerate its review and authorization process to make harm reduction effective, warning that “an unregulated marketplace will thrive” otherwise.

He further indicated that FDA would soon share more information about the continuum of risk among tobacco and nicotine products to help educate consumers and healthcare providers.

Douglas noted that a subsequent panel discussion viewed Koplow’s remarks as a positive shift in tone, with his acknowledgment of the benefits of switching from cigarettes to pouches or vapes described as “refreshing and potentially groundbreaking.”

The two-day FDLI conference (Oct 28–29, 2025) brings together public health advocates, researchers, regulators, and industry stakeholders to discuss current challenges in U.S. tobacco and nicotine regulation.

According to 2Firsts, the conference is organized by the Food and Drug Law Institute (FDLI) and will be held in the United States on October 28-29, 2025. The conference will bring together participants from the public health sector, regulatory agencies, research institutions, industry representatives, and consumer organizations to discuss the regulatory policies and development trends of tobacco and nicotine products in the United States.

In addition to Koplow, the invited guests at the conference also include Cristi Stark, Deputy Director of the Office of Science at the Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as John Verbeten, Director of the Office of Compliance and Enforcement at CTP.

Image courtesy of Cliff Douglas on X.