FLER at APE

The Philippine Food and Drug Administration has announced that establishments selling vaporized nicotine and non-nicotine products and novel tobacco products with medicinal or therapeutic claims must secure Licenses to Operate. Such products are also required to be registered as pharmaceutical products through the Center for Drug Regulation and Research. The FDA urged stakeholders to comply with the new requirements to ensure product safety, efficacy and quality.

Serbian logistics company Nelt Group said it has become a distributor for Japan Tobacco International products in Albania. According to the company, the partnership has created 50 new jobs in the local market. Nelt described the move as part of a broader change to its business model in Albania. The group already cooperates with JTI in Bosnia and Herzegovina and expects its revenue to grow by 9% in 2025.

ELFBAR has launched the “4 in 1 Ultra 50 VAPE KIT” through multiple online sales channels in the UK. The kit combines four 1ml prefilled pods with four 5ml refill containers. The company claims it can deliver up to around 50,000 puffs, with a retail price of approximately £13.99.

Kazakhstan’s Financial Monitoring Agency in Pavlodar Region has concluded an investigation into an organised group involved in the illegal sale of vaping products. The group operated through three Telegram-based online shops and used courier delivery services. Authorities seized more than 53,000 items, with a total value exceeding 400 million tenge. The investigation found that students were the primary consumers. Four suspects have been placed in custody and multiple assets have been seized.

Ireland’s retail licensing system took effect on Feb. 2, 2026, charging annual fees per point of sale and enforced by the Health Service Executive (HSE). British American Tobacco’s local unit, BAT Ireland, said excluding nicotine pouches could leave a regulatory gap.

Philip Morris International said it presented scientific evidence to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee to support its ZYN nicotine pouches seeking a modified risk tobacco product designation, which would allow the company to communicate to adult smokers that switching completely to ZYN could reduce the risk of multiple smoking-related diseases.