FLER at APE

Eleftheria (Ria) Kioupritzi, a biopharmaceutical professional with more than 15 years of experience, has joined Philip Morris International as Director Scientific Affairs within Corporate Affairs. She previously served at Roche as Senior Scientific Communications Director for Neuroscience and Rare Diseases and worked extensively in spinal muscular atrophy. Her earlier career also covered competitive intelligence, clinical and regulatory monitoring, pipeline development and launch preparation. During her time working in Roche's SMA field, Evrysdi passed through several U.S. FDA milestones, including its initial approval, an expanded indication for younger infants and approval of a tablet formulation. Public records do not show that Kioupritzi herself led the FDA submissions.

Swedish-founded online nicotine pouch retailer GotPouches has completed the localization of its U.S. operations under UpNorth Retail LLC, with corporate operations in Franklin, Tennessee, domestic fulfillment from Nashville and U.S.-based customer support. The company says its catalog covers more than 20 nicotine pouch brands and it currently serves customers in more than 25 U.S. states.

Logista France says tobacco consumption outside France’s official tobacconist network has become a large and structural market phenomenon, but official and industry estimates differ sharply. France’s TAFE study estimates that 17.7% of tobacco consumption escaped domestic taxation in 2023, with most of that volume attributed to cross-border purchasing rather than street sales. Some industry studies use broader off-channel definitions and put the figure above 50%. Meanwhile, French Customs seized 547.94 tonnes of tobacco in 2025, up 12%, showing continued pressure from illicit trade.

The Irish presidency of the Council of the European Union is using bilateral talks to push the bloc’s Tobacco Taxation Directive toward a political agreement in November. According to Law360, citing an EU official, Sweden is unwilling to accept a minimum excise threshold above €20 per kilogram for nicotine pouches. Council negotiations have already lowered the European Commission’s original proposal, but a May 2026 presidency compromise still set the minimum at 10% of the tax-inclusive retail price or €30 per kilogram in 2028-29, with higher levels later.

South Korea's liquid-vape market is showing changes across raw-material imports, product types and sales channels after synthetic nicotine came under the Tobacco Business Act on April 24. Customs data show nicotine-analogue imports totaled 12,126 kilograms from April through August, while synthetic-nicotine imports over the same five months totaled 231,663 kilograms, just 39.3% of the amount imported in March alone. Physical liquid-vape stores tracked in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province fell 9.9%, unmanned outlets edged higher and online sales listings increased from 27,774 to 42,437. Government testing of 105 liquid inhalation products promoted as nicotine-free separately found nicotine in 13 and 6-methylnicotine in 12.

RELX and UK e-liquid brand T-Juice have launched the Prime Pro × Red Astaire bundle in France, combining the RELX Prime Pro open-system pod device with T-Juice’s signature Red Astaire nicotine salt e-liquid. The collaboration retains the existing Prime Pro hardware platform while using an established flavor brand to create a complete open-system offering. The product appeared in French retail and distribution channels in August 2026 and represents a co-branded retail bundle rather than a new device launch.