E-cigarette giant Juul Labs has sued the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over the agency’s failure and refusal to disclose documents supporting the order banning the company.
Juul has been blamed for fuelling a teenage vaping crisis by selling e-cigarettes in the US market.
In its complaint before a Washington federal court, the American company accused the FDA of invoking a widely abused deliberative process, which protects agencies from being forced to disclose documents that reflect advisory opinions and recommendations. It formed the basis of the FDA’s ban on Juul products.
Juul asserted that the documents would show whether the FDA conducted a legally required check of the health benefits or risks associated with its products.
"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," Juul said.