The US Food and Drug Administration will loosen certain regulations for nicotine pouch makers under a new program, Reuters reported Friday, citing internal meeting transcripts.

Under the pilot program, the FDA will drop its requirement that companies submit product-specific safety studies in various areas, including submitting a previously required study of a product's effectiveness in helping smokers cut back, the news agency reported. The FDA will instead use general research on the pouches.

Philip Morris International (PM), Altria (MO), and British American Tobacco (BTI) are among the companies that make the pouches, which provide nicotine without smoking cigarettes, the report said.

The tobacco companies and the FDA did not immediately respond to MT Newswires' requests for comment.

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