Altria seeking FDA approval for oral nicotine pouch

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Henrico County-based tobacco product manufacturer Altria has announced that it has submitted applications to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a new oral nicotine pouch product.

The product, called “on! PLUS”, is a tobacco-derived nicotine pouch made from “a proprietary ‘soft-feel’ material,” according to Altria. The pouches are made by Helix, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Altria.

“Helix’s submission of the ‘on! PLUS’ applications underscores Altria’s commitment to addressing consumers’ evolving preferences through innovation in potentially reduced-risk products,” aid Nick MacPhee, Managing Director and General Manager of Helix. “We firmly believe that ‘on! PLUS’ is a transformative product that will meaningfully contribute to Helix’s growth in the U.S. market, upon timely FDA authorization.”

The applications are for three flavors — tobacco, mint and wintergreen, which come in three varieties with different concentrations of nicotine.

This move by Altria comes as the popularity of oral nicotine pouch Zyn is at an all-time high . Zyn is a product of Phillip Morris International, which was part of Altria before it was spun off in 2008 .

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WRIC ABC 8News.