After years of battling increased regulatory scrutiny, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Juul Labs announced on Thursday that they had approved the sale of their e-cigarette device and refill cartridges in tobacco and menthol flavors.

Juul’s fortunes have dwindled due to lawsuits and declining sales. Juul was once a prominent player in the e-cigarette business before facing backlash as its flavored pods became popular among minors.

After a federal prohibition in 2022, the vape manufacturer nearly went bankrupt, but the FDA’s ruling will give it a fresh lease on life.

Following an appeal by the company, the FDA postponed the 2022 ban on Juul’s four types of tobacco and menthol-flavored pods and the e-cigarette device, and it was later revoked in 2024.

The government has approved 39 e-cigarette items for sale in the US since it started regulating vapes and e-cigarette devices in August 2016. One of these products is Altria’s (MO.N) new tab NJOY menthol vapes, which were approved last year.

A representative for the FDA announced that it had approved five JUUL e-cigarette products after the firm presented more proof that the devices’ potential to appeal to youth outweighed the hazards to public health.

The JUUL gadget and tobacco and menthol-flavored JUULpods with 3% and 5% nicotine concentrations, respectively, are among the goods.

“It’s a significant milestone for us,” stated K.C. Crosswaite, CEO of Juul. He added that although the authorized goods are already available for purchase in the United States, these developments indicate that regulated products may eventually replace the Chinese disposable vapes that have overtaken the market. According to him, the business now intends to submit more FDA applications.

The Trump Administration’s easing of regulatory barriers to the introduction of new vapes and other smoking alternatives has been anticipated by the industry.

FDA applications for new nicotine products have been pending for years for some companies, or they have been rejected and challenged in court, as was the case with Juul.

Companies and even lawmakers have blasted the FDA for its tardy product authorizations and for not addressing the pervasive illegal goods trade. In order to address these issues, the agency has stated that it requires additional resources.