Philip Morris International gave the media a look inside its $600 million Zyn nicotine pouch manufacturing plant in Aurora, Colorado, this week. The 150-acre facility, which began construction in late 2024 and is part of PMI’s U.S. smoke-free product expansion, is expected to create 500 jobs when fully operational in 2026. Despite ongoing infrastructure work and significant portions of the main building still under construction, the plant produced its first Zyn products in September 2025, which have already reached the market.
Tag: Zyn
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Anti-Tobacco Group Alarmed that PMI, BAT Spending $40M on F1 Sponsorships
Anti-tobacco advocacy group STOP (Stopping Tobacco Organizations and Products) is increasing scrutiny of nicotine brand marketing in Formula 1, arguing that partnerships between teams and companies linked to tobacco firms risk exposing younger audiences to nicotine products. The watchdog group claims the growing presence of products such as nicotine pouches and other smoke-free alternatives in motorsport sponsorship represents a regulatory gap that allows continued brand visibility despite historic restrictions on tobacco advertising.
STOP highlighted recent sponsorship activity believed to be a combined $40 million by Philip Morris’ Zyn nicotine pouch products on Ferrari race teams and BAT’s Velo brand appearing in F1 team partnerships. Jorge Alday, director of STOP at Vital Strategies, said the organization is concerned given Formula 1’s expanding and increasingly youthful global fanbase. The group is urging regulators and sports governing bodies to consider tighter oversight of nicotine product marketing in international sporting events, while industry stakeholders maintain that such products fall within existing legal frameworks governing reduced-risk or non-combustible nicotine alternatives.
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PMI Reports $40B in Revenue, Including 42% from Smoke-Free Products
Philip Morris International reported strong 2025 fourth-quarter and full-year results, driven largely by the continued expansion of its smoke-free product portfolio. The company recorded more than $40 billion in annual net revenues, including nearly $17 billion from smoke-free products, which accounted for 41.5% of total net revenues. Smoke-free shipment volumes rose 12.8% for the year, with PMI’s products now available in 106 markets and used by an estimated 43 million adult consumers. IQOS maintained a dominant position in heat-not-burn, holding about 76% global category share, while nicotine pouch brand Zyn continued rapid growth, particularly in the U.S., where shipment volumes reached 794 million cans for the year.
PMI’s combustible business remained stable despite expected volume declines, supported by pricing strength and productivity improvements. Marlboro reached a record 11% global category share, while total company shipment volumes remained flat as growth in smoke-free products offset cigarette declines. The company also reported strong performance across multiple regions, including double-digit heated tobacco growth in Europe and sustained category leadership in Japan, where heat-not-burn products now exceed 50% of total nicotine offtake in several major markets.
Looking ahead, PMI expects continued momentum, forecasting 2026 adjusted diluted EPS growth of 7.5% to 9.5% excluding currency effects. The company also introduced 2026–2028 targets calling for 6% to 8% organic net revenue growth and 9% to 11% adjusted EPS growth, driven primarily by high single-digit to low-teens expansion in smoke-free product volumes.
In response to the financials, Morgan Stanley said it expects a modest negative market reaction to PMI’s fourth-quarter results and forward guidance, which were largely in line with expectations following the stock’s strong rally since December.
“On balance, 4Q results were broadly in line, and guidance looks reasonable, but is unlikely to settle the debate around the stock,” Morgan Stanley wrote. “Bears continue to point to a 2H-weighted year with headwinds from IQOS competition and excise tax increases in Japan, the flavor ban in Poland, and continued competition in U.S. nicotine pouches. Bulls point to PM delivering the best mid-term growth in large-cap CPG despite these known headwinds. We are [rating the stock] Overweight, and continue to expect growth to reaccelerate in 2H as these headwinds dissipate, and for US Zyn trends to improve with the likely FDA authorization of Zyn Ultra.”
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Swedish Match Closing Richmond Office
According to a letter to the Commonwealth of Virginia, Swedish Match will be closing its Richmond office April 17, offering the majority of employees the opportunity to relocate to a location aligned with their role and function. Virginia Business magazine reported yesterday (Feb. 2) that Thomas G. Hayes, president of Swedish Match North America, sent a letter last week notifying Virginia Works of the imminent closure as part of a larger restructuring by its parent company, Philip Morris International.
In November 2025, PMI announced plans to restructure in 2026, dividing into two main business units, PMI International and PMI U.S.—along with Aspeya, its wellness business—as it continues to expand its smoke-free portfolio. In a statement, PMI said the Richmond closing is related to changes in its U.S. geographical footprint.
“This decision was not made lightly, and we recognize the impact it will have on our employees and the local community,” the company said. “Centralizing key capabilities and functions in strategic location hubs will help us operate with greater speed, agility, and consumer focus—driving momentum behind our category-redefining brands, ZYN and IQOS as we work to accomplish a smoke-free America.”
Headquartered in Stockholm, Swedish Match AB employs about 1,300 people in the United States. “According to Hayes’ letter, employees of PMI subsidiaries and affiliates Triaga Retail, PMI Global Services Unit, Swedish Match Cigars, Swedish Match North America, and Pinkerton Tobacco Co. are impacted,” Virginia Business reported.
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FDA Posts New Materials in Zyn MRTP Applications
The FDA posted new materials today (Feb. 2) related to the modified risk tobacco product (MRTP) applications submitted by Swedish Match USA, Inc. for 20 Zyn nicotine pouch products. The documents are available on the Swedish Match USA, Inc. MRTP application webpage. This is the final set of application materials.
Accordingly, FDA is establishing the closing date for the public comment period on these MRTP applications. Public comments must be submitted to Docket Number FDA-2025-N-0835-0001 by 11:59 p.m. ET on March 4 to be considered.
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PMI Positive After FDA’s Zyn Hearing
Philip Morris International (PMI) believes it moved a step closer to securing permission to market its Zyn nicotine pouches as a reduced-risk alternative to cigarettes in the United States, following a full-day public hearing convened by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday (January 22). At the meeting, PMI scientists presented evidence to the FDA’s Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC) in support of a Modified Risk Tobacco Product (MRTP) application that would allow the company to tell adult smokers that switching completely to Zyn lowers the risk of major smoking-related diseases. FDA briefing materials and staff presentations suggested regulators are leaning toward approving the proposed claim, with the agency stating that “the evidence suggests the proposed modified risk claim is scientifically accurate.”
“The FDA’s Center for Tobacco Product’s mission is to make smoking-related disease and death a part of America’s past,” said Keagan Lenihan, Chief External Affairs Officer for PMI U.S. “Smoke-free products, like Zyn, play a critical role in helping CTP achieve this mission and provide adults who smoke with important information to guide their choices and a real opportunity to change.”
The proposed language would allow PMI to say that using Zyn instead of cigarettes reduces the risk of mouth cancer, heart disease, lung cancer, stroke, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis. FDA scientists said the “totality of the evidence” shows Zyn contains substantially lower levels of harmful chemicals than cigarettes, and that consumer research suggests the claim increases awareness of reduced risks without misleading users into believing the product is risk-free. The agency also noted that youth nicotine pouch use remains relatively low, at 2.4% of U.S. high school students in 2024, and that exposure to the proposed claim did not increase young adults’ intentions to use Zyn. PMI executives argued that clearer communication of relative risk could help smokers move away from combustible products, drawing comparisons to Swedish snus, which received an MRTP designation in 2019 and has been linked to Sweden’s low smoking rates.
However, members of the independent TPSAC panel raised concerns about gaps in long-term data and whether reduced-risk marketing would meaningfully accelerate smoking cessation in the U.S. Public health advocates also warned about the potential appeal of flavored pouches, discreet use, and social-media promotion to underage users. While panelists generally agreed that Zyn is far less harmful than cigarettes, they questioned whether the evidence shows that marketing claims will drive widespread switching. The FDA is not bound by the panel’s non-binding recommendations and has not set a deadline for its final decision, which will determine whether PMI can formally promote Zyn as a reduced-risk product to adult smokers.
“While the relatively expedited timeline for this MRTP review is encouraging, the fact that the TPSAC did not vote on a recommendation makes me question the reason for these meetings moving forward,” said Laura Leigh Oyler, VP of Regulatory Affairs for Haypp Group, whose subsidiaries sell nicotine pouches online. “The science, and the many public speakers who supported the authorization were clear: Americans deserve honest messaging around these products and their impacts on harm reduction.”
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FDA Releases Meeting Materials for Zyn’s MRTP Application
Today (January 20), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration released meeting materials ahead of a virtual meeting of the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC) to review modified risk tobacco product (MRTP) applications submitted by Swedish Match USA, Inc. for 20 Zyn nicotine pouch products. The materials include a draft agenda, background documents from both the applicant and the FDA, and draft questions for committee consideration, and are available on the FDA’s 2026 TPSAC Meeting Materials and Information page.
The virtual TPSAC meeting is scheduled for January 22. FDA opened Docket No. FDA-2025-N-0835-0020 for public comments related to the meeting, with submissions due by 11:59 p.m. ET on January 21. Comments specific to the ZYN MRTP applications may also be submitted under a separate docket, Docket No. FDA-2025-N-0835-0001, which was established on June 18, 2025.
Visit the event webpage to learn more about attending the meeting online
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Swedish Match Discontinues Four Zyn Products for 2026
Swedish Match announced the retirement of four Zyn products for 2026: Apple Mint Mini Extra Strong, Original Mini Normal, Original Mini Extra Strong, and Cucumber Lime Slim Normal. On the company’s website, it suggested alternative products with similar flavors and strengths. The brand’s remaining portfolio, including about 15 mint and apple-based flavors, will continue to be available on the swedishmatch.se platform.
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Federal Judge Allows Deceptive Claim in Zyn Case
A federal judge in Florida has allowed deceptive practices claims against Philip Morris International (PMI) and its subsidiaries to move forward, according to Law360. On December 12, U.S. District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas of the Southern District of Florida denied the companies’ motion to dismiss claims brought by plaintiff Kovadis Palmer under the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (FDUTPA).
Palmer alleges that PMI and Swedish Match North America LLC misleadingly marketed Zyn nicotine pouches as “tobacco-free,” suggesting a lower addiction risk even though the nicotine is derived from tobacco. He claims he developed nicotine dependence as a result. While the court previously dismissed Palmer’s common-law fraud claims for failing to meet heightened pleading standards, it found that the amended FDUTPA claims advance a distinct legal theory.
The judge ruled that FDUTPA claims do not require proof of intent to deceive and are not subject to the stricter fraud pleading rules. As a result, the court held that the claims are not merely a repackaging of dismissed fraud allegations and may proceed.
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CTFK Accuses PMI of Targeting Youth with F1 Sponsorship
The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids criticized Philip Morris International (PMI) for its partnership with Ferrari to market Zyn nicotine pouches on Formula 1 race cars, calling it a tactic that exposes youth to tobacco marketing. Yolonda C. Richardson, president and CEO, said PMI’s claim that the sponsorship targets adults is “laughable.” Formula 1 previously said that Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) “is helping shape the rhythm of modern fandom,” but Richardson argued that F1’s audience now includes more than 4 million children aged 8 to 12, evidenced by collaborations with youth-oriented brands like Disney, Lego, and Hot Wheels.
Richardson said that plastering Zyn logos on F1 cars associates the product with excitement and glamour, has the potential to attract millions of young people, and urged Formula 1 and its partners to end the sponsorship, calling on policymakers to prevent tobacco companies from targeting a new generation of consumers.
When asked for comment, a spokesperson for PMI U.S. clearly disagreed.
“Adult consumers of nicotine products do not live in a vacuum,” the spokesperson said. “They have hobbies, interests, and attend social gatherings and events—it’s vital to reach them where they are. Scuderia Ferrari HP at Formula 1 is a global platform where we can engage adult consumers worldwide with a message of choice and innovative alternatives to smoking.
“CTFK’s allegation is nothing more than a tired, lazy, and erroneous characterization—absent of any facts. Formula 1’s and Scuderi Ferrari HP’s audience is overwhelmingly adult, and our brand presence is carefully assessed to ensure responsible marketing practices.”