A U.S. federal appeals court on Friday put on hold the Food and Drug Administration’s ban on sales of Juul Labs Inc.’s e-cigarettes, after the company appealed the health agency’s order and said the ban would cause it “irreparable harm,” Reuters reported. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District Of Columbia Circuit said the purpose of the stay was to allow the court sufficient time to consider Juul’s briefing for an emergency review and not a ruling on the merits of that motion. The once red-hot vape company has also been working with its legal advisers on options that include a possible bankruptcy filing if it is unable to get relief from the government’s ban, the Wall Street Journal reported. Juul’s counsel Kirkland & Ellis is advising on the contingency plans, according to the report. The FDA said on Thursday that Juul failed to show the sale of its products would be appropriate for public health, following a nearly two-year-long review of data provided by the company. Juul, partly owned by tobacco giant Altria Group Inc, said it disagreed with the agency’s findings. The temporary freeze on the FDA order lasts at least until July 12, according to the court’s scheduling order.
