Press Releases - Altria

RICHMOND, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 12, 2012--

Philip Morris USA (PM USA) today said that the Madison County Circuit Court denied the plaintiffs’ request to reopen the Price “Lights” case.

“The trial court correctly recognized that the plaintiffs could not meet their burden of proof to reopen the judgment,” said Murray Garnick, Altria Client Services senior vice president and associate general counsel, speaking on behalf of PM USA. “Specifically, the plaintiffs did not show that they would have been successful before the Illinois Supreme Court.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now prohibits the use of “Lights” and other descriptors unless a manufacturer receives authorization to use the terms. The FDA began regulating tobacco products in 2009 with the passage of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.