Altria Loses Bid to Halt ITC Patent Probe Over NJoy Vape Imports

Altria Group Inc. failed to pause a trade agency probe seeking to block US imports of its NJoy units’ vaping devices.

The US International Trade Commission can continue reviewing Juul Labs Inc.'s bid to block imports of NJoy devices because Altria didn’t show it was likely to prove the agency is unconstitutionally handling patent-based import disputes, Judge Robert E. Payne said. He denied Altria’s preliminary injunction motion in a Thursday opinion and order in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

The ITC two weeks ago said it will review a trade judge’s first-round decision invalidating the ...