US Judge Rejects Zyn Nicotine Pouches Price Monopoly Lawsuit

September 25, 2025- According to a recent report by Reuters, Philip Morris International and its subsidiary Swedish Match have won a class action lawsuit accusing their tobacco free nicotine pouches “Zyn” of overcharging consumers.

US judge rejects Zyn nicotine pouches price monopoly lawsuit, plaintiff claims $5 million unsupported

Case outcome: Philip Morris International and its subsidiary Swedish Match have won a class action lawsuit accusing their tobacco free nicotine pouches “Zyn” of overcharging consumers.
Lawsuit initiation and claims: The lawsuit was filed in 2024, and the plaintiff seeks class action status, claiming over $5 million in damages, while also requesting the court to declare the acquisition of Swedish Match by Philip Morris International in 2022 illegal.
The plaintiff’s accusation is based on the plaintiff’s claim that after acquiring Swedish Match for $16 billion, Philip Morris International suppressed competition in the “Modern Oral Nicotine” pouches market, and the merged company used this to raise Zyn prices, violating antitrust laws.
Reason for the judge’s ruling: The plaintiff did not provide specific factual evidence of “price changes” or “innovation reduction”, and the market share of Swedish Match did not change after the acquisition, so it cannot be proven that the transaction harmed market competition.
Follow up attitude: Philip Morris International and Swedish Match welcomed the dismissal of the lawsuit in a statement, stating that they are “pleased that this matter has been resolved” and previously denied any inappropriate behavior.
Product and Industry Background: Zyn is the only nicotine pouches product approved by the US FDA and sold in small can packaging; The current scrutiny of nicotine pouches manufacturers in the United States is becoming increasingly strict, and companies are promoting traditional tobacco alternatives.

US District Judge David Novak in Richmond, Virginia, stated that the plaintiff failed to provide reasonable grounds to prove that the $16 billion acquisition of Swedish Match by Philip Morris International caused harm to competition in the “modern oral nicotine” pouches market.
The lawsuit filed in 2024 claims that Philip Morris International’s acquisition of Swedish Match in 2022 suppressed market competition, allowing the merged company to raise prices, which violated antitrust laws.
Philip Mo International and Swedish Match stated in a statement that they welcome the rejection of the lawsuit and are “pleased that this matter has been resolved”.
The plaintiff’s lawyer has not immediately responded to the request for comment. The defendant has previously denied any inappropriate behavior.

At present, the scrutiny of nicotine pouches manufacturers in the United States is becoming increasingly strict, and various companies are launching alternatives to traditional tobacco products. This ruling is made against this backdrop. Among them, Zyn is the only nicotine pouches product approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Zyn is sold in small can packaging and comes in various flavors and nicotine concentrations.
This time, consumers are seeking class action qualifications and claiming over 5 million US dollars, while also requesting the court to declare the merger transaction illegal.

When applying to dismiss the lawsuit, the defendant company claimed that the lawsuit “only contains conclusive allegations and popular antitrust terms, but there is no factual basis to reasonably demonstrate that the disputed transaction has harmed market competition”.
Judge Novak stated in the judgment that the plaintiff “did not provide any specific factual basis regarding price changes or innovation reductions”. He also stated that Swedish Match’s market share has not changed after the acquisition by Philip Morris International.
The judge ultimately made a rejection judgment prohibiting the plaintiff from bringing a new lawsuit on the same matter.