--- title: What we Learned at ATNF 2026 description: Summary of the ATNF Conference in Leesburg, covering PMTA developments, FDA insights, AI in regulation, and trends in reduced-risk nicotine products. image: https://www.broughton-group.com/hubfs/WhatsApp%20Image%202026-04-20%20at%2020.48.36.jpeg --- # What we Learned at ATNF 2026 ### Nicotine ![](https://www.broughton-group.com/hubfs/WhatsApp%20Image%202026-04-20%20at%2020.48.36.jpeg) Apr 27, 2026 | Published by  [ Andrew Mooney ](https://www.broughton-group.com/blog/author/andrew-mooney) Nicotine, Events The ATNF Conference in Leesburg brought together industry leaders, regulators, and innovators for three days of focused discussion on the evolving landscape of reduced-risk products in the United States. The event stood out for its clarity, practical insights, and increasingly constructive dialogue between stakeholders. **Day 1** opened with a panel on innovation, setting a positive tone. Dr Anna Franzen of Emplicure emphasized that clear regulatory frameworks don’t hinder innovation, they guide it. Anna highlighted the importance of early-stage testing to identify risks and avoid costly missteps later in development. Amber Sandrock of Shelf Partners (JOEY) complemented this perspective by focusing on commercialization realities. Amber noted that successful manufacturing scale-up depends on three pillars: a skilled team, sufficient investment, and maintaining a relentless focus on the end consumer. The following session explored the hot topic of artificial intelligence. The overarching message was unmistakable: embrace AI or risk falling behind. However, speakers stressed that AI is not infallible— accuracy remains a challenge, as was noted by Dr Jessica Zdinak of ARAC, and continuous validation is essential to ensure reliable outputs in regulatory and scientific contexts. **Day 2, which I would call “FDA Day,” **featured senior representatives from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, including Dr Bret Koplow and Cristi Starc. Attendees welcomed the refreshingly clear communication. Notably, the FDA outlined plans to issue “lessons learned” guidance following the pouch pilot project, with applicability across all reduced-risk product categories. Encouragingly, a more streamlined PMTA review process is emerging, featuring increased two-way communication between regulators and applicants. One of the most significant announcements was that the PMTA acceptance queue is effectively obsolete - ending the era of placeholder PMTA submissions entirely. Phased PMTA submissions now clearly require a substantial weight of Appropriate for the Protection of Public Health (APPH) evidence to avoid rejection. Choose your PMTA project partners, such as Broughton, carefully to ensure they have the required level of expertise and you receive accurate and up-to-date PMTA submission guidance. **Day 3** shifted focus to enforcement and litigation, rounding out the conference with a realistic view of market challenges. Overall, the ATNF Conference was exceptionally well executed by Chris Greer and his team and was well attended by major stakeholders. It reflected meaningful progress toward regulatory clarity in the U.S., a development long sought by industry stakeholders and one that signals a more structured and predictable future. ### Sign up to our newsletter Ensure your business stays ahead of the competition by keeping up to date with the latest industry news. 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