Judge IQOS on science

The chief operating officer at the Truth Initiative, Dave Dobbins, has said the US Food and Drug Administration should review Philip Morris International’s toxicology tests and replicate them before approving its IQOS heated-tobacco system, according to a story by Lydia Wheeler for The Hill.

PMI has two applications before the FDA. One is a Premarket Tobacco Application that was submitted on March 31 for its IQOS system with Marlboro Heatsticks, Marlboro Smooth Menthol Heatsticks and Marlboro Fresh Menthol Heatsticks; the Heatsticks comprising the consumable item. The FDA must approve the application before the products can be legally marketed and sold in the US.

The other is a Modified Risk Tobacco Product application that was submitted in December to market the products as lower-risk.

Dobbins said the tobacco industry had a history of questionable scientific practices over the years.

“For example, the tobacco industry knew for years tobacco was addictive and deadly before they would admit it,” Wheeler quoted him as saying. It’s not impossible they could do something good; I’m more saying it’s important to verify their data.”

Meanwhile, Corey Henry, a spokesman for PMI, said in an e-mail to The Hill that his company welcomed scrutiny of the product.

‘You don’t have to trust or believe us,’ he said. ‘You don’t have to take our word for it. But what we ask is that people have an open mind.’

Wheeler’s piece is at: http://thehill.com/regulation/healthcare/347546-tobacco-giant-asks-the-fda-to-approve-less-risky-cigarette.