Philip Morris International says it has taken another step towards a smoke-free future by entering a strategic collaboration with Parallax, a Canadian-based start-up.
‘The agreement focuses on advancing the development and commercialization of an effective nicotine-delivery system that leverages the most advanced technologies in pulmonary medicine,’ PMI said in a note posted on its website.
‘The co-founders of Parallax, Drs. Noe Zamel and Arthur Slutsky, are Canadian leaders in pulmonary research and medicine, with global reputations and more than 750 peer-reviewed publications between them. For years, they have been firm believers in tobacco harm reduction: the policy of providing safer alternatives to people who smoke as a complement to measures meant to encourage quitting and discourage people from starting to smoke.
‘Since its founding, Parallax has assembled a world-class team of experts in formulation, device design, pharmaceutical quality manufacturing, product research and consumer insights.’
Prof. Manuel Peitsch, PMI’s chief scientific officer, said that science and technology would be essential to a future where all men and women who smoked switched to better alternatives. “Our collaboration with Parallax, founded by world-renowned experts in pulmonary research and technology, is another step forward and will give us access to innovative technologies and expertise.”
Meanwhile, Zamel and Slutsky were quoted as saying: “As physicians and co-founders of Parallax, we believe that to save lives requires technology, innovation, and a paradigm shift in the mainstreaming of the concept of harm reduction”.
And Steven Ellis, Parallax’s CEO, was quoted as saying: “Our team couldn’t be more excited about this next step in our journey – working with the global leader in smoke-free innovation and collaborating with its scientific team in fulfilling our joint mission of replacing what we all know is the most harmful delivery system for nicotine – the cigarette – with innovative alternatives that clearly move smokers to a better place in the harm reduction continuum”.
Clearing the smoke
