Category: News This Week

FDA Outlines Steps After PMTA deadline

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has outlined the next steps for products with a submitted premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) now that the Sept. 9 deadline has passed.

According to the FDA, the process will consist of three phases. Phase one is acceptance of the application. Phase two is notification or filing, and phase three consists of review and action. The FDA website notes that “the PMTA process also includes a fourth phase for post-market reporting.”

The FDA plans to prioritize enforcement against electronic nicotine-delivery system (ENDS) products that are still being sold and that don’t have PMTAs submitted as well as any other “deemed new tobacco product” that does not have a submitted PMTA.

The FDA will not enforce the premarket review requirement for premium cigars.
September 23, 2020
‘Insufficient Progress on Harm Reduction’
Most of the 15 largest tobacco companies are not making substantial progress in advancing harm reduction, according to The Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (FSFW).
According to the foundation’s first Tobacco Transformation Index, some companies have made public commitments—backed by significant investments—to harm reduction, but many companies have not made these commitments. Committing to and implementing harm reduction and cessation strategies could help reduce tobacco-related deaths in the next two decades, according to the FSFW.
“The Tobacco Transformation Index is the first index to rank the world’s largest 15 tobacco companies on their relative performance, commitment and transparency to deliver material progress in supporting tobacco harm reduction,” according to a press release. The index assesses the companies’ strategy and management, product sales, capital allocation, product offer, marketing, and lobbying and advocacy from 2017 to 2019.
Swedish Match is ranked in first position. Philip Morris International, British American Tobacco, Altria, Imperial Brands, Japan Tobacco, KT&G, ITC Ltd., Swisher International, Tobacco Authority of Thailand, Vietnam National Tobacco, Gudang Garam, Djarum, Eastern Co. and China National Tobacco Corp. follow Swedish Match in the overall rankings.
September 22, 2020
Qom Designated Smoke-Free City

Photo: mostafa meraji from Pixabay
Iran declared Qom as the country’s first tobacco-free city, reports The Tehran Times.

The announcement starts a five-year plan that will eventually include 63 cities and 63 villages in the country. The plan will regulate the sale, supply and use of tobacco to protect people from secondhand smoke. Direct and indirect incentive mechanisms will be restricted, and tobacco users will be encouraged to quit smoking.

The plan is expected to gradually reduce the prevalence of smoking in the targeted areas.
September 22, 2020
PMI to Present During General Assembly

Photo: © James Steidl – Dreamstime.com
Andre Calantzopoulos
Philip Morris International (PMI) CEO Andre Calantzopoulos and Chief Operating Officer Jacek Olczak will discuss the role of science in driving innovation, progress and policy in a series of events over the course of the United Nations General Assembly this week.
Jacek Olczak
Events will take place between Sept. 21 and Oct. 1 and can be found on the PMI’s website.
The speeches and panel participation follow the launch of PMI’s latest white paper, “In Support of the Primacy of Science,” presenting findings from an independent survey, conducted by Povaddo for PMI, of more than 19,000 adults across 19 countries and territories.
The results show that citizens around the world want governments, public authorities and private businesses to prioritize science and facts when tackling critical global issues.
September 21, 2020
Leaf Traders Report Losses in Zimbabwe

Photo: Taco Tuinstra
Several tobacco merchants have seen losses estimated at $20 million by some industry players due to lower than expected output and side marketing, reports The Herald, citing the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB).

Due to drought, there was a 29 percent drop in crop production to 179 million kg from 252 million kg last year. This year’s crop projection was 233 million kg.

Andrew Matibiri, TIMB CEO, said that side marketing is “rampant;” about 80 percent of tobacco farmers in the country are financed under contract schemes. “Side marketing takes place when parties to the contract violate the agreement, either when a farmer chooses to sell to other merchants or when a company buys from farmers it has not contracted,” according to the Herald. This practice almost caused the cotton industry to collapse.

Many tobacco farmers cannot borrow from banks to finance their operations, so they go into contract arrangements where merchants finance the farmers and then recover their money from the crop proceeds. Due to travel restrictions to stop the spread of the coronavirus, side marketing was more prevalent, and some merchants took advantage of that by buying directly from farmers.
September 21, 2020
German Upper House OKs Ad Restrictions

Photo: Tuayai |Dreamstime
Germany’s Upper House has approved legislation that will further restrict tobacco advertising, according to Xinhua.
The legislation will begin to take effect in 2021: Movies will not be allowed to advertise tobacco products and the distribution of free samples outside specialty stores will not be allowed. Beginning in 2022, outdoor advertising for conventional tobacco products will be banned. From 2023, the ban will include tobacco heaters, and in 2024, the ban will include e-cigarettes.
Germany is currently the only European Union country to still allow tobacco advertising in public spaces.
“Many studies prove that tobacco advertising increases the attractiveness of tobacco products, in particular among children and young people,” said Klaus Reinhardt, president of the German Medical Association.
The ban is aimed at protecting public health and the health of young people.
September 21, 2020
Hoffmann Webinar on Cannabis Packaging

Illustration: Hoffmann Neopac
Hoffmann Neopac will host a webinar exploring best packaging practices for the burgeoning North American cannabis market. Scheduled for Sept. 29 at 2 pm EST, the hour-long webinar will feature executive-level Hoffmann Neopac presenters well-versed in the cannabis packaging landscape.
The presentation will feature customer case studies, in which cannabis manufacturers who have partnered with Hoffmann Neopac share insight on differentiating brands in an increasingly competitive marketplace via child-resistant, sustainable packaging solutions.
Those attending will receive an in-depth overview on the state-by-state U.S. medicinal and recreational regulations, and on business trends for various cannabis formats—including edibles, flowers, pre-rolls, tobacco and creams—on which marijuana is leaving its mark. Presenters will also provide an update on the sector’s strength as it emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic.
The webinar will also highlight Hoffmann Neopac’s dual packaging specialties—tins and tubes—and how they can be employed to meet child-resistance requirements and sustainability demands while providing exemplary product protection and on-shelf aesthetics.

September 21, 2020
Kunze-Concewitz Joins Imperial Brands’ Board

Imperial Brands has appointed Bob Kunze-Concewitz to the board effective Nov. 1, 2020.
Kunze-Concewitz has a wealth of international business experience and is particularly skilled at marketing, having held a number of senior roles at leading fast-moving consumer goods companies. These include Global Prestige Products corporate marketing director at Procter & Gamble and group marketing director at Campari Group. He has been the chief executive officer of Campari Group for the past 13 years.
“I am delighted to welcome Bob to the board,” said Therese Esperdy, chair of Imperial Brands’ board in a statement. “He has a strong track record of successfully executing brand and marketing strategies, and his experience and expertise will be a great addition to the board’s skill set.”
Kunze-Concewitz will also join the remuneration committee effective Nov. 1, 2020.
September 21, 2020
TTI to Start Distribution of Synthetic Nicotine

Photo: Martinmark – Dreamstime.com
Tobacco Technology Inc. (TTI) and its wholly owned subsidiaries e-LiquiTech and TTI Flavors will start distributing their patented SyNic synthetic (S)- nicotine in November.
SyNic USP/EP, SyNic nicotine bitartrate and SyNic polacrilex resin are manufactured in U.S. Food and Drug Administration-registered current good manufacturing practices facilities. These products have confirmed purity levels of more than 99.9 percent, (S)- levels of more than 99.7 percent and are free of tobacco-specific nitrosamines and carcinogens.
“Coupled with e-LiquiTech’s exclusive distribution, competitive pricing and carrying the eLiquiTech guarantee, these products will be available only to responsible partners operating within the regulatory guidelines of the global tobacco industry,” TTI said in an announcement.
For more information, please send an e-mail to sales@eLiquiTech.com.
September 21, 2020
Ashrafian Joins BAT as Chief Medical Officer

Photo: BAT
British American Tobacco (BAT) has appointed Hutan Ashrafian as chief medical officer.
Ashrafian will be responsible for overall medical governance and ensuring robust medical processes and oversight are applied to all aspects of BAT’s clinical studies and post-market surveillance.
In a press note, BAT said it is committed to reducing the health impact of its business through offering a range of enjoyable and less risky products. According to the company, Ashrafian will play a key role in the ongoing development and expansion of BAT’s multi-category approach, which offers consumers a wide range of potentially lower risk alternatives to cigarettes including e-cigarettes, tobacco heated products and modern oral nicotine pouches.
Specifically, he will provide medical oversight to both BAT’s human research committee and product stewardship council. Ashrafian will also play an important role in helping to define and generate evidence that supports and substantiates the tobacco harm reduction potential of BAT’s new categories from a disease perspective.
“We are delighted to have Hutan join BAT and become a member of the R&D leadership team,” said David O’Reilly, BAT’s director of scientific research. “The chief medical officer has always been a critical role at BAT as we strive to ensure all of the studies we undertake are of the highest standards from a quality and integrity perspective. His appointment will provide even greater confidence in our products for the science community and ultimately, consumers. It also demonstrates our ongoing commitment to delivering ‘A Better Tomorrow’ by ensuring the quality and efficacy of our new category products.”
Ashrafian is a senior clinician-scientist and surgeon. He has led large research and clinical teams, working at population and precision medicine levels, to achieve the highest quality real world evidence and translational healthcare. He has extensive experience in strategy and driving national and international health policy with cabinet-level politicians, civil servants, and heads of state.
Ashrafian qualified in medicine at University College London where he was also awarded an honors degree in immunology and cell pathology. His training in surgery also led to the award of the Arris & Gale lectureship at the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He holds a PhD in computational physiology and metabolic surgery from Imperial College London and a health economics-focused MBA with distinction from Warwick Business School.

September 18, 2020