In what turned out not to be an April Fool’s Day joke, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy, sent a letter urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to use its authority to clear the market of e-cigarettes for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic and use all available tools to encourage Americans to stop smoking and vaping.
Earlier this week, FDA asked a federal court to delay by four months its order requiring e-cigarette manufacturers to submit applications to remain on the market by May 12, 2020, according to a statement from, according to a statement for the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.
The Subcommittee did not oppose this request, but instead asked FDA to take the following steps for the duration of the coronavirus crisis:
(1) use all available tools to encourage Americans to stop smoking combustible cigarettes and using e-cigarettes;| (2) suspend all approvals of Premarket Tobacco Product Applications; and (3) commit to immediately clearing the market of all e-cigarettes by prioritizing enforcement against them.
The U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA), the country’s largest trade body representing the vapor sector, has moved to reassure vapers and smokers that the industry is still very much “open for business” despite the closure of shops following the government’s lockdown.
In addition to online retailers and manufacturing facilities operating as usual, physical store owners are focusing on ramping up their e-commerce operations via their websites, with others setting up home delivery services.
“Vaping businesses are by nature extremely entrepreneurial and agile and a number are repurposing their business models to continue to serve their customers,” said John Dunne, a director at the UKVIA. “Specialist online retailers are also reporting significant increases in demand during the lockdown.”
“It is critical during these highly stressful times that vapers have access to vape products to prevent them from taking the backward step and reverting to smoking. Likewise, it enables smokers looking to quit to switch to vaping.
“The UKVIA has published a list of its retail members who provide online and home delivery services so that vapers and smokers can simply access vape devices and e-liquids during the lockdown period.”
The UKVIA has issued a guide to coronavirus for all its members that not only provides government guidance but also highlights a range of best practice health and safety measures to implement in the workplace to ensure the wellbeing of workers and customers.
Kentucky BioProcessing (KBP), a subsidiary of British American Tobacco (BAT), is developing a potential vaccine for Covid-19 and is now in pre-clinical testing. If testing goes well, BAT is hopeful that, with the right partners and support from government agencies, between 1 million and 3 million doses of the vaccine could be manufactured per week, beginning in June.
While KBP remains a commercial operation, the intention is that its work around the Covid-19 vaccine project will be carried out on a not for profit basis.
The vaccine in development uses BAT’s proprietary, fast-growing tobacco plant technology which has several advantages over conventional vaccine production technology:
It is potentially safer given that tobacco plants can’t host pathogens which cause human disease.
It is faster because the elements of the vaccine accumulate in tobacco plants much more quickly—six weeks in tobacco plants versus several months using conventional methods.
The vaccine formulation KBP is developing remains stable at room temperature, unlike conventional vaccines which often require refrigeration.
It has the potential to deliver an effective immune response in a single dose.
BAT’s U.S. subsidiary, Reynolds American Inc., acquired KBP in 2014, with the aim of using some of its unique tobacco extraction technology to aid further development of its new category non-combustible products.
In 2014, KBP made headlines as one of the few companies with an effective treatment for Ebola, having manufactured ZMapp with California-based company Mapp BioPharmaceuticals in partnership with the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).
KBP recently cloned a portion of Covid-19’s genetic sequence which led to the development of a potential antigen—a substance which induces an immune response in the body and in particular, the production of antibodies. This antigen was then inserted into tobacco plants for reproduction and, once the plants were harvested, the antigen was then purified, and is now undergoing pre-clinical testing.
BAT is now exploring partnerships with government agencies to bring its vaccine to clinical studies as soon as possible. Through collaborations with government and third-party manufacturers, BAT believes that between 1 million and 3 million doses per week could be manufactured.
David O’Reilly
“We are engaged with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and are seeking guidance on next steps,” said David O’Reilly, director of scientific research at BAT. “We have also engaged with the U.K.’s Department for Health and Social Care, and BARDA in the U.S., to offer our support and access to our research with the aim of trying to expedite the development of a vaccine for Covid-19.
“Vaccine development is challenging and complex work, but we believe we have made a significant break-through with our tobacco plant technology platform and stand ready to work with governments and all stakeholders to help win the war against Covid-19. We fully align with the United Nations plea, for a whole-of-society approach to combat global problems.
“KBP has been exploring alternative uses of the tobacco plant for some time. One such alternative use is the development of plant-based vaccines. We are committed to contributing to the global effort to halt the spread of Covid-19 using this technology.”
ITG Brands is donating $50,000 to support those impacted by the coronavirus in the Greensboro, North Carolina, USA, community.
The contribution comes in response to the United Way of Greater Greensboro’s request for members of the community to assist its humanitarian efforts in the face of this unprecedented crisis affecting the entire community.
“We share United Way of Greater Greensboro’s concerns—and, indeed, a concern shared around the world—regarding Covid-19,” said Oliver Kutz, Chairman and CEO of ITG Brands. “Our contribution to the United Way of Greater Greensboro’s virus relief fund is one small way we can help our community as we focus on the safety of our employees, customers and the broader community.”
ITG Brands has previously supported relief efforts from a special relief fund designated for natural disasters, such as hurricanes, tornados and earthquakes.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has requested a 120-day extension to the May 12 premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) deadline due to complications associated with the coronavirus.
The FDA submitted a letter to the Maryland District Court requesting that Judge Grimm, the judge who ordered the original deadline, postpone the court-ordered May 12 PMTA deadline to Sept. 9.
The FDA cited lab and research organization closures; travel restrictions creating limits on information gathering; factory closures; the reallocation of some Center for Tobacco Products employees to the U.S. Public Health Service; and FDA employees working remotely, making it difficult to review applications.
The FDA’s request follows an earlier request from Altria to extend the PMTA deadline and letters from more than 15 manufacturers requesting extensions.
As of February 2020, the FDA has received 30 PMTAs for e-cigarettes and 28 substantial equivalence applications for cigars.
Philip Morris International’s (PMI) Greek affiliate Papastratos donated 50 ventilators to a hospital in Greece to help “flatten the curve” after the coronavirus outbreak.
Stavros Drakoularakos, PMI’s director of communications for Greece, said he was “sky-high proud” and said that it was “proof of what sheer will and collaboration between all can achieve.”
Anti-tobacco advocates, however, have been criticizing the move, stating that it was simply a publicity stunt. “If smoking does predispose people to having adverse outcomes during Covid-19, it is a funny position to be giving ventilators but selling a product that leads to worse outcomes,” said Constantine Vardavas, a research associate at the University of Crete’s school of medicine.
“We were happy to help the Greek government fulfill a critical need by sourcing this lifesaving equipment,” said Moira Gilchrist, vice president at PMI.
VApril, an annual campaign to help U.K. smokers transition to vaping, will launch on April 1 and is going digital following the coronavirus outbreak.
Now in its third year, VApril is the world’s largest vaping consumer education campaign. This year, the campaign will harness digital platforms to reach out to U.K. smokers and vapers during the coronavirus lockdown and continue to provide specialist advice for those trying to quit smoking.
VApril follows the latest Vaping Evidence Review published by Public Health England (PHE) in March, which indicated that misinformation has led to false fears about vaping, preventing more smokers from make the switch.
“Normally during VApril, our members’ retail stores host expert classes across the country to educate smokers on everything to do with vaping, but this year, we’ve had to change tact to safeguard the welfare of smokers and vapers during the month, and therefore we will be engaging audiences through digital media,” said John Dunne, a director of the U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA), which organizes and coordinates VApril.
“Our VApril campaign aims to address the misinformation out there and give smokers all the evidence-backed advice and information that they need to make informed decisions about vaping and to give them peace of mind.”
An online hub is now live to support the campaign, where smokers can access information and expert advice covering vapor devices, flavors and nicotine levels.
Smokers can download a special “Switch on to Vaping” guide and pose questions online to an industry expert panel. A number of vapers also share their positive life-changing experiences of making the switch from smoking to vaping, and there is a vaper’s guide to coronavirus.
Vaping companies and associations in the U.K. and internationally can contact UKVIA to gain free access to all the campaign’s materials.
Altria has sent a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting that the agency push back the May 12 authorization deadline by eight weeks due to the coronavirus outbreak.
In order to keep certain tobacco and nicotine products on the market, companies must submit applications to the FDA by May 12, but many companies have been disrupted due to the virus outbreak; many companies have asked employees to work from home, factories have temporarily closed and Altria’s CEO contracted the virus.
Altria has requested that the FDA seek an extension following the eight-week social distancing recommendation from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Although we make this request and raise these issues given these unprecedented times, we remain committed to working with the agency on these important product submissions,” Paige Magness, Altria’s senior vice president, said in a letter. The company has asked that if an extension is not possible the FDA allow companies to submit data and product samples after the deadline if they are affected by the outbreak.
Imperial Tobacco’s factory in Petone, New Zealand, has been listed as an essential business by the government, allowing it to stay operational amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) stated that “ongoing supply of consumer goods needs to continue.”
“The suppliers to an essential business are also considered an essential business, including those who sell cigarettes. However, it can only sell to the essential business. It cannot be open to the public,” the MBIE said.
“Imperial can supply the demand safely,” an Imperial spokesperson said. “The number of factory staff has been reduced and are working to a production layout and shift format that maintains physical distance between them.”
Not everyone is happy about the facility remaining open, however. “We’re dealing with a major health crisis and it doesn’t seem to make any sense that a tobacco factory that produces cigarettes is an essential service when so many other [industries] have been required to shut down,” said Richard Edwards, a professor at the University of Otago and part of the Asthma Foundation’s scientific advisory board.
VPZ, the U.K.’s largest vapor product retailer, has closed its 155 stores.
The company originally expected the U.K. to follow the example of other European countries by allowing vapor stores to remain open to prevent ex-smokers from moving back to vaping. However, the U.K. has not clarified its stance on vape shops. VPZ staff will continue to receive their full pay during the three-week lockdown.
“We are disappointed with the lack of clarification from the government regarding where vaping retailers stand,” said Doug Mutter, director of compliance and manufacturing for VPZ.
“Other European nations had recognized the work vaping specialists do in reducing the stress on health services and kept the local stores open. We had expected this to be the case and had begun investing in new processes in order to manage our business in such an environment. However, without sufficient clarification and in the interest of keeping our staff and customers safe, we have [made] the decision to close all 155 stores as of Tuesday for the next three weeks.”
Altria has sent a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting that the agency push back the May 12 authorization deadline by eight weeks due to the coronavirus outbreak.
