Philip Morris International eyes a smoke-free future

By Faten Omar

KUWAIT: Tobacco is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced, killing more than 8 million people a year, including around 1.2 million deaths from exposure to second-hand smoke, according to World Health Organization. Although the majority of smokers know the risks, yet many plan to never quit. With their message 'If you don't smoke, don't start. If you smoke, quit. If you don't quit, change.' Kuwait Times visited the Cube, Philip Morris International's (PMI) research and development center located in Neuchatel, Switzerland, to learn more about PMI's reduced-risk products and its vision for a smoke-free future.

During the trip sponsored by Philip Morris, Kuwait Times learned more about the steps the company is taking toward a smoke-free future. They are determine to decrease the danger associated with tobacco smoking, particularly among young people, so the research team invented heated-not-burn tobacco products that aim to achieve an era without smoking.

Tommaso Di Giovanni, Vice President of International Communications at PMI, said Philip Morris International has been working hard over the last few years to achieve a smoke-free environment, noting that it is actively working to expand and evolve into a broader lifestyle, consumer wellness and healthcare company.

PMI has been leveraging careful research and development at The Cube facility for over a decade and has more recently set an ambitious target of having its smoke-free products account for 50 percent of total revenue by 2025. Giovanni explained that PMI aims to completely phase out cigarettes and replace them with better products, where they are working toward extending their value proposition and innovative capability to commercialize products that go beyond tobacco and nicotine.

He explained that smoke-free products are not for people who do not use tobacco or nicotine products. "Smoke-free products are intended for one audience - adult nicotine product users. Tobacco harm reduction can complement already existing tobacco control measures like prevention and cessation and encourage adult smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke to switch to scientifically substantiated better alternatives than cigarettes," he said.

Giovanni mentioned that PMI has more than 930 employees including scientists, engineers, technicians, and support staff. "Philip Morris International has invested over $9 billion. It is the 45th largest patent filer in EU, the only tobacco company in the top 100 and has over 425 peer-reviewed publications and chapters on smoke-free products."

Manager Study Outsourcing at PMI, Ashraf Elamin, gave a scientific overview to the media. "Harm reduction uses these advances to reduce the negative effects of potentially harmful behaviors. The reduction in harmful chemicals does not mean they're risk-free. They still deliver nicotine, which while addictive, is not the primary cause of smoking-related diseases." PMI's smoke-free products launched in key cities in 70 markets, where approximately 13.2 million adult smokers around the world have already switched to IQOS. It expects IQOS to be in 100 markets in the next five years.

Companies like PMI are embracing business transformation so they can be more accountable for their actions. In fact, studies show that over 90 percent of consumers admire brands and organizations that are transparent about their business. PMI's research and development efforts are focused on the science behind the harmful effects of smoking, and how the very power of scientific research can validate the creation and production of preferred alternatives.

PMI's ambition is for smoke-free products to account for more than 50 percent of total net revenues by 2025. It believes that with the right regulatory frameworks, dialogue, and support from civil society, cigarette sales can end within 10 to 15 years in many countries. The company's current product portfolio primarily consists of cigarettes and smoke-free products, including heat-not-burn, vapor, and oral nicotine products, which are sold in markets around the world.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also authorized the marketing of versions of PMI's IQOS Platform 1 devices and consumables as modified risk tobacco products (MRTPs), finding that exposure modification orders for these products are appropriate to promote public health.In 2009 PMI launched 'The Cube'; the company is committed to investing in novel technologies and contributing significantly to the innovation landscape. PMI is hoping to inform smokers that alternative products can be just as satisfactory without anything near the amount of harm of cigarettes.

Not every business that develops a new transformational model succeeds in the process. It takes rigorous innovation and constant learning and relearning within the business, plus dedication and sound investment into research and development capabilities, to achieve lasting business transformation. As PMI continues to work towards a smoke free future, the company recognizes that successful absolution of its core product is a long-term process. Its longstanding commitment to research and development efforts at the Cube, however, is an indication that the company is on the right path.