US panel rejects Philip Morris claim iQOS tobacco device cuts disease risk

Reuters
Thu 25 Jan 2018 20.44 GMT Last modified on Thu 25 Jan 2018 20.53 GMT

Philip Morris International Inc should not be allowed to claim that its iQOS electronic tobacco device can reduce the risk of tobacco-related diseases compared with cigarettes, an advisory panel to the US Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday.

The panel concluded that Philip Morris had not proven that iQOS – a sleek, pen-like device that heats tobacco rather than burning it – reduces harm compared with cigarettes. The company’s shares were down 2.8% at $107.50 on Thursday afternoon after falling as much as 6.8%.

IQOS is used by nearly 4 million people in 30 markets outside the United States but needs FDA authorization to be marketed in America.

The panel did conclude that the product exposes users to lower levels of harmful chemicals but said the company had not shown that lowering exposure to those chemicals is reasonably likely to translate into a measurable reduction in disease or death. Philip Morris needs to show both in order to claim the product modifies the risk of cigarettes.

-snip-