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Category: Science & Innovation

  • Study: Time to Age Tobacco Leaves Shortened

    Study: Time to Age Tobacco Leaves Shortened

    Researchers in China explored how microbial aging affects the flavor quality of flue-cured tobacco and reported that under controlled conditions for 12 months, they were able to replicate results that typically take two to three years to occur naturally.

    Bacillus, particularly Bacillus velezensis TB-1, was identified as a key microorganism linked to aroma development during aging.

    Using solid-state fermentation, B. velezensis TB-1 was applied to low-grade tobacco leaves, significantly boosting levels of important volatile compounds like 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol, megastigmatrienone, and 2-methyl-hexanoic acid, which are associated with desirable flavors. Sensory evaluation confirmed improved aroma and taste, demonstrating a promising strategy for enhancing tobacco quality through microbial fermentation.

    The initial findings were filed with Frontiers in Microbiology today (June 17), with a formal paper expected to be published soon.

  • CAPHRA: Facts, Not Myths, Must Guide Harm Reduction

    CAPHRA: Facts, Not Myths, Must Guide Harm Reduction

    The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) released a new white paper, “Understanding Nicotine: The Facts, Not the Myths,” warning that persistent misinformation about nicotine is undermining global efforts to reduce smoking-related harm.

    “Nicotine is not what causes cancer or heart disease. It’s the toxic smoke from burning tobacco that kills,” said Nancy Loucas, Executive Coordinator of CAPHRA. “Decades of fear-based messaging have confused the public and even health professionals.”

    CAPHRA’s research highlights that over 60% of smokers still mistakenly believe nicotine is the primary cause of cancer, discouraging them from switching to vastly safer smoke-free alternatives like vapes, nicotine pouches, patches, and gums.

    The white paper emphasizes that while nicotine can lead to dependence, its use in non-combustible forms carries only a fraction of the risk associated with smoking. CAPHRA urges governments to embrace risk-proportionate policies and stop demonizing nicotine.

    “It’s time to move beyond outdated myths and focus on harm reduction strategies that save lives,” Loucas said. “Public health policies must be grounded in science, not stigma.”

  • Nicotine May Improve Cognitive Issues

    Nicotine May Improve Cognitive Issues

    A growing body of research suggests that nicotine patches and gum, traditionally used to help people quit smoking, may offer off-label benefits for treating various cognitive issues like ADHD, Alzheimer’s, brain fog, schizophrenia, depression, and Parkinson’s disease. Doctors like Edward Levin (Duke University) and Paul Newhouse (Vanderbilt) have found that nicotine can stimulate brain receptors tied to attention and memory.

    One 2023 study reported that nicotine patches improved concentration in long COVID brain fog sufferers, sparking interest from users like Slate writer Hannah Singleton, who found that low-dose nicotine gum dramatically improved her focus.

    Unlike tobacco products, nicotine patches deliver the substance in controlled, low-risk doses, making them potentially safe for non-smokers. However, experts caution that this remains experimental, with no FDA-approved protocols yet. Still, amid ongoing stimulant shortages, nicotine’s role as a cognitive aid is gaining attention.

  • Study: Switching to Vapes, HTPs Boosts Fitness in Just Weeks

    Study: Switching to Vapes, HTPs Boosts Fitness in Just Weeks

    A study published in Scientific Reports reveals that smokers who switch to electronic cigarettes or heated tobacco products (HTPs) can achieve significant improvements in aerobic capacity as early as four weeks after quitting cigarettes. The study, led by researchers at the Center of Excellence for the Acceleration of Harm Reduction (CoEHAR) of the University of Catania in Italy, provides the first-ever prospective evidence that substituting combustible cigarettes with noncombustible alternatives can measurably enhance cardiorespiratory performance.

    The study, a secondary analysis of the CEASEFIRE trial, used the Chester Step Test to monitor changes in VO₂max, the gold-standard metric for aerobic fitness. Smokers who either quit entirely or substantially reduced their cigarette consumption showed rapid and clinically meaningful increases in VO₂max. These gains were observed equally in users of e-cigs and HTPs, highlighting the potential of combustion-free products as harm reduction tools that also restore physical performance.

    “For young smokers, improved cardiovascular health or reduced cancer risk may seem like distant concerns,” said Riccardo Polosa, a professor at the university and co-author of the study. “But the promise of better fitness, faster recovery, and enhanced athletic performance speaks directly to their lifestyle and aspirations. This could be a more persuasive argument for quitting than traditional risk-based messaging.”

  • New Technology for Nicotine Pouches May Improve Oral Health

    New Technology for Nicotine Pouches May Improve Oral Health

    A new study suggests damage to the gums and oral lining caused by products like nicotine pouches or snus may be reversed by switching to a new, gum-protective technology. A team of researchers from universities and dental clinics in Sweden, Poland, Indonesia, Moldova, and the UK—with support from the Center of Excellence for the Acceleration of Harm Reduction (CoEHAR) in Catania—published the results of their pilot study in Acta Odontologica Scandinavica.

    Twenty-three Swedish dentists, all regular users of snus or nicotine pouches, participated in the five-week observational study. The participants switched exclusively to using a new technology nicotine pouch featuring a plant-based inner barrier, designed to protect sensitive tissues in the mouth by reducing direct contact with the gums and the oral mucosa from the contents of the pouch. Self-reported oral health status and photographic documentation of their oral conditions were noted before and after the study.

    The prevalence of self-reported snus lesions decreased from 95.7% to 69.6%. The severity of these lesions also decreased by 52%, with 39% of moderate-to-severe lesions completely disappearing by the end of the study. Self-reported cases of gingivitis (gum inflammation) were eliminated, and gingival irritation decreased by 90%.

    “Not all nicotine pouches are created equal. This is a positive step forward for tobacco harm reduction,” said Prof. Riccardo Polosa, founder of CoEHAR. “This development marks real progress in tobacco harm reduction. By engineering products that minimize risk and help smokers quit, we achieve an unequivocal win for public health.”

    The findings support the idea that technological innovation can make nicotine products less harmful, especially for adults seeking alternatives to smoking.

  • CAPHRA Issues Report on Suppressing, Distorting Information

    CAPHRA Issues Report on Suppressing, Distorting Information

    A new report from the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) raised concerns about the long-term consequences of suppressing or distorting scientific information during public health crises. Titled “The Cost of Concealment: The People Pay the Price,” the report examines how failures in transparency and accountability can erode public trust and compromise health outcomes. 

    The report identifies a recurring pattern in which political pressures, institutional interests, and reputational concerns have influenced how critical health information is communicated. This pattern, the report suggests, has been evident in past events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and more recently in the restructuring of the National Institutes of Health in the United States, and Argentina’s withdrawal from the World Health Organization.

    “In times of crisis, the public depends on officials and scientists to provide clear, objective, and timely information,” said Nancy Loucas, executive coordinator for CAPHRA. “When this duty is compromised, the consequences are measured not just in lost trust, but in lost lives.”

    The report emphasizes that limited transparency and selective reporting can have global ramifications, empowering misinformation, weakening public institutions, and leading to ineffective policy responses. It concludes with a call for renewed commitment to ethical standards, transparency, and scientific independence, and urges officials, researchers, and institutions to prioritize public welfare over political or personal interests.

    “When science is manipulated or dissenting views are silenced, it ceases to be a tool of discovery and becomes a tool of conformity,” said Clarisse Virgino, CAPHRA’s representative in the Philippines.

    Read the entire report here. 

  • ESPAD Ireland Sees All-Time Low in Smoking, Vape on Rise 

    ESPAD Ireland Sees All-Time Low in Smoking, Vape on Rise 

    Ireland recorded its lowest levels of teenage smoking and alcohol consumption in three decades, according to the 2024 Irish report of the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD). However, the findings saw increases in e-cigarette use, alternative nicotine products, and adolescent gambling.

    ESPAD Ireland said 12% of students reported being current smokers, with daily smoking falling to just 2%, both all-time lows in Ireland’s 30 years of participating in the survey. However, 32% of respondents said they had tried e-cigarettes, and 7% reported daily use. Of those who tried vaping, 76% never used a cigarette. Cannabis use also dropped from 19% in 2019 to 12% in 2024.

    “While the downward trend is encouraging, the data also reveals the continuing challenge: young people are still being drawn into tobacco and nicotine use—be it cigarettes, e-cigarettes, or emerging nicotine products,” said Jennifer Murnane O’Connor, Minister of State for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drug Strategy. “We must act decisively to break this cycle.”

  • Survey: Two-Thirds of U.S. Healthcare Practitioners are Mistaken About Nicotine

    Survey: Two-Thirds of U.S. Healthcare Practitioners are Mistaken About Nicotine

    A new survey, funded by Philip Morris International’s U.S. affiliates (PMI U.S.), has found that 47% of U.S. healthcare practitioners—rising to 59% among medical professionals who indicate that half or more of their patients smoke cigarettes—mistakenly believe nicotine is a carcinogen, despite scientific consensus that the harms of smoking primarily stem not from nicotine but from the burning of tobacco. Another 19% are unsure. Practitioners surveyed generally agree that smoke-free products—such as nicotine pouches and other noncombustible alternatives— are addictive and not risk free but still pose less risk than cigarettes. However, the survey results also show that misconceptions about nicotine persist and are obstructing progress on tobacco harm reduction.

    Povaddo LLC fielded the survey among 1,565 medical professionals, including physicians, nurses, and mental health practitioners, across the United States between March 10 and April 5, 2025. The survey results highlighted that:

    Despite decades of research as part of tobacco control efforts, misconceptions about nicotine are pervasive among healthcare professionals and others. The survey findings demonstrate an urgent need for healthcare regulators to provide unbiased, scientifically substantiated information about nicotine and nicotine products to the healthcare community. Many clinicians report uncertainty about which products are FDA-authorized and point to a lack of up-to-date information as barriers to more frequent and informed patient guidance regarding authorized smoke-free products. This is critical at a time when an estimated 480,000 Americans die each year from smoking-related illnesses.

    “Healthcare professionals are at the heart of patient care and need reliable, science-based information to help their patients make informed choices,” said Stacey Kennedy, CEO of PMI U.S. “These findings reinforce the urgent need for transparent, evidence-driven communication from the FDA and other health authorities about the full spectrum of tobacco and nicotine products. We encourage the agency to provide timely, scientifically validated guidance to healthcare practitioners on FDA-authorized smoke-free alternatives. Ensuring clinicians have access to accurate information is essential to help adults 21+ who smoke make better choices and improve public health.”

    This need for clear, science-based information is especially urgent given the survey’s findings about persistent misconceptions within the medical community that may result in incomplete or inaccurate information being shared with patients.

    “One of the most striking findings from this research is the prevalence of misinformation about nicotine—even among otherwise well-informed healthcare professionals,” said Matt Holman, vice president of U.S. scientific engagement and regulatory strategy at PMI U.S. and former director of the Office of Science at the FDA. “Addressing these misconceptions with robust, evidence-based communication from authorities like the FDA is crucial to helping providers guide their patients and support harm reduction.”

    PMI has invested more than $14 billion globally in innovative smoke-free products and remains committed to giving adults 21+ access to FDA-authorized better alternatives.

    Read the full findings of the Tobacco Harm Reduction: U.S. Medical Professionals Survey (2025) at https://www.pmi.com/us/medical-professionals-see-greater-role-for-FDA. Access PMI’s science at www.pmiscience.com and fact sheet on nicotine here.

  • Survey: Two-Thirds of U.S. Healthcare Practitioners are Mistaken About Nicotine

    Survey: Two-Thirds of U.S. Healthcare Practitioners are Mistaken About Nicotine

    A new survey, funded by Philip Morris International’s U.S. affiliates (PMI U.S.), has found that 47% of U.S. healthcare practitioners—rising to 59% among medical professionals who indicate that half or more of their patients smoke cigarettes—mistakenly believe nicotine is a carcinogen, despite scientific consensus that the harms of smoking primarily stem not from nicotine but from the burning of tobacco. Another 19% are unsure. Practitioners surveyed generally agree that smoke-free products—such as nicotine pouches and other noncombustible alternatives— are addictive and not risk free but still pose less risk than cigarettes. However, the survey results also show that misconceptions about nicotine persist and are obstructing progress on tobacco harm reduction.

    Povaddo LLC fielded the survey among 1,565 medical professionals, including physicians, nurses, and mental health practitioners, across the United States between March 10 and April 5, 2025. The survey results highlighted that:

    Despite decades of research as part of tobacco control efforts, misconceptions about nicotine are pervasive among healthcare professionals and others. The survey findings demonstrate an urgent need for healthcare regulators to provide unbiased, scientifically substantiated information about nicotine and nicotine products to the healthcare community. Many clinicians report uncertainty about which products are FDA-authorized and point to a lack of up-to-date information as barriers to more frequent and informed patient guidance regarding authorized smoke-free products. This is critical at a time when an estimated 480,000 Americans die each year from smoking-related illnesses.

    “Healthcare professionals are at the heart of patient care and need reliable, science-based information to help their patients make informed choices,” said Stacey Kennedy, CEO of PMI U.S. “These findings reinforce the urgent need for transparent, evidence-driven communication from the FDA and other health authorities about the full spectrum of tobacco and nicotine products. We encourage the agency to provide timely, scientifically validated guidance to healthcare practitioners on FDA-authorized smoke-free alternatives. Ensuring clinicians have access to accurate information is essential to help adults 21+ who smoke make better choices and improve public health.”

    This need for clear, science-based information is especially urgent given the survey’s findings about persistent misconceptions within the medical community that may result in incomplete or inaccurate information being shared with patients.

    “One of the most striking findings from this research is the prevalence of misinformation about nicotine—even among otherwise well-informed healthcare professionals,” said Matt Holman, vice president of U.S. scientific engagement and regulatory strategy at PMI U.S. and former director of the Office of Science at the FDA. “Addressing these misconceptions with robust, evidence-based communication from authorities like the FDA is crucial to helping providers guide their patients and support harm reduction.”

    PMI has invested more than $14 billion globally in innovative smoke-free products and remains committed to giving adults 21+ access to FDA-authorized better alternatives.

    Read the full findings of the Tobacco Harm Reduction: U.S. Medical Professionals Survey (2025) at https://www.pmi.com/us/medical-professionals-see-greater-role-for-FDA.

    Access PMI’s science at www.pmiscience.com and fact sheet on nicotine here.

  • FDA Completes AI-Assisted Review Pilot, Ready for Agency-Wide Rollout

    FDA Completes AI-Assisted Review Pilot, Ready for Agency-Wide Rollout

    FDA Commissioner Dr. Martin A. Makary today (May 8) announced an aggressive timeline to scale the use of artificial intelligence (AI) internally across all FDA centers by June 30, 2025, following the completion of a new generative AI pilot for scientific reviewers.

    “I was blown away by the success of our first AI-assisted scientific review pilot,” Makary said. “We need to value our scientists’ time and reduce the amount of non-productive busywork that has historically consumed much of the review process. The agency-wide deployment of these capabilities holds tremendous promise in accelerating the review time for new therapies.”

    The generative AI tools allow FDA scientists and subject-matter experts to spend less time on tedious, repetitive tasks that often slow down the review process.

    “This is a game-changer technology that has enabled me to perform scientific review tasks in minutes that used to take three days,” said Jinzhong (Jin) Liu, Deputy Director, Office of Drug Evaluation Sciences, Office of New Drugs in FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER).

    To reflect the urgency of this effort, Makary directed all FDA centers to begin deployment immediately, with the goal of full integration by the end of June. Work will continue to expand use cases, improve functionality, and adapt to the evolving needs of each center after June 30. By that date, all centers will be operating on a common, secure generative AI system integrated with FDA’s internal data platforms.

    “There have been years of talk about AI capabilities in frameworks, conferences, and panels, but we cannot afford to keep talking,” Makary said. “It is time to take action. The opportunity to reduce tasks that once took days to just minutes is too important to delay.”

    Looking ahead, the FDA plans to expand generative AI capabilities across all centers using a secure, unified platform. Future enhancements will focus on improving usability, expanding document integration, and tailoring outputs to center-specific needs, while maintaining strict information security and compliance with FDA policy.

    The agency-wide rollout is being coordinated by Jeremy Walsh, the FDA’s newly appointed Chief AI Officer and Sridhar Mantha. Walsh previously led enterprise-scale technology deployments across federal health and intelligence agencies and Mantha recently led the Office of Business Informatics in CDER.

    The agency will continue to assess performance, gather user feedback, and refine features to support the evolving needs of FDA staff and advance its public health mission. Additional details and updates on the initiative will be shared publicly in June.