British American Tobacco developing new line of nicotine products

[Vocalek]

Received this morning from my contact at BAT:

If you haven't already seen it, I thought you might be interested in this article that was run today in the UK's Financial Times;
　

UK: BAT aims to smoke out nicotine lovers who find cigarettes a drag British American tobacco is setting up a business to commercialise non-tobacco nicotine products that could help wean smokers off its cigarettes. BAT’s Nicoventures subsidiary aims to build a substantial consumer business whose earnings could compensate for declining tobacco sales. In a statement to be released on Tuesday BAT says Nicoventures will offer smokers "a range of alternative products, currently unavailable on the market, that offer them the experience they expect to get from a cigarette but without the real and serious health risks of smoking". Adrian Marshall, Nicoventures chief executive, said the first products, which are being developed externally, would not be like existing cigarette substitutes, such as electronic cigarettes, nicotine patches and gums. Yet, Mr Marshall would not say how the products worked. In 2009, Reynolds American, a US company in which BAT has a 42 per cent stake, bought an established Swedish company called Niconovum, which makes products for nicotine replacement therapy including gum, mouth spray and pouches.

However, Mr Marshall said: "Nothing on the market meets the sensorial, emotional and physiological needs of smokers ... In the UK there are about 10m smokers – and only 150,000 of them buy nicotine products, so something is not working." David O’Reilly, head of research and development at BAT, the world’s second-largest tobacco company, said one reason why existing nicotine replacement products did not work well was that they did not deliver nicotine fast enough or in high enough doses. "The [UK] Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency [MHRA] has pointed out it is the tobacco smoke not the nicotine that produces the diseases and premature deaths associated with smoking," he said. The success of Nicoventures will depend on the attitude of regulators such as the MHRA, which will be asked to license its products. But BAT may have a hard time winning over anti-tobacco campaigners."This is the latest in a long line of attempts by BAT to give itself an ethical makeover and de-toxify its brand," said Deborah Arnott, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health. "It will only succeed in doing so when it stops making and marketing smoked products which are highly addictive and kill half all their long-term users. Source – Financial Times Online, 5 April 2011

　
Further to the story it should be noted that Nicoventures is a stand-alone company which will be managed separately from the Group’s tobacco businesses. The creation of Nicoventures is an extension of British American Tobacco’s approach to tobacco harm reduction that as you know has been developed over the past few years.

If you are interested in any further information, please don't hesitate to ask,

Article on FT Online (requires registration): FT.com / Companies / Personal Goods - BAT to market nicotine without the smokes
Coverage on MSN: British American to Market Tobacco-Free Nicotine Products; No Impact Likely on Stock: MorningStar Business News - MSN Money

 

[rothenbj]

Interesting read. I wonder how soon real details will be forthcoming.

 

[Vocalek]

...one reason why existing nicotine replacement products did not work well was that they did not deliver nicotine fast enough or in high enough doses.

I have been saying that for years. When I shared this idea with my primary physician about 5 years ago, he looked at me as if I had two heads. It took a while for me to figure out that his mindset is that the only way to stop smoking is to overcome one's addiction to nicotine.

 

[sqirl1]

I have been saying that for years. When I shared this idea with my primary physician about 5 years ago, he looked at me as if I had two heads. It took a while for me to figure out that his mindset is that the only way to stop smoking is to overcome one's addiction to nicotine.

yeah I told my mom, whoes a paramedic, about E-cigs (though she has no idea I own or use one, I'm seeing what effect nicotine has on me since I have autism/ADD and so far it seems to be working good unless I have too much nic. ), and she said it seems like a really good idea, but said the nicotine really does nothing for you and when people say smoking calms them down its really just that they're removing themselves from the stressful environment and taking a deep breath and it's completely psychological and what people are really addicted to is the act of smoking. she also said she doesn't believe that nicotine helps people with psychological disorders because when she offers such patients a nicotine patch or another NRT they say they don't want it and just want a cig so it's all in their head. then I told her you can get them without nicotine and she said that in that case they sound like a really good idea.


anyway, let's see what these guys come out with. as long as 1. they taste good and 2. they don't have any bad stuff, I'll consider checking them out. what are some analog brands these guys make?

 

[rothenbj]

Funny, I have been forgetting my PV lately with all the jacket changes due to the weather. Last night I had a poker tournament and about half way through, on a chip exchange break, I really wanted to take a couple of puffs on my PV as a stress reliever. I could have asked any of a dozen friends for a cig or even a couple puffs. I thought about it for a second and realized I had no desire for even a puff. Instead I pulled out a General Mint snus and I was good for the night AND won the tournament.

 

[Rosco]

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[Bustastew]

Unless someone can personally test chemicals in the brain, how the hell can they really make a judgment call on what goes on chemically with nicotine? Who are they to argue with anyone about the issue no matter what their profession is? I would learn more towards the research on its benefits than anything else. I have certainly have not come across any evidence that it is harmful!

 

[James]

BAT recently placed a £700 order with our company. We didn't realise until recently - they placed the order through an agency, and when they rang up to request a VAT office they let slip that it was for BAT.

 

[ckc]

So no matter how people say they have no interest in E-Cigs,they really do.I'm surprised that BAT will be taking their product to the MHRA,licenced as what though ?

 

[Vocalek]

yeah I told my mom, whoes a paramedic, about E-cigs (though she has no idea I own or use one, I'm seeing what effect nicotine has on me since I have autism/ADD and so far it seems to be working good unless I have too much nic. ), and she said it seems like a really good idea, but said the nicotine really does nothing for you and when people say smoking calms them down its really just that they're removing themselves from the stressful environment and taking a deep breath and it's completely psychological and what people are really addicted to is the act of smoking. she also said she doesn't believe that nicotine helps people with psychological disorders because when she offers such patients a nicotine patch or another NRT they say they don't want it and just want a cig so it's all in their head. then I told her you can get them without nicotine and she said that in that case they sound like a really good idea.


anyway, let's see what these guys come out with. as long as 1. they taste good and 2. they don't have any bad stuff, I'll consider checking them out. what are some analog brands these guys make?

I would say that your mom is half right, or maybe even a little more than half, but not 100%. For many people, smoking is psychological, but for others it is profoundly physiological. It depends on whether or not the user requires the effects that nicotine provides. If you don't have depression, anxiety, memory problems, inability to concentrate, or inability to pay attention, then you can take or leave nicotine with no ill effects. If you have been self-medicating these problems through smoking, quitting is going to make you one sick puppy.

She has misinterpreted the reason why smokers reject the patch. Quoting from the article in the OP: "David O’Reilly, head of research and development at BAT, the world’s second-largest tobacco company, said one reason why existing nicotine replacement products did not work well was that they did not deliver nicotine fast enough or in high enough doses." For me that's a large part of it, while for others the physical act of holding the cigarette, watching the smoke float on the air, are calming.

The evidence is very clear that nicotine does have profound effects in the brain and throughout the body. One company is developing medications to treat cognitive and mood disorders with drugs that target the nicotinic receptors.
Targacept: Biopharmaceutical Company - Product Pipeline

This article discusses nicotine's effect on Attention Deficit Disorder: DocGuide

This article discusses the fact that nicotine lessens symptoms of depression, even in nonsmokers: Nicotine Lessens Symptoms of Depression in Nonsmokers - DukeHealth.org

This statement got my goat: "The key thing to know about nicotine and anxiety is that nicotine only produces a temporary relief from anxiety..." http://gad.about.com/od/researchreports/a/smoking.htm

Yes, and what substance (or any other treatment for that matter) produces permanent relief from anxiety that is caused by an imbalance of neurotransmitters? Why pick on nicotine for bringing only symptom relief rathar than a cure. Cures are hard to come by, and I don't know of one for anxiety.

Another section of the article state, "Drugs like Lexapro, Zoloft, and Celexa (SSRIs); Effexor and Cymbalta (SNRI), and Xanax (benzodiazepine) can help reduce the symptoms that people experience with more severe anxiety." There are ads on televison for some of these drugs and the side effects sound horrendous!

 

[sqirl1]

Another section of the article state, "Drugs like Lexapro, Zoloft, and Celexa (SSRIs); Effexor and Cymbalta (SNRI), and Xanax (benzodiazepine) can help reduce the symptoms that people experience with more severe anxiety." There are ads on televison for some of these drugs and the side effects sound horrendous!

oh trust me I know that very well. I took Celexa in 6th grade (doctor was a dumba$$ who had no idea what he was doing), that crap made me hallucinate at night! I saw spider legs coming out of my wall! then I took stratera, made me puke all the time or at least feel horrible nausea, then I took geodon, made me unable to stay awake and made me wind up going to bed at like six, waking up at 3am, and totally screwing up my sleep schedule. then I took adderall, got about 3 hours of sleep each night, couldn't eat, and wound up starving halfway to death because of that crap. the worse nicotine has ever done to me is made me feel dizzy, and if I lay down for a few minutes I'm fine. also I've been vaping for about 3 months and I've pretty much been using nothing but 0 nic for the last 2-3 days and I have yet to feel any withdraws.

 

[D103]

@ rothenbj

Congratulations Jim - way to go! Now that's what I would characterize as "calling a bluff."

 

[MoonRose]

oh trust me I know that very well. I took Celexa in 6th grade (doctor was a dumba$$ who had no idea what he was doing), that crap made me hallucinate at night! I saw spider legs coming out of my wall! then I took stratera, made me puke all the time or at least feel horrible nausea, then I took geodon, made me unable to stay awake and made me wind up going to bed at like six, waking up at 3am, and totally screwing up my sleep schedule. then I took adderall, got about 3 hours of sleep each night, couldn't eat, and wound up starving halfway to death because of that crap. the worse nicotine has ever done to me is made me feel dizzy, and if I lay down for a few minutes I'm fine. also I've been vaping for about 3 months and I've pretty much been using nothing but 0 nic for the last 2-3 days and I have yet to feel any withdraws.

It never fails to amaze me how our society thinks nothing is wrong with addicting children to psychotrophic medications with the claims that these children are hyper but react in horror to the possibility that a child might become addicted to nicotine.

 

[Vocalek]

yeah I told my mom, whoes a paramedic, about E-cigs (though she has no idea I own or use one, I'm seeing what effect nicotine has on me since I have autism/ADD and so far it seems to be working good unless I have too much nic. ), and she said it seems like a really good idea, but said the nicotine really does nothing for you and when people say smoking calms them down its really just that they're removing themselves from the stressful environment and taking a deep breath and it's completely psychological and what people are really addicted to is the act of smoking.

Actually, there is a physiological explanation. Nicotine relaxes the skeletal muscles, which explains how it manages to make people feel relaxed and alert at the same time. Most drugs that relax you tend to have a negative impact on alertness (e.g., alcohol, tranquilizers).

In some of the older studies of the effects of nicotine, monkeys that were first addicted to nicotine and then denied access to nicotine began jaw-clenching.

Some humans experience this as well. I was one of them. I went through two weeks of agony because the pain radiated from my jaw, through my neck and shoulders and up over the top of my head. It stopped right after I dropped a couple of hundred bucks on a made-to-order bite plate.