Big Tobacco investors bullish on Mitch Zeller and FDA’s proposed Deeming Regulation

[Bill Godshall]

Big tobacco investors bullish on Mitch Zeller and FDA’s proposed Deeming Regulation (that would ban the sale of >99.9% of nicotine vapor products): After little change in 2012, cigarette industry stocks have surged since Mitch Zeller became CTP Director on March 4, 2013 and since FDA proposed banning e-cigarettes on April 25, 2014.

Altria stock increased from $33.51 to $38.40 to $51.78
Altria Group (MO) Historical Prices & Data - NASDAQ.com

Reynolds stock increased from $43.27 to $53.81 to $76.08
Reynolds American Inc (RAI) Historical Prices & Data - NASDAQ.com

Lorillard stock increased from $38.34 to $54.01 to $72.00
Lorillard, Inc (LO) Historical Prices & Data - NASDAQ.com


Note that most recent stock prices cited were from Wall St. close of business on May 19.

Also note that I intended to post this in the FDA thread, but mistakenly posted it here.

 

[skoony]

thanks Bill.
your the only one who seams to have their feet on the ground
when it comes to the future deeming regs.
mike

 

[philoshop]

Would this fall under the "transparency of government" that we were promised?

 

[nicnik]

Would this fall under the "transparency of government" that we were promised?

Good question. I don't know. However, I do know that the FDA is representative of a complete failure to fulfill a promise of fixing the problem of regulatory capture. There was a weak, unconvincing attempt, followed by complete, hurried retreat at the first pushback, and back to business as usual, and then some.

 

[nicnik]

A while back, Bill pointed ecf to this article by Brad Rodu, dated March 5, 2015, which points out additional conflicts of interest not included in the conflicts that the Federal judge cited in his ruling. Big Pharma and Big Anti-tobacco capture of FDA's TPSAC was dealt a blow:

Conflicts of Interest Exposed, FDA Reorganizes Tobacco Advisory Panel | Heartlander Magazine

<quote>
Federal judge Richard Leon ruled last July that “The presence of conflicted members on [TPSAC] irrevocably tainted its very composition and its work product” and “the Committee’s findings and recommendations…are, at a minimum, suspect, and, at worst, untrustworthy.”

<snip>

I have reported that Dr. Samet and Krishnan-Sarin also had conflicts due to their having received substantial grants from the anti-tobacco NIH ($8 million in 2014 for Dr. Samet, $5.8 million for Krishnan-Sarin). Current TPSAC members with major NIH funding include Kurt Ribisl ($9.2 million in 2014), Thomas Eissenberg ($3.9 million), Richard O’Connor ($0.5 million) and Warren Bickel ($0.4 million)(here).

Experts can be influenced by substantial financial support from organizations committed to a tobacco-free society, a euphemism for the obliteration of the tobacco industry (an objective that is at odds with the principle of regulation).
<end quote>

We can thank Judge Leon for the undoing of a bit of government-wide regulatory capture, and Brad Rodu for shining some more light on a part of one agency, and a bit of light on another (NIH). Just doing their jobs, but the President promised to do those things.

So, with BP and BG capture down (but still alive) at TPSAC, do investors like how that pairs with recent anti-vaping propaganda successes? I'm, of course, not ruling out that many investors actually believe the ANTZ attacks on vaping, but I can see how these things might have them liking BT. (Disclaimer: I am extremely uneducated regarding financial investment, and good luck to anybody who would be so dumb as to make any financial decisions based on anything I ever say.)

 

[rothenbj]

Do we expect to see the deemed regulation come out from the FDA soon? I've heard from some sources June, but reliability is questionable.

 

[EBates]

Why would you not be buying BT stocks. They are on the verge of the biggest windfall in recent history. The Beast Will Have Been Slain, by our Righteous Government and BT will again be the only game in town. How could that possibly be a loosing situation?
Please remember those that have made this possible:
FDA
CDC
ACS
And above all others our Precious Elected Officials and their Appointees (bought and paid for by BT, BP).

After all they made this windfall possible.
So, Please Reward Their Fine Efforts!

 

[nicnik]

Why would you not be buying BT stocks. They are on the verge of the biggest windfall in recent history. The Beast Will Have Been Slain, by our Righteous Government and BT will again be the only game in town. How could that possibly be a loosing situation?
Please remember those that have made this possible:
FDA
CDC
ACS
And above all others our Precious Elected Officials and their Appointees (bought and paid for by BT, BP).

After all they made this windfall possible.
So, Please Reward Their Fine Efforts!

It ain't over 'til it's over.

 

[EBates]

Like the song lyrics say "I can't hear the thunder but I sure can smell the rain".
There's Big MONEY involved, so I think I see the Fat Lady approaching the stage.

 

[nicnik]

Like the song lyrics say "I can't hear the thunder but I sure can smell the rain".
There's Big MONEY involved, so I think I see the Fat Lady approaching the stage.

I looked up the song and listened to it on youtube. Whew! Thanks for the reminder of how big money destroys country radio!

Use this well-known Nashville agitator to ward off any unwanted country earworms:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYj7H-IglNs

 

[Kent C]

Do we expect to see the deemed regulation come out from the FDA soon? I've heard from some sources June, but reliability is questionable.

June 2015 is the official date - nothing more specific.

View Rule

 

[EBates]

I looked up the song and listened to it on youtube. Whew! Thanks for the reminder of how big money destroys country radio!

Use this well-known Nashville agitator to ward off any unwanted country earworms:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYj7H-IglNs

I agree, I stopped listening to rock radio about 1990 (punk killed rock), stopped listening to country radio about 2k (Shiney Twain killed country). Wouldn't bet I have a radio in vehicles or home that would pick up a station. Music I like plays from a USB stick or computer hard drive.

 

[KattMamma]

OT - @EBates there is still good rock coming out, but it is just so outnumbered by garbage that I cannot stomach radio - 45mins to 1hr of garbage and commercials to hear one good song? I do the digital thing now too (and what do we call them since "mix tapes" seems wrong? lol)

 

[EBates]

OT - @EBates there is still good rock coming out, but it is just so outnumbered by garbage that I cannot stomach radio - 45mins to 1hr of garbage and commercials to hear one good song? I do the digital thing now too (and what do we call them since "mix tapes" seems wrong? lol)

I just tag them 'Good-Uns'. The only issue with this technique is finding a good volume leveling program, so you are not straining to hear one and Blown Out by the next. A small price to pay for music you enjoy and No Commercials.
I load up an 8GB stick with "old" country and rock tunes and down the road we go.

 

[r77r7r]

OT - @EBates there is still good rock coming out, but it is just so outnumbered by garbage that I cannot stomach radio - 45mins to 1hr of garbage and commercials to hear one good song? I do the digital thing now too (and what do we call them since "mix tapes" seems wrong? lol)

Playlists

 

[KattMamma]

Playlists

yeah, but I still have a car stereo that plays mp3 cds, which I call "mp3 cds" but it doesn't roll off the tongue or have the same "old school" feel as "mix tape" - and "playlist" doesn't cut it here

 

[DC2]

Those were some nice investments that I missed out on there.
But I did also miss out on the conflict of conscious that would have resulted by investing in the enemy.
:shrug: