FDA names new head of tobacco products center -- impact on us?

[Fiamma]

Zeller is going to be a problem for us. Plus he's been in the revolving door round trip already. He won't do anything but parrot quit or die or NRT's. Can't take money away from the hogs at the trough, after all. You know the hogs, surely. Pharma, Alphabet Soup NGO's Zeller, the upper management of the FDA, CDC, DHHS, and let us not forget the politicians and pharma's lobbyists.

Stock up people.

 

[tommy2bad]

This is another video of the 2011 meeting

DCARE 2011 - Panel Discussion - YouTube

The person from Ireland (I can't remember his name) is brilliant. He really gets it. Keller on the other hand appears to be an obstructionist to tobacco harm reduction. His views on reducing nicotine are scary at best. He keeps taking about nicotine and addiction as the problem and avoids the idea of reducing harm.

Weasel comes to mind

That was so depressing, the self referencing to other anti nicotine campaigns, the attitude that it's a disease and most shocking the open admission that smokers can just die off, we are only concerned with stopping new smokers.

They need to get out more, the real world seem to be a distant memory for most of them.

 

[rothenbj]

This should reassure all of us-

http://tobaccoanalysis.blogspot.com/2013_02_01_archive.html

Where's Uncle Willy to tell us why we're being defensive and about the greatest country in the world?

 

[house mouse]

Maybe his conflict of interest is a good thing. Wouldn't that add fuel for an effective suit against the FDA if their regulations are biased towards keeping pharmaceutical NRTs while decimating e-cigs?(If that's the route they go)

 

[mostlyclassics]

house mouse, it may well be that all of us here on ECF will be asked to chip in on the legal bills. But, yeah, there might be hope via the court system.

Do we have any attorneys here who could comment on such a possibility?

 

[Petrodus]

I think it was Bill who suggested there are those prepared
to file suit against the FDA if they come down hard on e-cigarettes.
Of course, no names were mentioned.

 

[junkman]

This is another video of the 2011 meeting

DCARE 2011 - Panel Discussion - YouTube

The person from Ireland (I can't remember his name) is brilliant. He really gets it. Keller on the other hand appears to be an obstructionist to tobacco harm reduction. His views on reducing nicotine are scary at best. He keeps taking about nicotine and addiction as the problem and avoids the idea of reducing harm.

Weasel comes to mind

Yeah, can't tell the public the truth because Phillip Morris doesn't market stuff that way. Of course they can't market that way bay law.........

But... should allow patches and gum without limits...

This guy is wet dream for big pharma and nightmare for harm reduction (e-cigs)

 

[rockymtnrobin]

I don't like this, time to get the storm warnings out.

 

[mostlyclassics]

Here's what I've given up for Lent: hope and change.

 

[rolygate]

You need to remember who pays these people: pharma. That tells you all you need to know.

 

[junkman]

I helped Mitch Zeller draft and advocate the original FDA tobacco regulations in 1994/95 that was struck down by the SCOTUS in 2000, which is now known as the 1996 Rule in the FSPTCA at
FR Doc 2010-6087

Since around 2002, Mitch has worked as a lobbyist for GlaxoSmithKline (via Pinney Associates) demonizing smokefree tobacco products and companies, while promoting very similar NRT products as life saving medicine.

Mitch is a very smart, he's a lawyer by training, and he fully understands the relative and comparable risks of different tobacco products.
But while Mitch has readily acknowledged that smokeless tobacco (and all other noncombusitble tobacco products) are less hazardous than cigarettes, his power point slides deceptively showed smokeless tobacco products as being about half the risk of cigarettes (when the scientific evidence indicates that they are 99% less hazardous than cigarettes).

Here"s a 2011 presentation by Mitch Zeller
DCARE 2011 - FDA Regulation of Tobacco products - YouTube

The scottish guy seems to be a much better candidate.

Found him. Jonathan Foulds, PhD. is a Professor of Public Health Sciences at Penn State University, College of Medicine

It looks like I am right, he seems to support e-cig use from what I can see. http://forums.webmd.com/3/smoking-cessation-exchange/forum/603

 

[junkman]

DCARE 2011 - Roundtable Key Points - YouTube

Duh. E-cigs.

 

[MagicMike]

The guy is in big Pharm's back pocket, this is such a politically motivated appointment it's not funny, it's just sad.

http://tobaccoanalysis.blogspot.com/2013/02/pharmaceutical-consultant-appointed-to.html

He needs to recuse himself from the job as obviously he can never be unbiased in just about ANY decision he could possibly make @ the FDA!

MM

 

[Luisa]

Maybe his conflict of interest is a good thing. Wouldn't that add fuel for an effective suit against the FDA if their regulations are biased towards keeping pharmaceutical NRTs while decimating e-cigs?(If that's the route they go)

----But who will pay for the lawsuit of which the costs will be in the millions?

 

[2coils]

----But who will pay for the lawsuit of which the costs will be in the millions?

Thats a great question. If the FDA curtails regulation in favor of cigalikes, it may take BT lawyers out of the mix. I dont see BT fighting if they have just cornered the market. It will be interesting to see who steps up.

 

[metropolitan]

served as associate commissioner and director of agency's Office of Tobacco Programs from 1993 until 2000.

in those years both the patch and nicotine gum were changed from prescription drugs to over the counter items. that means he was there when nicotine alternatives were de-regulated.

 

[MagicMike]

The only hope is some deep pockets and it would appear that Lorillard's purchase of blue for 135 million hopefully has given them some incentives to put some $$$ into the right pockets and protect their investment.

If we do a bit of research into what the stock brokers are saying then perhaps we have a 'bit' of hope!

High Dividend Yield Of 5.3% And Attractive Valuations Make Lorillard A 'Buy' - Seeking Alpha

http://www.jagsreport.com/2013/02/i...th-apol-bwld-csco-czz-de-do-dps-eat-fis-grpn/

Reading the below, you'll note at the end they specifically mention the volatile nature of the ecig industry, as highlighted in bold below.

Lorillard (NYSE: LO) had its neutral rating reiterated by analysts at Zacks. They currently have a $44.00 target price on the stock. Zacks’ analyst wrote, “Lorillard’s fourth quarter earnings of $0.79 per share exceeded both the prior-year quarterly earnings by 8.2% and the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.9%. The results benefited from top-line growth, a lower share count owing to the company’s buyback program, and favorable tax rates, partially offset by higher interest expenses. Net sales went up 5.3% on the back of increased sales in both of its segments. Sales also surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Overall, we are encouraged with the company’s dominant share in the market with rising popularity of its Newport and Maverick brands. Moreover, it is adapting to changing consumer demands by investing in less-hazardous alternatives for tobacco with the acquisition of blu eCigs and developing electronic cigarettes. However, stiff competition in the domestic cigarette market, various taxes, numerous legal regulations and proceedings make the stock volatile. We thus maintain our Neutral recommendation on the stock.

I'm cautiously optimistic for the vaping community, but at the same time it wouldn't be a bad time to do a 1000 liter co-op of 100mg if there are any suppliers that could support it. wizard labs, myfreedom and others are not able to supply large bulk purchases and this is a direct result of the others attempting to stock up as well.

While your new administration promised to promote science over politics, with this appointment that have yet again gone against their word. Sadly the government takeover of healthcare, has put the big pham companies in a unique position of power and they just appointed an industry lackey at the head of the tobacco department at the FDA.

MM

 

[brooke2775]

did you notice he has a twitter account at the bottom of his page? maybe we could talk to him

 

[zoiDman]

----But who will pay for the lawsuit of which the costs will be in the millions?

Big Tobacco.

 

[Petrodus]

When Big Tobacco files suit ...
I hope they prove in court the FDA
has been having unprotected sex with BP for decades !!