Reynolds first submitted the applications last April, and then on Monday the products called Frost, Frost Large, Mellow, Mint, Robust and Winterchill, became the first Reynolds American Inc. (RAI) to enter the process which could take up to a year to complete. This means that as from two days ago, a public-comment period under file FDA-2017-N-4678 has commenced.
Snus is a moist powder tobacco product that is placed under the upper lip for extended periods. It is considered as an effective harm reduction product which has helped thousands quit smoking and is extremely popular in Norway and Sweden, in fact the popularity of snus has led to these two countries reporting the lowest rates of lung cancer in Europe. Camel has been the leading Snus manufacturer in the US and if any of these applications are approved, will be able to market the product as a harm reduction product for smoking cessation.
A growing interest in Snus in the US
The US is also expected to experience significant growth in this market, as people are becoming more aware that the product is safer than regular cigarettes. In fact another snus market research report which was released last August and had looked solely at this market, had indicated that there is a growing interest in the product across the continent.
Senior vice president for scientific and regulatory affairs at RAI Services Co, James Figlar thinks that the FDA’s decision to move forward with the applications “is an important step forward in fulfilling Reynolds’ commitment to collaborative leadership in the transformation of the tobacco industry.”
The success of safer alternatives could be “accentuated in the US”
Renowned harm reduction expert David Sweanor, who is an adjunct law professor at the University of Ottawa is hoping that the products are approved. “The true test here is whether the FDA is able to follow through on its commissioner’s proclamation of the importance of moving smokers to the low risk end of nicotine’s continuum of risk.”
“The success of product substitution with snus in Sweden, vaping in the UK, and now the dramatic success of heat-not-burn products in driving down cigarette sales in Japan could be not just replicated but accentuated in the United States,” added Sweanor.
Read Further: Winston-Salem Journal
