Revolution or redux? Assessing IQOS through a precursor product

Area of Science:

• Tobacco harm reduction research
• Regulatory science
• Public health policy

Background:

• Philip Morris International (PMI) claims its IQOS heated tobacco product reduces health risks.
• Independent assessment is crucial due to the tobacco industry's history of research obfuscation.
• Analyzing Accord, a precursor to IQOS, can contextualize PMI's Modified Risk Tobacco Product (MRTP) claims.

Purpose of the Study:

• To independently assess PMI's health risk reduction claims for IQOS.
• To compare IQOS with its precursor, Accord, using internal documents and public communications.
• To understand the evolution of PMI's claims in the context of regulatory changes.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of secret internal Philip Morris (PM) and PMI documents.
• Review of public communications and the MRTP application for IQOS.
• Comparison of aerosol chemistry data between IQOS and Accord.

Main Results:

• PM marketed Accord as 'cleaner' without explicit safety claims, despite internal knowledge of limitations.
• IQOS shows reduced exposure to some compounds versus Accord, but increased exposure to others.
• PMI's current MRTP application for IQOS makes explicit health risk reduction claims, unlike past Accord marketing.

Conclusions:

• IQOS appears to be a variant of Accord with no consistent toxicological improvements in aerosol exposure.
• PMI's shift in claims for IQOS versus Accord is likely driven by regulatory landscape changes, not product advancements.
• Independent scrutiny of heated tobacco product claims is essential for public health protection.