http://eon.businesswire.com/news/eon/20110920006569/en/Spectrum-NIDA-FDA-VLN
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22nd Century Delivers Proprietary Research Cigarettes for U.S. Government
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September 20, 2011 11:32 AM Eastern Daylight Time
WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y.–(EON: Enhanced Online News)–22nd Century Group, Inc.
(OTCBB: XXII), a company focused on smoking cessation and tobacco harm
reduction products, announced today that the company has shipped more than 9
million SPECTRUMR research cigarettes. SPECTRUMR was developed by 22nd
Century for the U.S. government and is strictly for independent research
purposes. SPECTRUMR will not be sold as a commercial cigarette in the U.S.
“Working with these researchers and officials from federal public health
agencies has been a terrific experience. Throughout the process, the
investigators provided 22nd Century input on their research objectives and
shared insights into what types of cigarettes would best facilitate their
independent studies”
.The SPECTRUMR product line essentially consists of a series of cigarette
styles that have a fixed “tar” yield but varying nicotine yields over a
35-fold range-from very low to high. Altogether, SPECTRUMR features 24
styles, in both regular and menthol versions, with 8 levels of nicotine in
its tobacco. By far, the most prevalent style of SPECTRUMR produced for
researchers is the very low nicotine (VLN) version, which has 97% less
nicotine than conventional “light” cigarettes.
As the only company in the world able to produce VLN tobacco products, 22nd
Century was chosen to supply its proprietary SPECTRUMR research cigarettes
as a subcontractor under a 5-year federal government contract. Previously,
22nd Century’s management met with independent researchers and officials
from National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to discuss and finalize certain
design features of these research cigarettes.
“Working with these researchers and officials from federal public health
agencies has been a terrific experience. Throughout the process, the
investigators provided 22nd Century input on their research objectives and
shared insights into what types of cigarettes would best facilitate their
independent studies,” stated Joseph Pandolfino, founder and chief executive
officer of 22nd Century.
Dozens of research studies will be conducted with SPECTRUMR. The research
will include: (i) smoking cessation studies, (ii) exposure studies comparing
how different nicotine levels in cigarettes affect smoking behavior and
exposure to smoke toxins, and (iii) studies to determine whether there is a
threshold nicotine level in cigarettes which does not produce dependence.
Many of these studies would be very difficult, if not impossible, to conduct
without SPECTRUMR.
Mr. Pandolfino added, “22nd Century is pleased that SPECTRUMR will be used
to provide answers to important research questions likely to affect tobacco
public policy for years to come. I am optimistic that the results of these
studies will be applied to reduce the harm caused by smoking-the leading
cause of preventable death in the U.S. and the world, according to the CDC
and the World Health Organization.”
About 22nd Century Group, Inc.
Founded in 1998, 22nd Century Limited, LLC (22nd Century) is a plant
biotechnology company whose proprietary technology allows for the level of
nicotine (and other nicotinic alkaloids) in the tobacco plant to be
decreased or increased through genetic engineering and breeding. 22nd
Century owns or is the exclusive worldwide licensee of 98 issued patents in
79 countries where at least 75% of the world’s smokers reside. 22nd Century
is committed to developing and commercializing (i) the world’s most
effective and acceptable smoking cessation aid and (ii) for those smokers
who refuse to quit smoking, consumer-acceptable modified risk tobacco
products that reduce exposure to smoke toxins, as compared to conventional
cigarettes. Through a merger on January 25, 2011, 22nd Century became a
wholly-owned subsidiary of 22nd Century Group, Inc.