Beirut,October 14, 2019—Philip Morris International is pleased to announce that IQOS, Philip Morris International’s electrically heated tobacco system, has been launched for sale in the United States.
PMI is bringing IQOS to the U.S. market through an exclusive licensing agreement with Altria Group, Inc. We are confident Altria subsidiary Philip Morris USA has the market expertise and infrastructure to ensure a successful launch.
The launch of IQOS in the United States is a historic milestone in delivering new choices to the estimated 40 million American men and women who smoke today, as IQOS is the first electrically heated tobacco technology to be authorized for sale by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In April, the FDA confirmed that the marketing of IQOS, which heats but does not burn tobacco, is appropriate for the protection of public health. The agency’s decision followed a comprehensive scientific assessment of PMI’s premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) submitted to the agency in 2017.
Commenting on the launch, Taylan Suer, General Manager – Philip Morris Lebanon said: “The launch of IQOS in the U.S. is evidence of our commitment to innovation and scientific research, reflected in the fact that no other electrically heated tobacco product has been authorized for sale in the U.S. by the FDA.
“Adult smokers deserve access to innovative, smoke-free alternatives to cigarettes, as well as to comprehensive information about these products. With a combination of stringent but sensible regulation, rigorous assessment, greater awareness and regulated marketing, smoke-free products can play a pivotal role in helping adults who would otherwise continue to smoke cigarettes switch to smokefree alternatives.”
Suer added, “We hope that one day soon, we will be able to bring IQOS to Lebanon, so that current adult smokers have access to new, science-based alternatives to continued smoking. We will continue to work with regulators in Lebanon and to advocate for regulatory frameworks that accelerate large-scale switching of those who would otherwise continue to smoke to these smoke-free products as quickly as possible.”
In addition to the PMTA, Philip Morris International submitted a comprehensive body of scientific evidence in support of a parallel set of applications to authorize IQOS as a modified risk tobacco product (MRTP), which the FDA continues to review. The United States is the second-largest tobacco market, behind China.