OUR STANDARDS

      The standards of objectivity and transparency underpin our research

      Scientific objectivity and transparency are fundamental principles that guide our research. At Philip Morris International (PMI), responsible research and development (R&D) means ensuring the credibility, integrity, and robustness of our scientific research in alignment with international standards. We accurately and transparently share our methods and results and engage openly with the scientific community via a range of initiatives.

      Our goal is to develop a portfolio of less harmful alternatives to continued cigarette smoking. For these smoke-free products, we have implemented a comprehensive and rigorous product development and scientific assessment approach.

      Our scientific standards 

      At each step of our scientific assessment approach, we follow recognized scientific standards, guidelines, and practices, such as: 

      • International Organization for Standardization (ISO), for the testing and calibration of our laboratories in areas like aerosol chemistry, indoor air quality, and toxicology for smoke-free products,
      • International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH), for the validation of analytical methods in aerosol chemistry, toxicology, and clinical studies on smoke-free products,
      • Good Laboratory Practice (GLP),
      • Good Clinical Practice (GCP),
      • Good Pharmacovigilance Practices (GVP),
      • U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Draft Guidance for Industry.

      These guidelines set the framework of how we conduct and document our research. We have quality and document management systems in place to achieve traceability and reproducibility, and we follow good documentation and archiving practices as required by GLP and GCP.  

      We openly share our research and findings

      We publish our key findings in peer-reviewed journals and participate in leading scientific conferences globally. We prioritize transparency by disclosing funding information and as much as possible choose open access publishing for wider accessibility.

      Our publishing of 532 scientific publications from 2008 to 2023 demonstrates significant scientific output since the establishment of our R&D facility in 2008. All our clinical studies are registered on ClinicalTrials.gov.

      We regularly attend international scientific conferences, presenting our results and welcome cooperation with researchers from different countries. Transparency and willingness to share our results with the outside world provides opportunities to pursue collaborative research.

      Through our Scientific Update magazine and Open Science series, we provide summaries of the latest research and advancements related to our smoke-free products. You can read past issues of the Scientific Update here.

      We invite visitors to our R&D facility in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, offering a virtual tour and encouraging engagement through our social media channels or direct contact for any inquiries.

      Beyond our own research, our Investigator Initiated Studies (IIS) program supports external scientists in smoke-free product research with financial support, product, or technical aid. The scope of the program covers aerosol chemistry, systems biology, toxicology, pre-clinical, and clinical studies. We also share publications resulting from our IIS program on our website. 

      At PMI, we welcome and encourage independent research on our smoke-free products, methods, and results. We collaborate with experts to validate our methods on specific scientific topics, such as combustion.  

      Promoting openness and dialogue, sharing our scientific knowledge, and attentively listening to feedback are integral to encouraging debates with experts and the scientific community. We look forward to reading independent findings on our smoke-free products and fostering transparent scientific conversations. 

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      PMIScience.com is operated by Philip Morris International for the purpose of publishing and disseminating scientific information about Philip Morris International’s efforts in support of its smoke-free product portfolio. This site is a global site for use by scientists, the public health and regulatory communities, and other stakeholders with an interest in tobacco policy. The purpose of this site is not advertising or marketing, nor is it directed at any specific market. It is not intended for use by consumers. New tobacco products sold in the United States are subject to FDA regulation; therefore the content of this site is not intended to make, and nor should it be construed as making, any product related claims in the United States without proper FDA authorization. ​
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      Reduced Risk Products ("RRPs”) is the term we use to refer to products that present, are likely to present, or have the potential to present less risk of harm to smokers who switch to these products versus continuing smoking. PMI has a range of RRPs in various stages of development, scientific assessment and commercialization. All of our RRPs are smoke-free products that deliver nicotine with far lower quantities of harmful and potentially harmful constituents than found in cigarette smoke.