MO Altria Group Inc

By Saabira Chaudhuri 

U.S. health officials took the first concrete steps toward cutting the nicotine content in cigarettes to nonaddictive levels, opening a public inquiry ahead of proposed regulations to lower nicotine levels.

The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday it is reviewing current science on the role nicotine plays in addiction. It is also seeking comment from the public on things like where nicotine levels should be capped, whether caps should be implemented gradually or all at once, and what unintended consequences could occur as a result.

"This new regulatory step advances a comprehensive policy framework that we believe could help avoid millions of tobacco-related deaths across the country," said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb.

The agency cited new data published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Thursday that showed capping nicotine could help about five million additional adult smokers quit smoking within one year of implementation. By 2100, the analysis estimates, smoking rates could drop from the current 15% to as low as 1.4%.

According to the FDA, tobacco use currently kills more than 480,000 Americans each year.

Dr. Gottlieb first announced that the FDA would target nicotine levels in July, sending shares of Marlboro maker Altria Group Inc., British American Tobacco PLC and other tobacco stocks tumbling. The agency's stance has heightened pressure on big tobacco makers to invest in reduced-risk products.

On Thursday, Wells Fargo analyst Bonnie Herzog said she believes it could be up to five years before any potential changes are implemented.

Philip Morris International Inc. and partner Altria are best placed to handle the shift away from combustible cigarettes, Ms. Herzog said. Philip Morris owns IQOS, a device that heats but doesn't burn tobacco, which has proved popular among smokers in some countries. The company is currently awaiting FDA approval to begin selling IQOS in the U.S. through Altria.

Ms. Herzog pointed to recent scientific studies suggesting an 85% reduction of nicotine in cigarettes is ideal.

Nicotine levels in cigarettes can be reduced in different ways. Manufacturers can adjust the blend of tobacco leaves or use different types of paper or filters. Nicotine can also be stripped from the leaf in the manufacturing process. But products with very low levels of nicotine have never garnered a significant share of the U.S. market

The FDA has said its approach will consider a continuum of risk for nicotine delivery, from combustible products such as cigarettes to replacement therapies like nicotine gums.

"We must make it possible for current adult smokers who still seek nicotine to get it from alternative and less-harmful sources," said Dr. Gottlieb.

On Thursday, the FDA said it would also "imminently" begin the formal process to build proposed rules on flavored tobacco products including menthol and, separately, those applying to premium cigars.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 15, 2018 12:58 ET (16:58 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2018 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.