Assessment of Industry Data on Pulmonary and Immunosuppressive Effects of IQOS

Moazed F, Chun L, Matthay MA, Calfee CS, Gotts J.. Tob Control. 2018 Aug 29. pii: tobaccocontrol-2018-054296. [Epub ahead of print] [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Philip Morris International has submitted a modified risk tobacco product (MRTP) application to the US Food and Drug Administration in 2016 in which it purports that its heated tobacco product, I-Quit-Ordinary-Smoking (IQOS), is associated with reduced harm compared with conventional cigarettes. The authors reviewed Philip Morris International’s MRTP application to assess the pulmonary and immune toxicities associated with IQOS use in both animal and human studies. Among rats exposed to IQOS, there was evidence of pulmonary inflammation and immunomodulation. In human users, there was no evidence of improvement in pulmonary inflammation or pulmonary function in cigarette smokers who were switched to IQOS. The authors conclude that IQOS is associated with significant pulmonary and immunomodulatory toxicities with no detectable differences between conventional cigarette smokers and those who were switched to IQOS in Philip Morris International’s studies. Based on the limited available data to date, IQOS use does not appear to significantly differ from conventional cigarettes in causing pulmonary and immunomodulatory harm.