$XXII - NEWS! Up 25% pre market
"22nd Century Group, Inc. (NYSE MKT: XXII), announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted 22nd Century authorization to conduct a clinical trial studying the Company’s BRAND B, low tar-to-nicotine ratio cigarettes. This trial is designed to confirm that as smokers make the adjustment to a higher nicotine cigarette, they take in less smoke because the nicotine is more readily available. 22nd Century has engaged a Contract Research Organization with extensive experience in combustible cigarette exposure studies to conduct the BRAND B trial this summer.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 32% of smokers (nearly 12 million) do not wish to quit smoking. For these smokers, 22nd Century is developing its BRAND B Low Tar-to-Nicotine ratio cigarettes as a reduced exposure product candidate. The Company intends to submit a Modified Risk Tobacco Product (MRTP) application to the FDA for Brand B. Independent surveys have shown that even though 30-50% of American smokers are not committed to quitting, 90% of these smokers would be willing to try a potentially reduced exposure tobacco product. For this reason, 22nd Century believes the Company’s proprietary BRAND B product has enormous market potential.
“Our initial clinical trial investigating the effects of BRAND B’s design-objective – the reduced delivery of smoke components, other than nicotine – is a measurable step forward in the development of our Company’s mission,” explained Dr. Michael Moynihan, Vice President of Research & Development at 22nd Century Group."
