Heated tobacco product

Altria Group, Inc. Announces Retirement of Director Jacinto J. Hernandez From Board of Directors

Retrieved on: 
Monday, February 26, 2024

Jacinto J. Hernandez, a director of Altria Group, Inc. (“Altria”), retired from service on our Board of Directors effective February 23, 2024.

Key Points: 
  • Jacinto J. Hernandez, a director of Altria Group, Inc. (“Altria”), retired from service on our Board of Directors effective February 23, 2024.
  • Mr. Hernandez will continue to serve Altria as a strategic advisor under a 5-year advisory services agreement.
  • "We thank Jacinto for his service on our Board," said Kathryn McQuade, Altria’s independent Board Chair.
  • Trademarks related to Altria referenced in this release are the property of Altria or our subsidiaries or are used with permission.

Altria Presents as Part of the Consumer Analyst Group of New York Conference; Reaffirms 2024 Full-Year Earnings Guidance

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Altria Group, Inc. (Altria) (NYSE: MO) is participating in the Consumer Analyst Group of New York Conference in Boca Raton, Florida today.

Key Points: 
  • Altria Group, Inc. (Altria) (NYSE: MO) is participating in the Consumer Analyst Group of New York Conference in Boca Raton, Florida today.
  • A copy of the business presentation, prepared remarks and a replay of the webcast will be available at www.altria.com .
  • We expect 2024 adjusted diluted EPS growth to be weighted to the second half of the year.
  • While the 2024 full-year adjusted diluted EPS guidance accounts for a range of scenarios, the external environment remains dynamic.

FDA Approves First Treatment to Reduce Risk of Serious Heart Problems Specifically in Adults with Obesity or Overweight

Retrieved on: 
Friday, March 8, 2024

"This patient population has a higher risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack and stroke.

Key Points: 
  • "This patient population has a higher risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack and stroke.
  • Providing a treatment option that is proven to lower this cardiovascular risk is a major advance for public health."
  • Obesity or overweight affect approximately 70% of American adults.
  • Obesity and overweight are serious health issues that increase the risk for premature death and a variety of health problems, including heart attack and stroke.

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Upholds Tobacco-Free Generation Law

Retrieved on: 
Friday, March 8, 2024

SACRAMENTO, Calif., March 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In a decision that is likely to spur similar laws in other towns, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court today upheld a law in the town of Brookline that bans the sale of tobacco products to anyone born on or after January 1, 2000. The gradual phase-out of tobacco sales based on birthdate is often called Tobacco-Free Generation (TFG). The law forbids only commercial sales, not the purchase, possession, or use of tobacco, meaning the act of smoking is not criminalized. Action on Smoking and Health applauds the decision.

Key Points: 
  • "This is an important day for myself, my family, my neighbors, and my state," said Katharine Silbaugh, a Brookline resident who co-sponsored the law.
  • "This decision secures the right of Massachusetts towns to protect their residents' health by phasing out the sale of tobacco."
  • Before passing the law, Brookline sought an opinion from then-Attorney General – and now Governor – Maura Healey, who concluded that the policy was not preempted by state law .
  • The original case was thrown out on a motion to dismiss, and the plaintiffs appealed to the state supreme court.

FDA Clears First Over-the-Counter Continuous Glucose Monitor

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, March 5, 2024

SILVER SPRING, Md., March 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared for marketing the first over-the-counter (OTC) continuous glucose monitor (CGM).

Key Points: 
  • SILVER SPRING, Md., March 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared for marketing the first over-the-counter (OTC) continuous glucose monitor (CGM).
  • "CGMs can be a powerful tool to help monitor blood glucose.
  • The device presents blood glucose measurements and trends every 15 minutes in the accompanying app.
  • Data from a clinical study provided to the FDA showed that the device performed similarly to other iCGMs.

New Report Details Alarming Surge in Tobacco Imagery in On-Screen Entertainment Most Popular Among Youth and Young Adults

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, March 5, 2024

WASHINGTON, March 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Tobacco imagery is surging in shows, social media, music videos and movies — including nearly every Best Picture nominee at the 2024 Academy Awards — exposing millions of young people to depictions that glamorize and normalize tobacco use. The impact of tobacco imagery is well documented, with recent peer-reviewed research showing that exposure to such images makes young people up to three times more likely to start vaping, while the U.S. Surgeon General concluded in 2012 that youth and young adults were twice as likely to smoke compared to those with less exposure. According to Truth Initiative's sixth annual "While You Were Streaming" report titled, "Lights, Camera, Tobacco? How Rising Smoking and Vaping Imagery in Top Entertainment Influences E-Cigarette Use and Fuels Nicotine Addiction Among Young Audiences," this adds up to a serious public health threat, putting a new generation at risk for a lifetime of nicotine addiction.

Key Points: 
  • Surgeon General concluded in 2012 that youth and young adults were twice as likely to smoke compared to those with less exposure.
  • The report reveals the number of tobacco depictions in streaming shows popular among 15- to 24-year-olds more than doubled in 2022, exposing nearly 25 million young people.
  • The rise was largely driven by Netflix's "Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story," which contained a third of all tobacco depictions.
  • You can view it here: youtu.be/dXscOjP2oto
    The report illustrates how tobacco is both normalized and glamorized in today's top streaming entertainment.

Manufacturing PMI® at 47.8%; February 2024 Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business®

Retrieved on: 
Friday, March 1, 2024

TEMPE, Ariz., March 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Economic activity in the manufacturing sector contracted in February for the 16th consecutive month following one month of "unchanged" status (a PMI® reading of 50 percent) and 28 months of growth prior to that, say the nation's supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business®.

Key Points: 
  • (A Manufacturing PMI® above 42.5 percent, over a period of time, generally indicates an expansion of the overall economy.)
  • The Prices Index registered 52.5 percent, down 0.4 percentage point compared to the reading of 52.9 percent in January.
  • The Backlog of Orders Index registered 46.3 percent, 1.6 percentage points higher than the 44.7 percent recorded in January.
  • "The Supplier Deliveries Index figure of 50.1 percent is 1 percentage point higher than the 49.1 percent recorded in January.

Westat Awarded Contract to Continue Supporting the PATH Study

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, February 21, 2024

ROCKVILLE, Md., Feb. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Institutes of Health's (NIH's) National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) have announced the award of a third contract to Westat to continue to support the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study. Westat has supported the study since its inception in 2011.

Key Points: 
  • Westat is committed to continuing the trusted partnership with NIH/NIDA and FDA/CTP on the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study to understand tobacco use patterns and impacts on public health.
  • Westat has supported the study since its inception in 2011.
  • The PATH Study is a uniquely large, long-term study of tobacco use and health in the United States.
  • "Our work will build on the knowledge we have gained during the past 12 years of supporting the PATH Study and a foundation of over 35 years of tobacco research," notes Charles Carusi, PhD , a Westat Vice President and the project director for the PATH Study.

FDA Approves First Cellular Therapy to Treat Patients with Unresectable or Metastatic Melanoma

Retrieved on: 
Friday, February 16, 2024

"Unresectable or metastatic melanoma is an aggressive form of cancer that can be fatal," said Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER).

Key Points: 
  • "Unresectable or metastatic melanoma is an aggressive form of cancer that can be fatal," said Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER).
  • Melanoma can spread to other parts of the body if not detected and treated early, resulting in metastatic disease.
  • Treatment for unresectable or metastatic melanoma may include immunotherapy using PD-1 inhibitors, which are antibodies targeting certain proteins in the body to help the immune system fight off cancer cells.
  • Those patients whose melanoma has progressed with these therapies have a high unmet medical need.

FDA Approves First Medication to Help Reduce Allergic Reactions to Multiple Foods After Accidental Exposure

Retrieved on: 
Friday, February 16, 2024

Xolair is intended for repeated use to reduce the risk of allergic reactions and is not approved for the immediate emergency treatment of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis.

Key Points: 
  • Xolair is intended for repeated use to reduce the risk of allergic reactions and is not approved for the immediate emergency treatment of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis.
  • "While it will not eliminate food allergies or allow patients to consume food allergens freely, its repeated use will help reduce the health impact if accidental exposure occurs."
  • Current treatment requires strict avoidance of the food(s) the patient is allergic to, and prompt administration of epinephrine to treat anaphylaxis should accidental exposures occur.
  • Xolair is the first FDA-approved medication to reduce allergic reactions to more than one type of food after accidental exposure.