The British giant "Imperial Tobacco" has its products manufactured in a drug factory. We now have concrete proof that the tobacco and pharmaceutical industries are in cahoots to monopolize the e-cigarette market ...
White coats, disposable blue plastic gloves and shoe covers, hair protection caps… No doubt, the factory PharmaPac, in the suburb of Liverpool, manufactures medicines. Under the supervision of a pharmacist 
responsible, this site 400 people produces tablets, powders or gels for the world's largest laboratories as Novartis, Bayer or Teva. A pharmaceutical subcontractor like there are hundreds ...
More PharmaPac does not just manufacture drugs. A few meters from a packaging line for tablets of Warfarin, an anticoagulant, British workers are assembling ... electronic cigarettes. For the past few months, PharmaPac has also been working for Fontem Ventures, a 100% subsidiary of the British tobacco giant. Imperial Tobacco, which markets the brands Gauloises, Gitanes or Davidoff.
The production of HER, Fontem's electronic cigarette brand is running at full speed, seven days a week, 24 hours on 24. Two million JHA cigarettes are produced every month. They are shipped to Italy and France, where Imperial Tobacco has marketed the product since February in more than 7.000 tobacco shops. " We have the capacity to multiply production by ten Says Andrew Sampson, chief operating officer of PharmaPac.
By choosing to produce JHA in a pharmaceutical factory, Fontem Ventures makes the expensive gamble of quality. The product is sold 19 euros in France for a box containing two refills, two batteries, a USB charger and a travel case. Boxes of two refills cost 10 euros. " We believe that consumers will be more and more attentive to the quality of products. And the European regulation will soon be much stricter Says Ged Shudall, Development Manager at Fontem.
When the tobacco company goes into drugs, Imperial Tobacco see further. Fontem Ventures is working on the development of an electronic cigarette which will be a real substitute for tobacco, just like the patches or gums sold in 
pharmacy. From a regulatory point of view, it would then be a drug. A long research and development process begins, which will result in clinical trials - it will be necessary to provide scientific proof that the product helps to quit smoking - and a marketing authorization application from the health authorities. " Tests and controls will be even more strict Says Ged Shudall.
A cigarette manufacturer embarking on drugs? That will certainly be a debate.
Source : lesechos.fr
