CLARENCE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--22nd Century Group, Inc. (NYSE MKT:XXII), a world-leader in tobacco harm reduction, announced today that the Company has launched a new website, www.magiccigarettes.com, for its “0.0 mg nicotine” MAGIC 0 brand cigarettes.
Launched in Europe in April 2015, MAGIC 0 cigarettes feature the natural tobacco taste of conventional cigarettes, but are made with the world’s lowest nicotine tobacco. Without any artificial extraction or chemical processes, MAGIC 0 yields only 0.04 mg of nicotine per cigarette − 95% less nicotine than conventional cigarettes. No other company can grow tobacco with such low nicotine content. In accordance with European regulations which require cigarette manufacturers to list the nicotine yield directly on each pack of cigarettes and to round the yield to the nearest 1/10 place, MAGIC 0 packs prominently feature the words: “0.0 mg nicotine.”
Visitors to the new MAGIC website are provided details on the science that makes the world’s lowest nicotine cigarettes possible. The website also showcases 5 independent clinical trials that have used cigarettes made with 22nd Century’s proprietary Very Low Nicotine tobacco. With world-wide public health implications, www.magiccigarettes.com is available in 8 languages including Chinese, Japanese, English, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, and German.
“22nd Century believes that its proprietary cigarettes – protected by a very large number of patents and supported by a host of independent clinical studies – will be the first combustible cigarettes authorized by the FDA to be marketed as reduced exposure products,” explained Henry Sicignano III, President and Chief Executive Officer. “22nd Century will submit its application to the FDA this fall and we look forward to receiving FDA authorization to properly label and market our extraordinary Very Low Nicotine cigarettes in the United States. In the meantime, we are making our extraordinary reduced exposure cigarettes and tobacco available in Europe and Asia.
To date, no “big tobacco” companies anywhere in the world have been authorized to market their cigarettes as reduced exposure or modified risk tobacco products. In fact, on August 27, 2015, the FDA Center for Tobacco Products issued a warning letter to Natural American Spirit maker Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company Inc. for representing “explicitly and/or implicitly that [Natural American Spirit cigarettes] or their smoke do not contain or are free of a substance and/or that the products present a lower risk of tobacco-related disease or are less harmful than one or more other commercially marketed tobacco products.” Santa Fe was ordered by the FDA to immediately correct the violations and to take any necessary actions to bring its tobacco products into compliance with the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.
22nd Century Group intends to work cooperatively with the FDA to bring its extraordinary cigarettes to market in the United States. At the same time, the company is actively seeking international partners to bring the world’s only Very Low Nicotine tobacco cigarettes to consumers across Asia.
About 22nd Century Group, Inc.
22nd Century Group is a plant biotechnology company focused on technology which allows it to increase or decrease the level of nicotine in tobacco plants through genetic engineering and plant breeding. The Company’s mission is to reduce the harm caused by smoking. 22nd Century currently owns or exclusively controls more than 185 issued patents and more than 54 pending patent applications around the world. The Company’s strong IP position led to a licensing agreement with British American Tobacco (“BAT”), the world’s second largest tobacco company. Visit www.xxiicentury.com for more information.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking information, including all statements that are not statements of historical fact regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of 22nd Century Group, Inc., its directors or its officers with respect to the contents of this press release. The words “may,” “would,” “will,” “expect,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “intend” and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity or performance. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date that they were made. These cautionary statements should be considered with any written or oral forward-looking statements that we may issue in the future. Except as required by applicable law, including the securities laws of the United States, we do not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements to conform these statements to reflect actual results, later events or circumstances, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. You should carefully review and consider the various disclosures made by us in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, filed on February 6, 2015, including the section entitled “Risk Factors,” and our other reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission which attempt to advise interested parties of the risks and factors that may affect our business, financial condition, results of operation and cash flows. If one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if the underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results may vary materially from those expected or projected.
