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Reynolds American today confirmed news that will leave many scratching their heads: The country's no. 2 tobacco company and the maker of Camel cigarettes will buy a Swedish maker of products designed to help smokers quit.
Reynolds American said it will pay $44 million for Niconovum, which makes nicotine gum and other nicotine replacement products designed to wean smokers off cigarettes. The firm was founded by Karl Olov Fagerström, who the company's Web site trumpets as "one of the world's leading experts on smoking cessation and nicotine dependence."
Purchasing the company "runs totally counter to the mission statement of (Reynolds American subsidiary) R.J. Reynolds," Gregory Connolly, a Harvard School of Public Health professor who researches tobacco products, recently told ABCNews.com. "I'm astounded."
Sweanor said Reynolds could find new profit from Niconovum products by transforming them into longer-term nicotine substitutes that consumers could use for months or years instead of weeks.
Originally posted by kiwifoot
Hi ATS, not as cool as a CGI UFO vid but still this one is interesting!
Cigarette Maker Buys Quit-Smoking Company ABC News
Reynolds American today confirmed news that will leave many scratching their heads: The country's no. 2 tobacco company and the maker of Camel cigarettes will buy a Swedish maker of products designed to help smokers quit.
Reynolds American said it will pay $44 million for Niconovum, which makes nicotine gum and other nicotine replacement products designed to wean smokers off cigarettes. The firm was founded by Karl Olov Fagerström, who the company's Web site trumpets as "one of the world's leading experts on smoking cessation and nicotine dependence."
Purchasing the company "runs totally counter to the mission statement of (Reynolds American subsidiary) R.J. Reynolds," Gregory Connolly, a Harvard School of Public Health professor who researches tobacco products, recently told ABCNews.com. "I'm astounded."
This is wrong on many levels!!
I just don't understand what they're playing at, are they spending $44 Million just to put the competition out of business?
Are they suddenly growing a conscience?
Are they aware of some law change that will affect smokers, a law banning cigarettes entirely perhaps that will make their new acquisition a good move?
There maybe a hint in further down in the report:
Sweanor said Reynolds could find new profit from Niconovum products by transforming them into longer-term nicotine substitutes that consumers could use for months or years instead of weeks.
Maybe they've seen the writing on the wall and are looking to find ways of replacing one addiction with others!
All the best ATS!
[edit on 2-12-2009 by kiwifoot]
Originally posted by Revolutionary-Jeffe
Honestly I'm surprised that they didn't do this before, anti-smoking products are about 10-20 times as expensive as smoking itself is and they rarely work. This move will potentially dramatically increase their profits.