BAT "When used alone in sticks, it provides a quality of life similar to quitting smoking"

First Long-Term Clinical Trial Shows Significant Reduction in Smoking-Related Disease Risk After Switching to Glo
BAT Korea Celebrates 30th Anniversary, Unveils Business Vision for a Better Tomorrow

BAT Science 글 with scientific research image.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seon-ae] "Through the first long-term clinical trial research results, we have added weight to the scientific evidence regarding the potential risk reduction of Glo compared to conventional cigarettes."

On the 5th, BAT Korea announced the latest scientific research results on Glo, the flagship heated tobacco product of the BAT Group, at The Plaza Hotel in Seoul, and introduced plans to move forward with the group-level vision, ‘A Better Tomorrow’.

BAT Group logo.

Smokers Who Switched to Glo Show Reduced Risk of Smoking-Related Diseases

At this briefing, BAT Korea revealed the initial 3-month analysis results of the long-term clinical trial on Glo, which began last year in the UK, along with scientific research findings on the risk of heated tobacco products.

First, smokers who completely switched from conventional cigarettes to Glo showed a significant reduction in exposure to harmful substances contained in cigarette smoke within just three months. In particular, analysis of multiple measured harmful substances showed that the reduction in harmful substance exposure in the group of trial participants who switched to Glo was similar to that of the smoking cessation group who completely quit smoking.

This aligns with the requirement that to be recognized as a risk-reduced tobacco product by global public health agencies, the product switch must yield results comparable to quitting smoking. BAT explained that these research results support the corporate goal of ‘A Better Tomorrow,’ which aims to reduce the health impact of business operations.

This long-term clinical study demonstrated that exclusive use of the heated tobacco product Glo significantly reduces smokers’ exposure to harmful substances, potentially lowering the risk of developing smoking-related diseases. Additionally, this study provided a more detailed presentation of the effects of switching to Glo, and the final analysis results of the clinical trial will be announced later.

Demographic Analysis Results of Heated Tobacco Product Users

Furthermore, BAT’s scientific research team newly announced demographic analysis results conducted to analyze the impact of heated tobacco products on smokers. Through a study involving 4,500 smokers in the Sendai, Tokyo, and Osaka regions of Japan, BAT confirmed that the main reasons for using heated tobacco products were potential risk reduction, social considerations, and odor reduction.

Participants self-assessed their ‘Quality of Life (QoL)’ scores, evaluating factors such as coughing, shortness of breath, and fatigue. The group using Glo showed improved quality of life scores, consistent with the clinical trial results, and notably, in terms of cough symptom improvement, the group that switched to Glo showed a similar degree of improvement to the smoking cessation group that completely quit smoking.

Dr. James Murphy, Head of BAT Risk-Reduced Product Research, stated, “Smokers considering switching to new product categories like Glo want to know more precisely about the expected benefits, including reduced exposure to harmful substances compared to conventional cigarettes,” adding, “The initial clinical trial results are very encouraging as they provide important evidence for smokers seeking potentially lower-risk alternative products.”

He continued, “These scientific research results serve as a positive driving force for BAT’s business goal of reducing harm caused by its operations, and they are meaningful in that they provide consumers with a variety of satisfying products while reducing health risks.”

BAT Science 글로 Scientific Research Image.

BAT Korea Presents Business Goals on Its 30th Anniversary

Since its establishment in 1990, BAT Korea, celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, introduced its business direction along with the milestones of increased production and export performance.

On this day, Kim Eun-ji, appointed in July as the first female president in the tobacco industry, emphasized BAT Korea’s efforts toward ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) goals focusing on environmental and social impacts on local communities.

President Kim stated, “BAT Korea has contributed to the economic and industrial development of South Korea for 30 years since its establishment in 1990, operating a production plant established in Sacheon, Gyeongnam, since 2002,” and expressed her ambition, “BAT Korea plans to proactively respond to upcoming changes while growing Korea into a global hub for product manufacturing and talent development.”

The BAT Group aims to expand the number of consumers of non-combustible products to 50 million by 2030 as part of its new corporate goal, ‘A Better Tomorrow,’ which seeks to reduce the health impact of its business by broadening consumers’ choices of satisfying yet less harmful products.

Meanwhile, due to COVID-19 prevention guidelines, the briefing was held with three scientists from BAT’s UK headquarters attending online, followed by a video presentation on the scientific research results of Glo’s risk reduction and an on-site Q&A session with President Kim and Bae Yoon-seok, BAT Vice President of North Asia.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.