Tobacco Company Philip Morris Under Fire For ‘Ironic’ Decision to Invest in Lung Health Products

Philip Morris International, an American-Swiss multinational cigarette and tobacco manufacturing company, has been making headlines with their announcement to acquire two overseas companies specializing in oral and inhaled products.

The famed cigarette company — which still owns Marlboro — has agreed to acquire Fertin Pharma A/S for about $820 million and the UK-based Vectura Group PLC for $1.2 billion.

The Vectura deal came under immediate fire in medical circles. Vectura makes respiratory drug inhalers that can even help with smoker’s lungs while Philip Morris International still makes most of its money from brands like Marlboro and Chesterfield.

The Evening Standard quoted Cancer Research UK chief executive Michelle Mitchell saying, “It’s ironic that a tobacco company wants to invest in the lung health industry when their products are the biggest preventable cause of cancer, including lung cancer.” Deborah Arnott, CEO of the ASH charity, also “can’t imagine the scientists working for Vectura, a respectable company making products that treat lung cancer, are going to be at all happy waking up to find they’re going to be working for Big Tobacco.”

Fertin Pharma, similar to Vectura, works to increase lifespans and does so by creating innovative pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products based on oral and intra-oral delivery systems. Fertin’s goal is to helps you create effective, convenient, and pleasant products to support healthier living.

According to MediaPost, In February 2021, Philip Morris announced their goal to generate more than 50% of total net revenue from smoke-free products by 2025. Off to a positive start with both of these acquisitions, Philip Morris has not yet responded to the criticism, continuing to redirect to the company’s news release.

Most notably, Jacek Olczak, Chief Executive Officer of Philip Morris, shared that “the acquisition of Fertin Pharma will be a significant step forward on our journey toward delivering a smoke-free future—enhancing our smoke-free portfolio, notably in modern oral, and accelerating our progress in beyond nicotine.”

Correction: This story has been updated to distinguish between Phillip Morris International and Phillip Morris USA.