Threatened by Vapes, Nicorette to Launch New Nicotine Lozenges

To help people quit smoking, Nicorette has launched its first major new product in a decade—ice mint nicotine lozenges, designed to assist in smoking cessation.
 
Since the advent of e-cigarettes, sales of nicotine gum have been declining. In response, the brand has introduced its first new product in ten years—ice mint nicotine lozenges. This gum features a new coating technology that provides a more impactful mint flavor, offering a smoother texture and taste compared to other nicotine lozenges.

Nicotine gum was first approved by the FDA as a smoking cessation prescription drug in 1984, when it was owned by Marion Merrell Dow (MMD). Subsequently, GlaxoSmithKline began selling gum and nicotine patches in 1996, obtaining FDA approval at that time.

Scientists at GlaxoSmithKline spent seven years developing and submitting this new lozenge for FDA review. John Sienkiewicz, head of the Nicorette and NicoDerm brand alliance at GSK Consumer Healthcare, stated that the bitterness of nicotine is a major concern for consumers.

Brand director Scott Yacovino said: "We know quitting smoking is very difficult, so we have been looking for ways to improve the user experience of nicotine replacement therapies, providing a better experience. Clearly, the better the taste and experience of the product, the easier it is for people to stick to quitting smoking."

E-cigarettes are more effective than NRTs for quitting smoking

At the same time, research shows that nicotine and other NRTs are not very effective as smoking cessation aids, with e-cigarettes proving to be the most effective.

Recently, a research team from Queen Mary University of London conducted a study funded by the UK National Institute for Health Research, the Health Technology Assessment program, and the Cancer Research Center. The study tracked nearly 900 smokers' attempts to quit, observing any symptoms they experienced and their success in quitting.

A total of 886 participants were randomly divided into two groups. One group was regularly given NRTs, while the other group was given second-generation e-cigarettes with an 18mg/ml e-liquid. After one year, the quit rate for the NRTs group was 9.9%, while the quit rate for the e-cigarette group was 18%.

Nicorette's director stated: "E-cigarettes are not FDA-approved smoking cessation products."

However, Nicorette's brand director is not optimistic about vaping e-cigarettes. Yacovino said: "As far as we know, there is currently no clinical data supporting that e-cigarettes help people quit smoking. They do not have the same designation and are not FDA-approved smoking cessation products."

E-cigarettes remain a smoking cessation aid for smokers, as the act of vaping mimics the smoking behavior, making the transition from smoking to non-smoking easier, and Nicorette's sales data reflects this. Over the past five years, sales have declined by 2%, although there was a growth of 3% from 2017 to 2018.