We apologise but the Imperial Brands Science website isn’t available in your geographic location. Please visit our corporate site to find out more about the science we’re undertaking and the innovations we’re exploring.
Imperial Brands understands society’s concerns about the health risks of smoking, and we also recognise our important role in helping to reduce the harm caused by combustible tobacco.
We are therefore committed to offering the world’s billion-plus adult smokers a broad portfolio of compelling alternatives, which we refer to as Next Generation Products (NGPs).
Scientifically substantiating these NGPs as being less harmful than cigarettes, and therefore likely to benefit wider population health, is crucial.
As a responsible manufacturer, we assess and substantiate our NGP portfolio using the state-of-the-art framework below.
Tanvir Walele
Principal Scientist
Components of our scientific framework are based on the US National Academy of Science’s innovative blueprint for Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century (TT21C).
TT21C advocates the use of in-vitro testing using human cells as a more relevant alternative to traditional in-vivo testing. No animal testing occurs, making it a more ethical alternative that’s consistent with our wider corporate position not to test on animals.
We also continually assess our products to ensure they are the highest quality in terms of manufacture, engineering and ingredients, helping raise standards across the wider NGP landscape.
Our partnerships with leading scientific organisations and commitment to internationally recognised NGP standards help us engage with global regulatory authorities.
We invite critique of our science through the process of peer-review in international scientific journals, and the regular presentation of our research at international conferences.
We believe openness, transparency and collaboration enhance the scientific understanding of NGPs and best serve our adult smoker consumers.
We also believe the robust and comprehensive scientific assessment of the comparative risk of NGPs compared to cigarettes should form the basis of evidence-based global regulation.
Innovation is vital too. In 2018, we filed over 140 patents with the UK Intellectual Property Office for NGP-related technologies – making us a top ten company in this respect.
Visit Nerudia, our cutting-edge R&D facility, to discover how ‘we invent what’s next’.