NEWS

Posted 28 April 2020

Trust and transparency in the context of the COVID-19

In the context of the COVID-19 crisis, in an independent article published in Healthcare by Allam and Jones, the INTERVALS platform was mentioned as an example of data sharing. The authors state that the kind of curative management seen in INTERVALS, if applied on large scale, can lead to an even earlier detection scenario of future virus outbreaks, and argue for a review of the levels of transparency currently seen in medical care.

Posted 07 January 2019

Optimising RNAscope® for Organotypic Cell Cultures

RNAscope®, developed by Advanced Cell Diagnostics, Inc. (Newark, CA, USA), is a novel and increasingly popular technology for the in situ analysis of RNA within fixed tissues. Without disturbing tissue morphology, it enables the localization of specific targets within RNA, examination at the level of the single molecule, and the simultaneous suppression of background noise. By applying RNAscope® to organotypic cell cultures (which use a threedimensional organization of cells that more accurately represents the morphological, physiological, and molecular aspects of tissues), it has the potential to provide a window into gene expression as it occurs in the human body. This could have important implications in a number of fields, including molecular pathology, toxicological analysis, drug discovery, and drug development. In addition, since the approach relies exclusively on in vitro techniques and tissues provided by human donors, it supports the internationally recognized “3Rs” of animal research: “replacement, reduction, and refinement”...

Posted 11 November 2018

3-D study delivers first pre-clinical results on the toxicological impact of novel e-cigarette

These techniques have significant ramifications for the widely recognized 3Rs of animal research: the replacement, reduction and refinement of animal use in scientific research. Philip Morris International (PMI), has conducted an in vitro study using epithelial cells taken from the mouth and small airways of a human donor, in early stage, pre-clinical assessment of IQOS MESH, a unique electronic cigarette (e-cigarette). Results of the study have been presented at the 20th International Congress on In Vitro Toxicology (ESTIV) in Berlin, Germany...

Posted 08 October 2018

News - Computational models of the human lung show potential for personalized medicine and inhalation toxicology

Details of novel computational models of the human lung have been presented at the 10th International Aerosol Conference (IAC). The personalized models, based on advanced mathematical modeling of the human body and lung geometry, can be used to predict how aerosols will be inhaled, deposited on airway walls, and absorbed and cleared by lung physiology. Combining high-performance computing, high-fidelity modeling, and highresolution medical imaging, the simulations have significant potential to contribute to new diagnostic tools and treatment options for respiratory disease. The models have been developed and presented by Computational Fluid Dynamics Research Corporation (CFDRC) in collaboration with Philip Morris International (PMI)...

Posted 21 September 2018

Predicting Inhalation

Computational Fluid Dynamics Research Corp. (CFDRC) and Philip Morris International (PMI) presented details of novel computational models of the human lung at the 10th International Aerosol Conference (IAC), which took place Sept. 2-7 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. The personalized models, based on advanced mathematical modeling of the human body and lung geometry, can be used to predict how aerosols will be inhaled, deposited on airway walls, and absorbed and cleared by lung physiology. Combining high-performance computing, high-fidelity modeling and high-resolution medical imaging, the simulations have significant potential to contribute to new diagnostic tools and treatment options for respiratory disease...

Posted 19 September 2018

Computational Models of the Human Lung: Potential for Personalized Medicine & Inhalation Toxicology

Posted 18 September 2018

Computational models of the human lung show potential for personalized medicine and inhalation toxicology

Posted 18 September 2018

Philip Morris explores lung intake with CT-based models

Researchers at the research division of tobacco giant Philip Morris International (PMI) have developed computational models of the human lung based on CT scans to help diagnose respiratory disease and provide appropriate treatment for patients. The Lausanne, Switzerland-based division's models are based on lung and body measurements taken from datasets derived from CT images of the respiratory system. Early results are promising and have been validated against previously published models and experimental data, according to PMI...

Posted 17 September 2018

Fluid Dynamics Platform Simulates Transport of Aerosol Through Lungs

Personalized models based on advanced mathematical modeling of the human body and lung geometry can be used to predict how aerosols will be inhaled, deposited on airway walls, and absorbed and cleared by lung physiology. Combining high-performance computing, high-fidelity modeling, and high-resolution medical imaging, the simulations have potential to contribute to new diagnostic tools and treatment options for respiratory disease. The models were developed by Computational Fluid Dynamics Research Corporation (CFDRC) in collaboration with Philip Morris International (PMI). The models use algorithms that combine physics, chemistry, and thermodynamics to predict the behavior of aerosol mixtures. These algorithms build on the open-source computational fluid dynamics tool AeroSolved for the simulation of the generation, transport, evolution, and deposition of aerosols. More information on the platform can be found at http://www.aerosolved.com.

Posted 30 July 2018

In Vitro Systems and Inhalation Toxicology

Check out the blog post by PMI scientist Diego Marescotti reporting on latest developments in in vitro systems for inhalation toxicology as presented at LIVe - the Lung In Vitro Event 2018.

Posted 10 July 2018

News - Advanced in vitro methodologies demonstrate new paradigms for toxicological testing

Posted 28 June 2018

Advanced In Vitro Methodologies Demonstrate New Paradigms for Toxicological Testing

Scientists from Philip Morris International (PMI) have presented details of a series of advanced techniques for the in vitro toxicological assessment of complex mixtures. For the scientific assessment of heated tobacco and e-cigarette aerosols, PMI has developed and tested methodologies using human cells grown in three-dimensional cultures, networks-based systems toxicological analysis, and organ-on-a-chip models combining cells from multiple human organs. These techniques have significant ramifications for the widely recognized 3Rs of animal research: the replacement, reduction and refinement of animal use in scientific research. The presentation of these techniques and the results obtained was made at a dedicated session on the risk assessment of chemical mixtures at the recent TOXCON 2018 interdisciplinary toxicology conference in Stará Lesná, Slovakia...

Posted 24 June 2018

Multiomics Approaches to Biomarker Discovery in Cardiovascular Disease: Smoking, Cessation, and Reduced-Risk Products

Smoking-related diseases are caused by long-term exposure to the toxicants found in cigarette smoke. Novel techniques in systems biology, combining -omics analyses with phenotypical and functional endpoints, allow for the investigation of the biological networks that drive the progression of these diseases at the molecular level. They can be used to understand how these biological networks are perturbed by smoking and the extent to which the perturbations are reversible with regard to smoking cessation. In turn, these novel techniques may prove useful for the identification of smoking-related biomarkers of exposure that could be included in strategies to test novel reduced-risk products*, such as e-cigarettes and heat-not-burn tobacco products, and assess their ability to reduce smoking-related health risks in smokers who switch to them...

Posted 08 May 2018

Go live! Start contributing!

You can now publish your own data and protocols on INTERVALS. Start contributing!

Posted 26 March 2018

New heat-not-burn tobacco products have risk reduction potential

PMI is leading a full-scale effort to ensure that heat-not-burn tobacco products and ecigarettes ultimately replace cigarettes. Singapore – New data presented at the Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting (SOT) have demonstrated the potential of two different heat-not-burn tobacco products and e-cigarettes to reduce the risk of smoking-related diseases, in comparison to continued use of conventional cigarettes. A range of studies have investigated the toxicological impact of Philip Morris International (PMI)’s Tobacco Heating System 2.2 (THS 2.2), Carbon Heated Tobacco Product 1.2 (CHTP 1.2) and prototype e-cigarette products in the context of respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, and lung cancer using several different approaches. In each case, the aerosols produced by the alternative products resulted in significantly reduced levels of biological impact as compared to cigarette smoke (CS).

Posted 22 March 2018

More Evidence on Vapor

New data presented at the Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting (SOT) have demonstrated the potential risk reduction offered by switching from conventional cigarettes to two different heat-not-burn tobacco products and e-cigarettes. A PMI Science press note issued on Wednesday said that a range of studies had investigated the toxicological impact of Philip Morris International’s Tobacco Heating System 2.2 (THS 2.2), Carbon Heated Tobacco Product 1.2 (CHTP 1.2) and prototype e-cigarette products in the context of respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, and lung cancer using several different approaches. In each case, the aerosols produced by the alternative products were said to have resulted in significantly reduced levels of biological impact as compared to cigarette smoke (CS).

Posted 19 March 2018

New Studies Demonstrate Risk Reduction Potential of HeatNot-Burn Tobacco Products and e-Cigarettes

New data presented at the Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting (SOT) have demonstrated the potential of two different heat-not-burn tobacco products and e-cigarettes to reduce the risk of smoking-related diseases, in comparison to continued use of conventional cigarettes. A range of studies have investigated the toxicological impact of Philip Morris International (PMI)’s Tobacco Heating System 2.2 (THS 2.2), Carbon Heated Tobacco Product 1.2 (CHTP 1.2) and prototype e-cigarette products in the context of respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, and lung cancer using several different approaches. In each case, the aerosols produced by the alternative products resulted in significantly reduced levels of biological impact as compared to cigarette smoke (CS).

Posted 24 January 2018

New processes with potential - Can systems toxicology make risk assessment more efficient? (German)

Neue Verfahren mit Potenzial - Kann Systemtoxikologie die Risikobewertung effizienter machen? Neue Verfahren wie die Systemtoxikologie haben das Potenzial, die Defizite bisheriger Analysemethoden zu beheben.

Posted 07 December 2017

The Future of Toxicology: An Industry Case Study

The field of toxicology is going through a radical transformation. Technological advances are changing the ways in which we generate data and the emergence of systems toxicology has allowed traditional study endpoints to be enhanced with far deeper levels of analysis. In combination, new experimental and computational methods offer the potential for more effective, efficient and reliable toxicological testing strategies. However, these advances also create new challenges. The rapid growth of data, tools and resources in toxicology means it can be hard to reach consensus on which methodologies perform best. Similarly, assessing the reproducibility of scientific findings requires full access to protocols and data, and effective systems to manage that data...

Posted 23 November 2017

4 Toxicology Approaches in Drug Discovery

The field of toxicology has changed significantly over the last decade, toxicology experts are stepping away from traditional techniques and are shifting towards novel methods for assessing toxicity. More specifically, they are embracing the advancing areas of cell culture, molecular biology and use of computer modeling for toxicological outcome prediction...

Posted 10 October 2017

Modeling the lung-liver connection

SEATTLE—Researchers at Philip Morris International (PMI) have developed a novel multiorgan-on-a-chip in-vitro model that includes combined, stable-state lung and liver tissues. This lung-liver model may facilitate important discoveries relating to lung-liver interactions in toxicological assessments of airborne compounds, potentially impacting the costly development process of therapeutics in multiple fields of study and reducing the need for animal testing.

Posted 26 September 2017

New Data: Smoke-Free Tobacco Product as an Alternative to Cigarettes

New data from three studies have demonstrated that the aerosol generated by Philip Morris International’s Carbon Heated Tobacco Product (CHTP) has a significantly reduced biological impact as compared with cigarette smoke. Two of the studies are pre-clinical, assessing the impact of the CHTP aerosol on human tissues using advanced in vitro models. The third is a randomized and controlled clinical study, investigating the reduction of exposure to harmful and potentially harmful constituents (HPHCs) after switching from cigarette smoking to using a CHTP. The studies have been presented at the Congress of the European Societies of Toxicology, Bratislava, Slovakia, and the World Congress of Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences, Seattle, Washington, USA...

Posted 25 September 2017

Showing Promise - Encouraging results for carbon heated tobacco as an alternative to cigarettes

New data from three studies have demonstrated that the aerosol generated by Philip Morris International’s (PMI) carbon heated tobacco product (CHTP) has a significantly reduced biological impact as compared with cigarette smoke, according to PMI...

Posted 24 September 2017

News From September 2017

Researchers at Philip Morris International (PMI) have successfully connected human tissues from the lung and liver in a novel multi-organ-on-a-chip (MOC) in vitro model for toxicity testing. The lung-liver MOC has the potential to reduce the necessity for animal testing in the toxicological assessment of airborne toxins, facilitate the discovery of important mechanisms underlying diseases, and further the development of safer and more effective therapeutics...

Posted 07 September 2017

Connecting Tissues

Posted 07 September 2017

Lung/Liver in vitro Model for Toxicological Testing of Airborne Toxins

The need for animal testing in the toxicological assessment of airborne compounds could be lessened with a new multi-organ-on-a-chip (MOC) in vitro model for toxicity testing. According to Dr. David Bovard, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Systems Toxicology, Philip Morris International, “Adding relevant liver tissues to in vitro models of the lung is essential for the thorough toxicological assessment of airborne compounds. While these compounds are absorbed through the lung, the true toxicity of some will only be realized following their metabolization by the liver. Combining lung and liver tissues effectively is very challenging, and we are delighted to have reached this important milestone. We can now begin to envisage an in vitro toxicity testing strategy that accurately represents the complexity of the human body and the interplay between organs, without the need for animal testing.”...

Posted 05 September 2017

Multi-Organ-on-a-Chip Could Change Approaches to Drug Development

Posted 25 April 2017

Philip Morris drives toxicology data-sharing initiative

Philip Morris International (PMI) has shared details of its toxicology data sharing platform INTERVALS at recent Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting in Baltimore, MD, USA. The presentation of INTERVALS, an inhalation toxicology repository for Reduced-Risk Products (RRPs), took place during a session hosted by the Institute of In Vitro Sciences exploring best practices and standards in toxicological data sharing. The session was attended by world-leading toxicologists, safety assessment specialists and representatives from the tobacco industry...

Posted 25 April 2017

INTERVALS: Access The Science Behind Safer Smoking

Philip Morris International (PMI) has shared details of its toxicology data sharing platform INTERVALS at the recent Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting in Baltimore, MD, USA.1 The presentation of INTERVALS, an inhalation toxicology repository for Reduced-Risk Products (RRPs)*, took place during a session hosted by the Institute of In Vitro Sciences exploring best practices and standards in toxicological data sharing. The session was attended by worldleading toxicologists, safety assessment specialists and representatives from the tobacco industry...

Posted 17 April 2017

E-Cigarettes and 21st Century Toxicology

The toxicological assessment of e-cigarettes is a challenging task. There are many different types of e-cigarettes, there is a limited number of studies evaluating the biological effects of their main constituents on the respiratory system, and, most importantly, there is a lack of standardized testing protocols. Recently, we described a layered framework for the systematic assessment of e-cigarettes using relevant in vitro systems and contemporary methodologies...

Posted 12 April 2017

PMI Shares Data

Philip Morris International (PMI) has shared details of its toxicology data-sharing platform Intervals at the recent Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The presentation of “Intervals,” an inhalation-toxicology repository for reduced-risk products (RRPs), took place during a session hosted by the Institute of In Vitro Sciences exploring best practices and standards in toxicological data sharing. The session was attended by toxicologists, safety assessment specialists and representatives from the tobacco industry...

Posted 27 March 2017

Can Tobacco Clean Up its Act?

Emerging tobacco products have cleaner chemistry than cigarettes but regulators remain leery of their benefit—and the companies developing them...

Posted 27 March 2017

Promise highlighted

Philip Morris International (PMI) has presented data at the Society of Toxicology (SOT) annual meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, demonstrating the potential of its carbon-heated tobacco product (CHTP) to present less risk of harm to smokers who switch to this product versus continued cigarette smoking. The data show that across a range of pre-clinical assessment studies the aerosol produced by CHTP generates significantly reduced harmful and potentially harmful constituents (HPHCs) compared with cigarette smoke, and appears to have a significantly reduced biological impact...

Posted 22 March 2017

Carbon Heated Tobacco Reduces Toxicity

New toxicological data have demonstrated the potential of Philip Morris International’s (PMI’s) carbon heated tobacco product (CHTP) to present less risk of harm to smokers who switch to this product versus continued cigarette smoking. The data, presented at the Society of Toxicology (SOT) Annual Meeting in Baltimore, MD, USA, show that across a range of preclinical assessment studies the aerosol produced by CHTP generates significantly reduced harmful and potentially harmful constituents (HPHCs) compared to cigarette smoke, and appears to have a significantly reduced biological impact...

Posted 12 February 2017

BAT and PMI share award

Scientists at Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco have received an award from the PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) International Science Consortium. The award is in recognition of their contributions to the Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) Wiki, a publicly available knowledge base and online encyclopedia created by the European Commission’s DG Joint Research Centre (JRC), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)...

Posted 12 February 2017

Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco receive award from PETA science group for AOP developments

Neuchátel, Switzerland, and Southampton, UK, 6th February 2017 - Scientists from Philip Morris International (PMI) and British American Tobacco (BAT) have received an award from the PETA International Science Consortium Ltd for their contributions to the Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) Wiki, a publicly available knowledge base and online encyclopedia created by the European Commission's DG Joint Research Centre (JRC), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). BAT and PMI have developed two AOPs that map out the potential impact of substances on the circulatory system (hypertension) and on the respiratory system (decreased lung function) respectively and can be accessed at the AOP Wiki (https://aopkb.org/)...

Posted 08 February 2017

Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco Win PETA Award For 3Rs work

Scientists from Philip Morris International (PMI) and British American Tobacco (BAT) have received an award from the PETA International Science Consortium Ltd for their contributions to the Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) Wiki, a publicly available knowledge base and online encyclopedia created by the European Commission's DG Joint Research Centre (JRC), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). BAT and PMI have developed two AOPs that map out the potential impact of substances on the circulatory system (hypertension) and on the respiratory system (decreased lung function) respectively and can be accessed at the AOP Wiki (https://aopkb.org/)...

Posted 07 February 2017

Transparent Toxicology: Towards Improved Reproducibility and Data Reusability

The concept of reproducibility is one of the foundations of scientific practice and the bedrock by which scientific validity can be established. However, the extent to which reproducibility is being achieved in the sciences is currently under question. Several studies have shown that much peer-reviewed scientific literature is not reproducible. One crucial contributor to the obstruction of reproducibility is the lack of transparency of original data and methods. Reproducibility, the ability of scientific results and conclusions to be independently replicated by independent parties, potentially using different tools and approaches, can only be achieved if data and methods are fully disclosed...

Posted 11 January 2017

New Techniques for Toxicological Assessment Highlighted

A comprehensive overview of Philip Morris International (PMI)’s extensive development and assessment program for Reduced-Risk-Products (RRPs) has been presented and discussed at the recent American College of Toxicology (ACT) Annual Meeting in Baltimore, MD, USA. Through a series of oral presentations, posters and Q&A sessions, a team of PMI scientists shared details of the Tobacco Heating System 2.2 (THS), a new technology that heats tobacco without burning it, thereby reducing or eliminating the formation of many of the harmful or potentially harmful compounds (HPHCs) that are produced by cigarettes...

Posted 08 November 2016

Industry insight: Multi-Lipid Profiling and COPD

In a new study published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, researchers from Philip Morris International have highlighted multi-lipid profiling as a potential new pathway for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) biomarker development. To learn more about the study and its wider implications, we spoke to Björn Titz, Computational Biologist at Philip Morris International...

Posted 30 September 2016

Spotlights: Tobacco Harm Reduction and Reduced-Risk Products

For many decades, the primary strategies for reducing the harm associated with cigarette smoking have been focused on preventing smoking initiation and promoting smoking cessation. Although smoking prevalence has declined in many countries over the last forty years, in the last ten years those declines have flattened in many OECD and other advanced countries such as Singapore. Globally, hundreds of millions of adults continue to smoke cigarettes. ..

Events

Find the latest news about INTERVALS and our presence at conferences below!

	When	Where	More
World preclinical congress - Predicting Drug Toxicity	June 21st, 2018	Boston, USA	Oral presentation on INTERVALS: "INTERVALS, a data & results sharing platform, can improve transparency in industry-funded research
INTERVALS new platform is live!	May 9th, 2018	www
Live demo of INTERVALS	April 10th, 2018	Geneva, Switzerland	Coresta biomarker subgroup
INTERVALS Workshop	September 10th, 2017	Bratislava, Slovakia	Attend a demo of the website and its associated database
F1000 article on INTERVALS	September 5th, 2017	F1000 website	Supporting evidence-based analysis for modified risk tobacco products through a toxicology data-sharing infrastructure