Groups slam Philip Morris, but the Vectura deal has precedent

 Six respiratory health societies have slammed the recent takeover by Philip Morris of the UK drug delivery biotech Vectura, but the move, seeking to prevent tobacco companies from benefiting from such acquisitions, comes somewhat late to the game. Friday’s joint statement bans employees of tobacco-owned companies from featuring data in journals or meetings run by the European Respiratory Society, American Thoracic Society, International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, Asian Pacific Society of Respirology, Asociación Latino Americana De Tórax, and Global Initiative for Asthma. No products of tobacco-owned companies will be promoted at the groups’ future scientific meetings or co-sponsored conferences. This mirrors a similar stance taken by the British Thoracic Society, which last month ran an editorial entitled “Vectura and Philip Morris: the leopard has not changed its spots”. This could discourage moves such as BAT setting up a biotech business, Kbio, to use a plants to develop treatments for rare and infectious diseases. However, tobacco companies like Japan Tobacco have a long history of investing in drug development. Philip Morris itself has held a stake in Medicago, a Canadian player seeking to enter Covid vaccine business, since 2008, and last year bought Fertin Pharma and Oti-Topic too.

A history of drug development: selected projects with tobacco company involvement
Project	Indication	Status	Current owner	Originator
Vitekta (elvitegravir)	HIV	Marketed	Gilead Sciences	Japan Tobacco
Mekinist	Melanoma	Marketed	Novartis	Japan Tobacco
Enaroy (enarodustat)	Chronic kidney disease	Marketed	Torii Pharmaceutical	Japan Tobacco
Flutiform	Asthma	Marketed	Philip Morris	Skyepharma
Enerzair Breezhaler	Asthma	Marketed	Novartis/Philip Morris	Vectura
AirFluSal Forspiro	COPD/asthma	Marketed	Novartis/Philip Morris	Vectura
Ultibron Neohaler	COPD	Marketed	Novartis/Philip Morris	Vectura
Hualan	Influenza vaccine	Marketed	Hualan Biological Engineering	Medicago (20% owned by Philip Morris)
MT-2271	Influenza vaccine	Filed	Mitsubishi Chemical	Medicago (20% owned by Philip Morris)
MT-2766	Covid vaccine	Filed	Mitsubishi Chemical	Medicago (20% owned by Philip Morris)
Dalcetrapib	Hyperlipidaemia	Phase 3	Dalcor Pharmaceuticals	Japan Tobacco
MK-5442	Osteoporosis	Discontinued	Merck & Co	Japan Tobacco
MEDI-570	Cancer	Discontinued	Astrazeneca	Japan Tobacco
Bradanicline	Schizophrenia	Discontinued	Catalyst Biosciences	Targacept (RJ Reynolds spin-out)
TC-6987	Asthma	Discontinued	Catalyst Biosciences	Targacept (RJ Reynolds spin-out)
Source: Evaluate Pharma. https://www.evaluate.com/vantage/articles/news/policy-and-regulation-snippets/groups-slam-philip-morris-vectura-deal-has