After the FDA authorized 22nd Century’s VLN® King and VLN® Menthol King in December, the company has announced it is now moving aggressively to bring its products to market

A pilot launch will begin in its first major metropolitan market by March 2022 and then marketing and distribution is expected to expand to a full nationwide launch, the company said in a press release.
VLN® King and VLN® Menthol King are the only FDA authorized reduced nicotine content combustible cigarettes in the US tobacco products market, estimated at approximately USD 80 billion in size.
According to the press release, the FDA decision on VLN® is a major event for public health in the fight to reduce the harm caused by smoking. Not only did 22nd Century receive the MRTP authorization based on its application requests, the FDA proactively added an extra and incredibly valuable claim of “Helps You Smoke Less” mandated on every package to educate the consumer about the product’s benefit.
“The FDA’s MRTP authorization of VLN® ushered in a new reality – a combustible cigarette carrying an authorized harm reduction claim supported by extensive scientific and clinical studies, most of which were funded by federal health agencies,” said James A. Mish, Chief Executive Officer. “VLN is the only reduced harm product of its kind, and we are confident based on the research that it can absolutely be successful on its own or in combination with other harm reduction products. With an estimated 1,300 deaths per day associated with U.S. smoking, our products that can help people smoke less offer a truly a game-changing prospect for millions of American adults who currently smoke.”
22nd Century intends to commence its pilot market launch in March 2022 in order to test and optimize its marketing mix educating smokers about the benefits of reduced nicotine content VLN® King and VLN® Menthol King cigarettes. The pilot will help the company better understand how adult smokers will use this unique and revolutionary product prior to advancing to national distribution, providing an unmatched tool for helping adult smokers find an off-ramp from nicotine addiction.
“22nd Century has secured a well-known national retail partner for VLN®’s pilot market launch phase,” said Mish. “We intend to deploy and test a wide array of marketing materials aimed at adult smokers looking for ways to help them smoke less. These will include marketing at the point of sale, direct materials sent to self-identified adult smokers interested in VLN® and online resources such as our new product site at tryvln.com.”