Philip Morris USA has ended its test of Marlboro-branded cigarettes that use a high-technology filter, a company spokesman confirmed on Monday.

The operating company of Altria Group said it pulled the plug on Marlboro Ultra Smooth and Marlboro Ultra Light cigarettes, which used an activated carbon filter to deliver nicotine with potentially less exposure to carcinogens than in conventional cigarettes.
The spokesman said the test of Marlboro Ultra Smooth, which began in 2005, showed consumers were not interested in the cigarette. New shipments of Marlboro Ultra Smooth to wholesalers had stopped on 1 April. (pi)