Do the significantly lower number and levels of harmful chemicals in IQOS tobacco vapour also mean lower levels of such chemicals in the body? If you reduce the level of harmful chemicals in IQOS tobacco vapor, it would make sense that switching completely to IQOS from cigarettes reduces exposure to these harmful chemicals. To prove this, we measured biomarkers of exposure for a number of these harmful chemicals in thousands of smokers who participated in our clinical study programme (some switched to IQOS, while others either continued smoking their cigarette brand or quit for the duration of the study). These studies show that when smokers switch to IQOS, their body absorbs significantly lower levels of harmful chemicals, which in turn results in favorable changes in a number of risk markers selected because of their known association with smoking-related diseases. But it doesn’t end.​

When IQOS is available on the market, research will shift from implementation in a pre-market to a real-world post-market environment. There, we look at how that product is used and who uses it to complement our pre-market results and do our best to detect and prevent use or consumption by unintended audiences. After years of commercialization in many countries, the available data confirm our pre-market observations, especially regarding the appeal of IQOS for adult smokers and relative disinterest in ex-smokers and those who have never been smokers. We also follow reports of health effects now that the product is being used by millions of adult users. Long-term studies will ultimately help us assess the potential reduction of the risk of IQOS disease. Collecting data to answer this question takes time, but it's the right choice. So far, everything we've seen points in the right direction.