New Life for Ariva®, Stonewall® Dissolvable Smokeless Tobacco Products...


December 21, 2007 - New Life for Ariva®, Stonewall® Dissolvable Smokeless Tobacco Products... ( These tobacco lozenges have been around for a few years with lackluster sales; in fact, some retail stores refused to even carry these nicotine addicting products.) Star Scientific, Inc. held its annual shareholder’s meeting on Friday, December 14, 2007 in Washington, DC. Star executives were gratified with the results of two studies from the University of Minnesota Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Center that favored their tobacco lozenge products. One study examined the potential health risks and benefits of potential harm reduction products. Tobacco-specific carcinogen uptake was greater from Exalt (SNUS product by Swedish Match) than from the MNL (medicinal nicotine lozenge), and was comparable between the MNL and Ariva. Physiological effects and subjective effects on withdrawal and craving were comparable among Exalt, Ariva, and the MNL. Ariva was preferred over the MNL, which was preferred over Exalt. It was concluded that with the exception of medicinal nicotine products, low-nitrosamine ST products have the greatest potential to result in reduced toxicant exposure compared with other combustible reduced exposure products and have promise for reducing individual risk for disease. ( "Pilot study on lower nitrosamine smokeless tobacco products compared with medicinal nicotine," M. Irene Mendoza-Baumgart et al., Nicotine & Tobacco Research 9(12): 1309-1323, 2007) In another study tobacco specific nitrosamine levels were analyzed in Ariva, Stonewall, Exalt, Rebel, Smokey Mountain (a tobacco free snuff product) and Quest and compared their TSNAs levels with those in NRT (nicotine replacement therapy) and conventional smokeless tobacco and cigarette brands. The lowest levels containing tobacco were in the two Star Scientific products Ariva and Stonewall. "Tobacco-specific nitrosamines in new tobacco products," Irene Stepanov et al., Nicotine & Tobacco Research 8(2):309-313, 2006. All of a sudden Star has 130 new distributors (an 166% increase over 2006) - at retail outlets Ariva and/or Stonewall can be found at Food Lion Grocery stores, a number Kroger Stores and drug store chains like Walgreens and Rite Aid. Star is now convinced they are the leader in the low-TSNA dissolvable smokeless tobacco category. Tobacco products that look like candy containing compressed tobacco powder along with sweeteners, mint and other flavorings, and resembles a brand of popular breath mints. (The Cancer Blog)

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