Healthcare leaders stand firm: Demanding accountability for tobacco industry’s unethical tactics

Pharma News: The takeover of inhaler company Vectura by tobacco giant Philip Morris International has ignited a fierce debate, prompting sharp reactions from health bodies across Australia and beyond. Now, the proposed sale has raised alarms, with critics questioning the troubling connections between a firm known for its harmful tobacco products and its ownership of a business that manufactures inhalers.

The controversy centres on whether Philip Morris will continue to profit from inhaler products, even after selling off its subsidiary.

Key public health organisations, including the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ) and the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA), have led the charge against this merger. They are urging medical and health groups to boycott Vectura and its products.

The Thoracic Society has been in discussions with several pharmaceutical companies in recent weeks, shedding light on the deep ties Vectura has with Big Tobacco.

“We are seeking more information on the ultimate owners and beneficiaries of the sale of Vectura, if it is finalised,” said Thoracic Society President, Professor Anne Holland.

She added, “In addition, we have asked Medicines Australia, which represents pharmaceutical companies, to establish a principle and set a high fence for future tobacco and vaping companies to cross.”

Concerns over Philip Morris’s long-term intentions have only heightened. Despite plans to sell Vectura, the tobacco giant has publicly stated it now has enough expertise, gained since its 2021 purchase of the company, to develop and market its own inhaler products under a rebranded business unit.

Vincent So, CEO of the Thoracic Society, expressed gratitude to Australian pharmaceutical companies that have committed to distancing themselves from Vectura.

“We thank the representatives who’ve met with our executive team and indicated they would sever ties, or rule out dealing with Vectura prior to this announcement,” So said. “We also acknowledge the advocacy to media outlets, government officials and industry from our Society’s members.”

PHAA CEO, Adjunct Professor Terry Slevin, praised the global efforts that helped bring attention to the controversy.

“The public health community will continue to monitor and fight tobacco companies who try to launder their harmful practices like this tobacco giant has done,” he warned.

Professor Slevin went further, condemning the unethical profit-making from both the sale of tobacco products and health products designed to mitigate the damage caused by smoking.

“Tobacco and other nicotine delivery products have caused carnage to their users around the world for decades. The multinational corporations who have built enormous profits on the back of deaths, disease, and misery should not be allowed to profit from their efforts to continue to sell health-destroying products, while also profiting from products to address that harm,” he said, calling the actions of these companies “shameful.”

As scrutiny intensifies, both the health sector and the public health community remain vigilant, determined to ensure that tobacco companies are held accountable for their unethical business practices.

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