Dear colleagues and partners,  I am writing to share an important transition within ARAC. After thoughtful consideration, Allison Shumate (“Allie”) has made the personal decision to step away from her role as Chief Marketing Officer to focus on her young family during this season of their lives. ARAC has undergone exponential growth in the past 12 months, bringing increased work demands and significant global partnerships, making “work-life balance” an unrealistic goal most d

This past Monday  Food and Drug Law Institute (FDLI) ’s Tobacco and Nicotine Conference began with a warm welcome from FDLI President & CEO  Christine Simmon  and a keynote address from  Bret Koplow , Acting Director, Center for Tobacco Products, FDA. KEY TAKEAWAYS: 1. Tone shift: THR enters the regulatory lexicon Koplow’s remarks mark a notable departure in the CTP’s framing: the agency is now actively acknowledging that helping adult smokers who cannot or will not quit comb

Global Forum on Nicotine , the organizer of GFN is committed to providing a platform for global public health debate, knowledge exchange and networking, underpinned by the principles of inclusiveness and multi-sectoral engagement. This past June, ARAC lead a pivotal conversation at one of GFN’s SCIENCE LAB - Part 1 & 2: “Person-Centered Approaches to Sensory, Behavioral, & Consumer Research” Samuel C. Hampsher-Monk . A person-centered approach in research and product developm

ARAC shared perspective with  2FIRSTS  on FDA’s new pilot program for nicotine pouch PMTAs — and why the fundamentals still stand. While the pilot aims to streamline review and allow some category-level data, the evidentiary bar hasn’t changed: applicants must still demonstrate that products are appropriate for the protection of public health through rigorous, product-specific data. In short: faster doesn’t mean easier. Robust switching studies, clear marketing plans, and str

Exciting news for the industry and a stabilizing moment for CTP. Read KEY FACTS & REFLECTIONS from our 𝗖𝗘𝗢 & 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿, Dr. Jessica Zdinak. 𝗞𝗘𝗬 𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗦 from the article >  Nicotine Insider HERE  •  Matthew Farrelly  previously served as Director of the OS at CTP (starting in 2023).  • Earlier in 2025, due to a restructuring, his role was changed / reassigned within HHS, though there was no public formal announcement (his LinkedIn sti

ARAC is growing! We are excited to welcome three outstanding professionals to our team. READ TEAM BIOS HERE . 𝗗𝗿. 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝗶𝗲 𝗩𝗮𝗻 – 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁 Julie is a researcher and scientist with a PhD in psychology and over a decade of interdisciplinary expertise spanning neuroscience, human behavior, and translational research. At ARAC, Julie will lead the design and execution of behavioral science research to uncover insights into human behavi

Last week was a powerful and insightful few days at  Tobacco Science Research Conference (TSRC) ! A heartfelt thank you to TSRC for an outstanding conference that challenged us, connected us, and inspired us. From the thoughtful sessions to the lively discussions, every element drove home just how much can be achieved when brilliant minds come together. We’re proud to share that FOUR ARAC abstracts were accepted for presentation at this year’s  Tobacco Science Research Confer

We wanted to provide clarity regarding FDA’s recently announced nicotine pouch pilot program . While the headlines may suggest a shift in requirements, here are a few important considerations: Unless you are in the pilot, nothing has changed yet.  Only four companies were selected, and we are not expecting to know the results of the pilot until the new year.   No clarity over the details.  If and when new "recommendations” emerge, no one knows what the details of these will b

This past Monday was a full day of learning, connecting, and exchanging perspectives on the future of tobacco harm reduction, innovation, and public health at the  New Approaches Conference . AGENDA HERE:  https://lnkd.in/eXMu_XH6 While approaches differ, one constant theme was clear: collaboration across science, industry, public health, and policy is essential if we are truly going to accelerate progress and reduce the harms of smoking. KEY HIGHLIGHTS from our Lead Clinica

LEARN MORE > http://tsrcinfo.com/ • Dual use isn’t one thing. As  Arielle Selya  reminded us, “dual use” covers many consumption patterns with very different risk profiles. Cross-sectional snapshots miss the whole story and limits what occurs long-term. What looks like a problem at a moment in time can be a transition toward exclusive vaping or even abstinence, with very different risk implications. • Enforcement is up, so must access to regulated alternatives.  Elaine Round

ARAC – Your partner in bridging regulatory agility with public health responsibility. A push for rapid approvals doesn’t mean cutting corners, and in fact the recent announcement of CTP’s fast tracking of four major manufacturers means quite the opposite. CTP likely knows that these companies have submitted, as always, substantially robust and complete applications for marketing authorization review. It’s likely that these reviews have been expedited because the regulatory bo

ARAC will be in Knoxville, TN for  Tobacco Science Research Conference (TSRC) ! The 78th annual conference – this year’s symposium theme is: Collective Progress & Future Sustainability – Key Considerations, Shared Perspectives, and Common Ground. 📍Location: Knoxville, TN 📆 Dates: September 14-17 | Knoxville Convention Center REGISTER HERE:  http://tsrcinfo.com/ AGENDA:  https://lnkd.in/ejitwvRr CONNECT WITH ARAC:  https://lnkd.in/ep5WYMxy ARAC is proud to be a SPONSOR. Spec