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