New Clinical Study Demonstrates Oral Nicotine Pouches Deliver Effective Nicotine Uptake, Supporting Their Role in Tobacco Harm Reduction

New Clinical Study Demonstrates Oral Nicotine Pouches Deliver Effective Nicotine Uptake, Supporting Their Role in Tobacco Harm Reduction

• Clinical study demonstrates that nicotine pouches deliver nicotine quickly and sufficiently to satisfy smokers’ desires for nicotine, within the first 10 min of use
• Study adds to the scientific evidence around nicotine pouches as a potentially reduced-risk alternative to smoking and highlights the value of Velo in migrating adult smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke to use smokeless alternatives
• Study results support the important role nicotine pouches can play in Tobacco Harm Reduction.

 

New results from a peer-reviewed clinical study, which analysed BAT’s flagship nicotine pouch brand Velo, have been published in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. The study provides key insights into the pharmacokinetics of oral nicotine pouches, supporting their role as a reduced-risk profile alternative to cigarettes for adult smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke.

The randomised crossover clinical study, conducted in Sweden, investigated how oral nicotine pouches deliver nicotine to the body. The study tested two pouch strengths (11 mg and 20 mg of nicotine) across varied usage times (10, 20, and 30 minutes) among healthy adult regular users of snus or nicotine pouches. The researchers also examined how much of the nicotine (as well as flavourings and sweeteners) is absorbed through the mouth versus swallowed during pouch use.

Key Findings:

• Effective Nicotine Delivery: Nicotine pouches delivered nicotine rapidly and efficiently. Maximum blood levels of nicotine (Cmax) were reached quickly, approximating concentrations similar to those obtained from cigarettes, within the first 10 min of use. For both 11 mg and 20 mg pouches, the largest dose is delivered in the initial 10 minutes of use, with slower increases thereafter.
• Minimal Nicotine Swallowed: Only 1.8% of the nicotine content of the 20mg pouch was detected in saliva collected during use, with nearly all nicotine absorption occurring through the lining of the mouth. Minimal swallowing of nicotine occurred during nicotine pouch use with little to no impact on level and rate of nicotine absorption into the blood.
• User Satisfaction: Participants generally rated the pouches as acceptable in terms of both product liking and intention to use again – an essential factor for successful switching of adult smokers in a tobacco harm reduction context.
• Limited Ingestion of Non-nicotine Constituents: Only a small fraction of flavourings and sweeteners were detected in saliva, suggesting that only a small fraction of flavourings and sweeteners are swallowed during nicotine pouch use.

 

Chris Junker, Group Head of Life Sciences at BAT, said:

“Our study findings and wider research show that oral nicotine pouches can deliver nicotine efficiently and rapidly, similar to the effects of cigarette smoking but with reduced exposure to the toxicants associated with use of cigarettes. This suggests that smokers who switch completely to nicotine pouches can obtain their accustomed amount of nicotine during normal product use and adds further support to the use of nicotine pouches in a Tobacco Harm Reduction approach.”

Implications for Tobacco Harm Reduction

Smoking remains a leading cause of preventable disease due primarily to the inhalation of toxicants in cigarette smoke. Tobacco Harm Reduction policies encourage smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke to switch to smokeless, reduced-risk profile products. Oral nicotine pouches – containing pharmaceutical-grade nicotine but no tobacco leaf – provide an efficient, smokeless nicotine delivery route and are shown, by this study, to match the nicotine delivery of traditional cigarettes, potentially supporting a complete transition away from cigarette smoking.

Importantly, the study reinforces that higher strength pouches do not result in excessive nicotine blood levels over standard usage durations and that almost all the extracted nicotine is absorbed through the oral mucosa – not swallowed and processed by the gut.

This peer-reviewed clinical study demonstrates that nicotine pouches efficiently deliver nicotine quickly and sufficiently to satisfy smokers’ desires for nicotine, making them a promising tool for Tobacco Harm Reduction. By providing an alternative source of nicotine that does not involve smoking or exposure to harmful tobacco combustion products, nicotine pouches can play an important role in reducing the projected public health burden of smoking in a Tobacco Harm Reduction approach.

This news feature is not intended as a piece of promotional material for any products, very notably in the US where claims of a certain type are subject to FDA clearance. This update relates to new scientific data and is not aimed at a specific market. It is intended to provide further scientific evidence regarding our products.

 

Notes to Editors:

The study aligns with policies advocated by the US National Academy of Medicine and other global public health entities regarding Tobacco Harm Reduction.

Velo nicotine pouches are available in more than 35 markets but are addictive and not risk-free and should be used only by adult smokers and nicotine users. Adults who don’t use tobacco or nicotine products or have quit tobacco should not start.

Full reference: “Azzopardi et al., 2025. A Randomized Crossover Clinical Study to Assess the Effect of Oral Nicotine Pouches Used for Different Durations on Plasma Nicotine Pharmacokinetics in Healthy Oral Pouch Consumers. The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.

 

About the Study:

The peer-reviewed, seven-way, randomized crossover clinical study recruited 35 healthy adult snus/NP users in Sweden, comparing 11-mg and 20-mg pouches at usage intervals of 10, 20, and 30 minutes, along with assessments of ingredients swallowed versus absorbed through buccal mucosa. The research was conducted by CTC Clinical Trial Consultants AB in Uppsala, Sweden; all participants completed the protocol.

In science, peer review is the process where a researcher’s work is evaluated by independent experts before it is published. Only after passing this process is the work published, helping ensure the quality, credibility, and integrity of scientific research.