On today’s episode, we interview Dr. Brian Erkkila, the Director of Regulatory Science at Swedish Match North America, a subsidiary of Philip Morris International – makers of ZYN. A former scientist at the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products, Dr. Erkkila offers detailed insights on a new generation of smoke-free products and outlines opportunities for tobacco harm reduction. He also addresses common misconceptions about nicotine and explains how the FDA can do more to arm medical professionals with better advice for their patients who smoke. PMI U.S. recently released a white paper on the topic entitled "Getting Smart on Reduced Harm."

Dr. Brian Erkkila is a regulatory scientist with a history of tackling complex regulatory issues, specializing in human health risk assessment, pharmacology, tobacco regulation, database development and science policy. He currently serves as the director of regulatory science at Swedish Match North America, a wholly owned subsidiary of Philip Morris International. Prior to this role, he worked at the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products, Office of Science, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Erkkila holds a BA in Neurobiology from The Johns Hopkins University and earned his PhD in Neurobiology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

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