22nd Century Delivers 3.6 Million Variable Nicotine Content Research Cigarettes for Independent Scientific Studies

To Date, 22nd Century Has Provided More Than 31 Million Variable Nicotine Content Research Cigarettes for Numerous Independent Scientific Studies

Research on Nicotine Content Reduction in Cigarettes Underpins the FDA’s Proposed Mandate to Reduce Nicotine Levels in All Cigarettes Sold in the U.S. to “Minimally or Non-Addictive” Levels, a Feat Already Achieved by VLN

Delivery of Research Cigarettes is to Support Nicotine Cap Mandate and is Unrelated to 22nd Century’s Modified Risk Tobacco Product (MRTP) Application for VLN Cigarettes

BUFFALO, N.Y., April 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 22nd Century Group, Inc. (NYSE American: XXII), a leading plant-based, biotechnology company that is focused on tobacco harm reduction, very low nicotine content tobacco, and hemp/cannabis research, announced today that it has fulfilled an order for 3.6 million of its variable nicotine content research cigarettes. These research cigarettes are destined for use in important independent, scientific studies funded largely by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and other federal government health agencies. Research already completed using 22nd Century’s variable nicotine content research cigarettes has revealed substantial public health benefits for implementing a national standard requiring all cigarettes to contain “minimally or non-addictive” levels of nicotine. Notably, 22nd Century’s commercially focused VLN cigarettes with 95% less nicotine already achieve this ambitious goal.

“We are proud to play a central role in supporting public health advancement by providing our variable nicotine content cigarettes for research,” said James A. Mish, chief executive officer of 22nd Century Group. “We recognize that the FDA needs to carefully consider many different health aspects before introducing its mandate. It is significant that results from so many independent research studies—largely funded by U.S. government agencies—have already consistently confirmed the benefits of implementing a mandate on reduced nicotine content (RNC) cigarettes for adult smokers. That fact, along with continuing public support from senior public health figures, should indicate to the FDA that now is the time to act and move forward with its proposed mandate to reduce the nicotine content of all cigarettes sold in the U.S. to ‘minimally or non-addictive’ levels. Millions of American lives would be saved by doing so. When the mandate is implemented, 22nd Century is fully prepared to deliver the solution by making our VLN cigarettes available to adult smokers and to license our reduced nicotine technology so that every cigarette manufacturer in the industry can comply in the interest of saving lives.”