– Invites Public to Provide Comment on the Agenda
The Foundation for a Smoke-Free World announced the publication of its preliminary Health, Science, and Technology (HST) Agenda ( https://www.smokefreeworld.org
These preliminary Agenda outlines work in three areas:
— Funding research to answer consumers’, physicians’, and regulators’
questions about smoking, smoking cessation, and harm reduction; and to
strengthen research capacity in countries where most smokers live
— Creating funding mechanisms to stimulate innovation for more effective
smoking cessation tools and for improving access to affordable
cessation and reduced-risk products in low- and middle-income countries
— Funding data-gathering and analytics to measure progress and to inform
the actions of consumers, researchers, other stakeholders, and the
Foundation itself
The Foundation invites comments on the preliminary Agenda through its website ( https://www.smokefreeworld.org
“Smoking remains the single largest preventable cause of death and disability in the world. On the present trajectory, a billion people will prematurely die from smoking this century. We invite all those interested in accelerating the end of smoking to review our preliminary HST Agenda and comment. We look forward to hearing from smokers and their families, researchers, innovators and funders of innovation, healthcare professionals who are trying to help smokers quit and reduce their health risks, and policy makers,” said Farhad Riahi, MD, Chief Health, Science, and Technology Officer, Foundation for a Smoke-Free World.
Foundation Issues Multimillion Dollar Request for Proposals for Biomarker
Development
Alongside its preliminary Health, Science, and Technology Agenda, the Foundation is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) ( https://www.smokefreeworld.org
Ending smoking will require research, including longitudinal studies to assess use patterns and outcomes of using traditional and emerging nicotine products. The Foundation’s recently commissioned survey of the biomarker landscape shows that there is currently no biomarker or panel of biomarkers that can reliably discriminate between the use of different nicotine and tobacco products or identify dual or multiple use. Studies will benefit greatly from objective biomarkers of exposure and use-state, reducing reliance on self-reporting and surveys.
“As we interviewed researchers about their priorities and their needs, it quickly became clear that objective biomarkers of exposure would greatly improve the quality and reliability of research on people’s use of different products, and that the Foundation could make a significant contribution by supporting research and innovation in this area,” said Brian Erkkila, PhD, Director of Regulatory Science, Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, and former Lead Toxicologist at the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products.
The Foundation invites applicants with expertise in biomarkers to apply for scoping grants to develop full research proposals. Subsequently, the Foundation will fund up to three 2-year biomarker research projects, each with a budget of up to $3 million, for a total maximum grant budget of $9 million. Biomarkers will encompass both traditional biomarkers as well as digital biomarkers collected by biosensors, wearables, and other devices.
The biomarker submission process is detailed on the Foundation’s website ( https://www.smokefreeworld.org
ABOUT THE FOUNDATION FOR A SMOKE-FREE WORLD
The Foundation for a Smoke-Free World is an independent non-profit organization with the purpose of improving global health by ending smoking in this generation.
For more information about the Foundation, please visit: www.smokefreeworld.org.
SOURCE: Foundation for a Smoke-Free World
