Broughton will open a dedicated heated tobacco products (HTP) facility at its Oak Tree House facility in Lancashire, UK. The space will enable scientific consulting and testing experts to assist manufacturers in providing fully integrated HTP services, from testing and characterization of products to toxicology and regulatory submission support.

The HTP facility at Broughton will house new test equipment such as conditioning cabinets, smoke engines and analytical equipment.

Broughton can test the suite of specific harmful and potentially harmful components in HTP against PMI-58 and regulatory required analytes to ensure there are no significant toxicological concerns. His team will also conduct a paper toxicology assessment to confirm the absence of any other ingredients or materials of high concern.

"Heated tobacco is an area of increasing interest for the next generation nicotine market, as it is widely accepted that most of the toxics associated with combustible cigarettes are caused by the burning of tobacco," said Chris Allen, CEO of Broughton.

"Developing and commercializing heated tobacco products could offer smokers a less risky alternative - a device heated enough to release nicotine, but not enough to burn."

"Understanding the potentially harmful chemical and toxicological effects of nicotine products is essential for marketing authorisation," said Malcolm Saxton, senior consultant at Broughton. "Our new facility will help us provide certified, accurate and flexible testing for all stages of HTP product development."