Product Design
Winston - Marlboro Comparison Study
Abstract
Study tests smokers' plasma nicotine concentrations after smoking Winston or Marlboro cigarettes. Uses human subjects to smoke one brand per appearance, with one puff every forty five seconds for a total of nine puffs. Presents results from Project GT tests. States the goal of developing a product with reduced tar comprable to an FFLT cigarette through the addition of nicotine levulinate, similar to Project GTX.
Fields
- Hypothesis
- Behavior TargetingCigarette's effect of enhancing/mitigating specific behaviors
- Keyword
- Behavior targeting
- Blood nicotine
- Brand differences
- Consumer acceptability (Consumer preference)
- Flavor/ Taste (Attribute measure)
- Human testing
- Nicotine delivery (Smoke nicotine or nicotine yield)
- Smoothness/Harshness (Attribute measure)
- Blood nicotine
- Additive
- Levulinic acid
- Smoke Constituent
- Nicotine
- Total particulate matter
- Carbon dioxide
- Total particulate matter
- Design Component
- G7 (RJR @reconstituted_tobacco)
- Operation/Project
- Project GT
- Project GT-X
- Project XGT (1989 Smoker Behavior Study)
Study to compare puffing and breathing patterns and plasma nicotine concentrations. - Project GT-X
- Named Organization
- Federal Trade Commission (Enforcement agency for laws against deceptive advertising)Enforces laws against false and deceptive advertising, including ads for tobacco products. Ensures proper display of health warnings in ads and on tobacco products;collects and reports to Congress information concerning cigarette and smokeless tobacco advertising, sales expenditures, and the tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide content of cigarettes.
- Brand
- Winston (RJR)
- Marlboro (PM)
- Premier Brand Cigarettes ("Smokeless" cigarette by RJR in the early 1990s)
"Smokeless" cigartte marketed by RJR in the early 1990s. Stationary furnace devices such as this operate by separating the combustion material (carbon) from the aerosol generating material (mostly glycerol) such that the inhaled by-products yielded upon smoking are the distilation products (glercerol and water) rather than combustion products (nicotine + smoke constituents). This is one reason why this product failed in market. Flavoring is derived from tobacco, nicotine, the paper roll and sprayed dried extract. Addition flavor of primarily rasberry ketone and chocolate was also added to enhance tobacco taste and give rise to a "pleasing aroma" in the smoke. This added flavor was a major reason that Premier failed in market as the taste was very different from conventional cigs.- Vantage (RJR)
- Now (RJR)
- Marlboro (PM)
- Subject
- Levulinic Acid (Additives)reduces the harshness of cigarettes
- Blends (Design)
- nicotine technology
- Blends (Design)
Document Images
iVINSTON - MARLBORO COMPARISON STUDY
SUBJEC TS : 12 Male Smokers. Regular Brand
Wins ton (6) or Marl,boro (6).
SMOKING: Randomly assigrred to smoke Winston
or Marlboro >s t day. Smoked the
o ther cigare tte on the 2nd day.
AlONI TOR: Puff-Profile Pa tterns
Brea thing Pa tterns
Plasma lUico tine Concentra tions
EXPERIMENTAL PARADI GM
Smoke l Cigare tte Ea ch Appearance
l Puff Every 45 Seconds, To tal = 9 Puffs
Blood Samples Dra wn a t-2. 5; 0, 1, 3, 5, 7.5
10, 15, And 20 MIN (Rela tive To Ligh ting Cigare tte)

QUESTION:
DO SMOKERS'PLASMA NICOT/NE CONCENTRATIONS
DIFFER FOLLOWING THE SMOKING OF W/NSTON OR
MARLBORO C/GARETTES?
4

1987 PRQJECT GT TEST`
NOW :. WINSTON
1986 TEST 1986 TEST
a p f . * . . .
NOW
...._.
A - 6 8 10
Time. Post Lighting Cigarette (Min)
NOW GT
14
16
1',
4
1i
:'x
f
r
~ EtiEt E080S

BRAND CHOICE
CONSUMER ACCEPTANCE
SMOKER BATISFACTMON
PHYSIOLOGICAL, PHARMACOLOGICAL
~
PSYCHOPHYSiCAL RESPONSES
SMOKE COMPONENTS ABSORBED
I
BREATHING BEHAV10ft
f
SENSdRY ASPECTS'TASTE', SMELL.,'FEEL'
SMOKE QUALITY
I
SMOKE YIELDS - SMOKE CHEMISTRY
PUFFlNG BEHA\AOfi

WINS TON - MARLBORO S TUD Y
Maximum Ni co ti ne 'Ri se '
Wl NSTON MARLBORO
All Smokers 14.2 16.4
(9.1-24.0) (6.9-31.5)
~ ~
Wfnston Smokers 14.9 18.3
(9.1-24.0) (9.9-31.5)
'
Marlboro Smokers 13.6 14.7
(10.4 - 19.6) (6.9 - 23.9)

C. Thompson, RDR 1954, No. 11 - Studied the effects
of the addition of organic acids to burley tobacco
blends. Thirty acids tested. Many resulted in
significantly improved "smoothness" of the smoke.
1986 - PREMIER team explores ways to improve
"harshness". Numerous organic acids evaluated,
for "smoothing" effect. Levulinic acid found to
improve "smoothness" without significant off-taste.
1987 - J. Lawson transfers to Brand R&D, VANTAGE
team. Encounters harshness issues with VANTAGE.
Begins evaluation of levulinic acid in tobacco burning
cigarettes.
Finds:
1. Reduction in harshness.
2. Reduction in strength (Impact.
3. Reduction in tobacco taste.
4. Reduction in 70+ scores.
Project GT begins in Brand R&D.

~ Project GT - Objective: Develop a product with
reduced 'tar' (ULT product) comparable to an FFLT
cigarette.
~ In an attempt to improve "impact" and tobacco taste,
Project GT explored the addition of Nicotine
Levulinate (salt form) to 2 ULT cigarettes, NOW and
WI NSTON ULTRA LIGHT 100s.
Results:
1. T/N ratios N 4 - 5.
2. Extremely smooth.
3. Little or no impact.
~ Biobehavioral studies:
1. No differences in smoking behavior between
cigarettes with and without nicotine levulinate.
2. Significantly increased mainstream smoke yields
of nicotine reflected in plasma concentrations.
NeY3

I
EXPERIMENTAL PROTOCOL
N ICOTI N E LEVU LI NATE STU DY - 1987
SUBJECTS ABSTAIN FROM SMOKING 1 HOUR BEFORE EACH TEST
I
ONE APPEARANCE PER WEEK FOR 2 WEEKS
I
SUBJECTS: 15 MAILES, 6 FEMALES
I SUBJECTS SMOKE NOW - (TEST) OR WUL -(iEST)
MONITOR PUFFING BEHAVIOR & BREATHING BEHAVIOR
BLOOD SAMPLES COLLECTED AT:
BASELINE -2 AND 0 MIN
1, 3, 5, 7.5,10,15 & 20 M IN
GC - NPD DETERMINATION OF NICOTINEI COTININE
.
.

PLASMA NICOTINE "RISE;
FEMALES (n=6)

1990 - PROJECT GTX STUDIES
ULT cigarettes with enhanced nicotine yields and
good smoking characteristics can be produced. By
incorporating Nicotine Levulinate (salt) into the
tobacco blend, significant reductions in harshness
normally associated with low T/N products can be
achieved.
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
How and why does the nicotine levulinate "masking"
phenomenon work?
V
What cigarette design parameters are important to
this phenomenon?
'Tar' Yields
Nicotine Yields
Tobacco Nicotine
Air Dilution Ranges
Interactions with Top Dressings
REST Tobaccos
How much harshness can be masked? How much
mainstream smoke nicotine is enough? How much is
too much? How does the form of nicotine in the
smoke interact with the sensory and physiological
effects?

SALIVA SAMPLES TAKEN AT 0, 7.5 AND 10 MIN
SUBJECTS RINSE WITH CLASSIC COKE & WATER
BEFORE EACH SALIVA SAMPLE

PLASMA I SALIVA NICOTINE COMPARISON .
NOW NO-INHALE
PLASMA RISE 7 PLASMA RISE 10
SALIVA RISE 7 0.596 -0.047
(0.05) (0.88)
0.202 0.227
SALIVA RISE 10
(0.55) (0.40)
NOW INHALE
PLASMA RISE 7 PLASMA RISE 10
0.271 0.318
SALIVA RISE 7
(0.39)
(0.34)
0.323 0.596
SALIVA RISE 10
(0.31)
(0.28)
t
WINSTON NO-INHALE
PLASMA RISE 7 PLASMA RISE 10
-0.229 -0.342
SAUVA RISE 7 (0.47) (0.27)
-0248 -0.401
SALIVA RISE 10
(0.44)
(0.20)
WINSTON INHALE
PLASMA RISE 7 PLASMA RISE 10
SAUVA RISE 7 -0.137 -0.137
(0.67) (0.67)
SAUVA RISE 10 -0.063 0.000
(0.85) (1.00)

Maxi mum lVi eo ti ne "Ri se
WI NSTON- MARLBORO
All Smokers 14.2 16.4
(9.1- 24.0) (6.9 - 31.5)
Winston Smokers 14.9
(9.1- 24.0)
Marlboro Smokers ` ~ 13.6
(10.4 - 19.6)
18.3
(9.9 - 31.5)
~
~
N
~P

N.z c o t.z ne L e vu11 na t e S t udy - 1987
NOW 85 - NOW 85 TEST 6RoLP (7 MALES, 3 FEMALES)
hW1SM MA INSTREAM SMOKE YIELDS
NOW 85
NICOTINE (mglcig) 0 18 0.77
(0.37 -1.27)
WTPM (mg/cig) 9.47
(4.2 -16.9)
TAR' (mglcig) 1.8 7.15
(2.9 -12.5)
T/N RATIO 10 9.1
(6.1-11.6)
NOW 85 TEST
0. 51 1.68
(0.95 - 2.50)
12.75
(5.2 - 23.1)
2.0 8.8
(3.2 -15.5)
3.9 5.0
(3.2 - 6.5)

1990 - PROJECT GTX STUDI ES
~ Sensory and Biobehavioral Testing of 5 ULT
Prototypes With Experimental G-7 Sheet.
1. Control - High Nicotine Blend
2. Levulinic Acid
3. Nicotine Levulinate
4. Malic Acid
5. Nicotine Malate
0 Results:
SED data indicate Nicotine Levulinate offers
significant smoothing characteristics relative
to the other Experimental G-7 sheets.
Biobehavioral data analysis currently underway.
Best-guess from review of preliminary data would
indicate these cigarettes were not comparable to
the early GT (Lawson) Prototypes.
~ Recent informal testing, coupled with previous data
suggest the following:
flIWF

Great deal of interest developed in Project GT as a
result of these and other studies. However, two
issues impacted on progress in this area:
1. Development of PREMIER (Resources)
2. Additive issue - Nicotine Levulinate.
Projects XGT and GTX shifted to Flavor Division
Task: Explore alternate methods/sources for
enhancing nicotine yields of low 'tar' products.
Four Approaches:
PaoJEcr
xGr
PRoRcr
WX
1. Tobacco Essence
2. Blending of High Nicotine Tobaccos
3. Alternate Fillers (Reduced 'Tar')
- 4. Nicotine Levulinate Sheet
Using technologies 1, 2, and 3, 17 prototypes were
developed and tested. All were technically
successful. In general, all had low consumer
acceptance (1 exception).
1990 - Sensory and Biobehavioral Tests of Low
T/N Products w/ Enhanced Nicotine Yields.
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#~~t:OJEP:T LTN - PART IAL - TAS,K - L I ST
P&AT
TRIALSf .CQKW~ MER TESTING,
PROAUC7 STANOAR0S COMMITTEE
PRODUCT REVIEW COMMI.TTEE;.
;. . MARKETINia/*RAO C40RDINATION
PT&D / AVOCA
PRODUCTION OF NICOTINE SALTS
B.I0/BI0
NICO'CiNE SA . LT -INHALATION STUDY
PL--/~SMA NICOTINE/ SMOKING':;'::
BEHA11~1ORt SATISFACTION STUDIES
.s.
., . .
,
MATERIAL_ HANDUNG/ SAFET.Y; ~ ~:
PRQDUGT SAFETY EVALUATION.V
DEMONSTRATION OF PRODUCT.
PRODUCTION CAPABIUTIES
F.LAVORING/ R&D PLANT TESTf-NG
, ~~ . .. .
FATE. STUDIES OF NICOTINE S4TS
;
: PRODUCT PERCEPTIOW
AGING STUDIES
,,.
'LEGAL / LAW:
LEGAL RISK ASSESSMENT.r"
E0809 ~' ~, .
6ZET

MA INS TREAM SMOKE YIELDS
FTC METHOD
NOW 85 NOW 85
TEST Wl NSTON
UL 100 WI NSTON UL
100 TEST
'TAR' (mg/cig) 1.80 2.00 4.60 4.90
NICOTINE (mglcig) 0.18 0.51 0.38 0.81
T/N RATIO 10 3.9 12.1 6.0
CO (mglcig) 2.9 3.1 75 6.7

eview the us:e of organic acids and~ nicotine salts,
~
. , .
.:.i~~~ tobacco bu~ning cigarettes, and recent attempts:
.
f
.
~+:~t:b develop ari`:~~~~:u{tra-low 'tar' cigarette;: with enhanced
totine yield:',"''

Ques tl ons for Considera t.z on :
Unknown. Consistent levels achieved by smokers.
2. Are nicotine and satisfaction directly linked?
Sometimes.
3. Are current ULT products smoked different[y than FFLT products
by FFLT smokers?
Yes and No.
,

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