Appleton, Bernard Scott, Ph.D.
(BW Environmental Toxicologist, Industry Expert) Brown & Williamson Director Regulatory Affairs (1993), Director Manufacturing Quality Control (1994), Director Scientific & Regulatory Affairs (1995); Philip Morris USA Principal Scientist (2005).Biographical Information:
Bernard Scott Appleton earned a Bachelor's Degree in Human Nutrition and Food Science from the State University of New York, Buffalo College in 1974 and a Master's Degree in Nutrition with a minor in Toxicology from Iowa State University two years later. His Master's thesis was entitled, "Microsomal Enzyme Induction and Cholesterol Metabolism." He then commenced doctoral studies at Cornell University and began to focus on cancer and environmental factors. He earned a Ph.D. in Environmental Toxicology with minors in Nutrition and Pathology after writing a dissertation entitled, "The Effect of Dietary Protein on the Different Stages of Aflatoxin B1-induced Preneoplastic Liver Lesion Development."
Appleton's first job after completing his education was as a research pharmacologist at the U.S. Army Research Institute for Environmental Medicine in Natick, Massachusetts. In this civilian employee position, he was part of a study of antidotes, prophylactics, and therapeutics for chemical warfare agents. After eight months with the U.S. Army Research Institute, he accepted a position as Senior Toxicologist in the Nutrition and Toxicology Division of Best Foods, a Union, New Jersey, subsidiary of CPC International. Appleton was responsible for developing and managing the company's extramural research projects, for evaluating the safety of food products and ingredients, and for overseeing food safety and regulatory issues. He also coordinated a grant-based research program that examined the role of dietary fats in cancer development. He earned a promotion to Principal Toxicologist in March, 1985.
Appleton joined R. J. Reynolds in August of 1985 and spent the next four years as a Senior Research and Development Toxicologist in the Scientific Affairs Division. His duties included additives and materials assessment and regulatory compliance, which meant that he spent much of his time reviewing the vast literature on smoking and health and advising the R. J. Reynolds legal department. It was a pivotal time for the industry and Appleton later offered this carefully worded summary of his views: "In general, the scientists and others with whom I worked at R.J. Reynolds acknowledged as scientific fact that epidemiology had demonstrated smoking was a risk factor for lung cancer. At the same time, along with my colleagues, I was aware of the unexplained anomalies in the epidemiology. We also believed that science had never demonstrated any mechanism by which smoking caused disease. In short, we believed causation had not been proven in the laboratory."
Appleton left R. J. Reynolds in 1989 and spent the next two years as manager of the Regulatory Affairs Department of Fries & Fries, a Cincinnati flavor ingredients manufacturer. In this position, he oversaw compliance with regulatory requirements, including premarket approval applications and ingredient labeling. He also increased his familiarity with the ins and outs of performing GRAS evaluations and of working with the USDA and FEMA. He joined Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation in 1991 and was given duties similar to the ones he had fulfilled at R. J. Reynolds. His initial title was Manager, Scientific and Regulatory Affairs, but he earned a series of promotions – to Director of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs in March, 1993, to Director of Manufacturing Quality Control in February, 1994, and to Director of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs in August of 1995. He remained in that position until Brown & Williamson's 2004 merger with R. J. Reynolds.
Appleton's tenure at Brown & Williamson was a tumultuous time for the American tobacco industry and in particular for his new firm, which was shaken by the damaging 60 Minutes interview by former company scientist Jeffrey Wigand. Appleton had reported to Wigand before his 1993 firing and he became one of Brown & Williamson's leading spokespersons on health and smoking. He offered this summary of his responsibilities: "making sure you are complying with whatever regulatory requirements there are for selling your products in a particular country, dealing with health and safety issues in many cases. … I evaluated both the regulatory status and the health effects of new ingredients and new materials, including assessing new ingredients and cigarette construction materials for acceptability from a toxicological perspective. I was responsible for monitoring the scientific literature pertaining to smoking and health and maintaining expertise in the area of smoking and health. I was also hired to assist with regulatory submissions to various bodies and assist the lawyers in preparing for litigation. Finally, I was informed that I might be asked to testify or assist others in preparing testimony on behalf of the company in smoking and health litigation."
Indeed, Appleton has testified for the industry in at least a dozen smoking and health-related lawsuits, including Shires, Broin, the Texas and Minnesota cases, Engle, Dunn/Wiley, Hoberman, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Jersey, Falise, Tompkin, and the Department of Justice's RICO case. His testimony has remained cautious, acknowledging the epidemiological evidence but making disclaimers such as this one: "we recognize the epidemiological associations between cigarettes and certain human disease; however, we can't say, scientifically, whether or not cigarettes are safe or unsafe." He has also been used to refute Wigand's testimony on sensitive topics.
After Brown & Williamson's 2004 merger with R. J. Reynolds, Appleton was hired as a Principal Scientist by Philip Morris USA. As in his previous positions, he was assigned to evaluate the health effects and regulatory status of new products. At this writing (December 2009), Appleton was still with Philip Morris USA.
Sources:
Allan M. Brandt, The Cigarette Century: The Rise, Fall and Deadly Persistence of the Product that Defined America (New York: Basic Books, 2007).
"Expert report of BERNARD SCOTT APPLETON, Ph.D., September 22, 1997, MINNESOTA v. PHILIP MORRIS INC.". 22 Sep 1997.
http://tobaccodocuments.org/datta/APPLETONS092297MNEX.html.
Richard Kluger, Ashes to Ashes: America's Hundred-Year Cigarette War and the Unabashed Triumph of Philip Morris (New York: Vintage Books, 1996).
"Written trial testimony of BERNARD SCOTT APPLETON, Ph.D., accepted March 24, 2005, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. PHILIP MORRIS USA INC.". 24 Mar 2005
http://tobaccodocuments.org/datta/APPLETONB031405ER.html.
Synonyms
Appleton, Scott, Ph.D.Appleton, Bernard Scott
Appleton, Bernard Scott, Ph.D.
Appleton, Scott