On 19th January, in Hotel Palace Catania, there was a Kick-Off meeting held by CoEHAR, its Partners: ABF GmbH from Germany, PRATIA MTZ from Poland and supporting Parties such as JB Medical.
The event was devoted to discussion on technical and scientific aspects on MAGNIFICAT project, which targets to research impact and models of transition among smokers who are becoming a dual user in terms of smoking combustion cigarettes (CC) and also e-cigarettes (EC). The aim of the project is to deliver answers to the key questions: Do diverse patterns of dual use offer equivalent harm reduction potential? How do these patterns differ in terms of overall toxin exposure and relative health risks?
Of course, pool of questions is wider and above stated are the key once, never-the-less the project is expected to bring totally new knowledge on the main topic due to mid-term, holistic research of multispectral aspects regarding dual-use smokers and risks connected with it.
Among them 50 will remain with smoking only CC, as control group and 250 will be asked to use EC together with their CC smoking habits to try new type of Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) products, each for at least 6 months. Within duration of research phase, every participant will be asked to keep their habits (control group) or also engage into them provided EC with dedicated pods (research group). During this cohort study period, they will be asked to fill in dedicated mobile app, as an e-diary, to monitor quantity of used products (CC and/or EC), as well as walk through number of tests, within 4 visits to the laboratory (CRO). During these tests CoEHAR and partners will examine and quantify results of over 20 biomarkers and harm indicators, which are showing or revealing risks of potential harm to the human body, connected with smoking. These will be both – targeted and non-targeted methods and medical procedures. Also behavioral aspects will be set under investigation through experts (psycho-behaviorists), in order to reframe whole changes in the broadest possible way.
“Thanks to joint efforts we will be able to describe the process of change, as well as biomarkers of risk and harm-indicators in the holistic, on a never seen before scale and in-depth researches. All of these will lead to novel knowledge which will contribute greatly to the future of science” – said prof. Riccardo Polosa, CoEHAR founder.
MAGNIFICAT Project moves forward with international workshop success
