[News] Leaked documents suggest Philip Morris International’s link to research activities

An analysis of leaked documents has found that the Japanese affiliate of the tobacco giant, Philip Morris International (PMI), sought to make connections with policy makers, medical professionals, and businesses, and funded academic research through a third party. Philip Morris Japan (PMJ) also paid a life sciences consultancy the equivalent of around £20 000 per month for 5 years to advocate on their behalf. A leaked internal PMJ email suggested that the director of the consultancy advised PMJ employees not to talk publicly about the relationship between the two firms and instead to “keep it a secret”.