Philip Morris International (PMI) has introduced a more affordable version of its leading heated tobacco product in Asia, named “BONDS by IQOS“.

Immediately renamed by the web as IQOS BONDS, this innovation aims to address affordability barriers while delivering authentic tobacco taste satisfaction, backed by science.

Initially launched as a pilot project in the Philippines, BONDS by IQOS targets adult smokers seeking better alternatives to traditional cigarettes.

Jacek Olczak, PMI’s Chief Executive Officer, emphasized the importance of offering a diverse range of alternatives to cater to various adult smoker preferences.

Mr. Olczak stated:

“BONDS by IQOS represents another step forward in our ambition to replace cigarettes with innovative, science-based, smoke-free alternatives. Providing a range of alternatives to continued smoking—with a variety of taste, technology, usage, and price options—is imperative and helps us to address a range of preferences as diverse as adult smokers themselves, ultimately encouraging them to leave cigarettes behind.”

BONDS by IQOS is intended to be used with BLENDS tobacco sticks, a dedicated type of sticks offered in a variety of tobacco tastes tailored to specific markets.

It not only aims to attract adult smokers who have not quit, but also aims to retain existing users of IQOS, preventing them from returning to cigarette smoking. In particular, Philip Morris International’s primary goals is to make smoke-free products accessible in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

As of the end of 2021, Philip Morris International’s smoke-free products were available in 30 low and middle-income markets, and the company plans to increase this number to at least 50 percent of the markets selling smoke-free products by 2025.

According to Philip Morris International, by 2025 the company aims to have at least 40 million adult smokers transition to their smoke-free alternatives, with over 50 percent of their total net revenues generated from these products.

This means more than doubling current users as approximately 19.5 million users were using Philip Morris International’s leading heated tobacco product, with around 13.5 million having successfully made the switch to IQOS and ceased smoking.