Japanese Post-Market Cohort Study

Overview

The objectives and endpoints of this study were analyzed in the study population of adults eligible to purchase tobacco products. The study was planned to describe the patterns of use of tobacco and nicotine containing products and self-reported health outcomes and health related events in CC (Cigarette) smokers and IQOS users in Japan. The initial study record (posted on ClinicalTrials.gov) included a clinical sub-study designed to estimate population level differences in the biomarkers of exposure and clinical risk endpoints among IQOS users, CC smokers and never-smokers. However, due to low recruitment and retention of subjects, the clinical sub-study was terminated in May 2017, and for the same reasons the main study was terminated in March 2018. The study protocol was updated to remove the clinical sub-study objectives. The study initially included 18 outcome measures. Due to study termination leading to a shortened follow-up period and a smaller sample size, only 7 of these outcome measures could be assessed and the other outcome measures planned were either unattainable or uninformative.

This was a prospective, observational, cohort study of adults, eligible to purchase tobacco products in Japan. The study described the patterns of use of tobacco and nicotine containing products in CC smokers and IQOS users. For IQOS users, the date of initiation of IQOS use was the trigger for all study assessments in the study. However the process was different for CC smokers for whom assessment timing was based on the date of enrollment. IQOS users were enrolled into the study at least two months after initiating use of IQOS (to ensure adoption of IQOS), but less than 12 months after initiating use of IQOS. The study assessments started at the next appropriate study time point after enrollment. Participants were recruited from consumer databases and/or through advertisement. Responses from all eligible participants in the study were collected online using computer assisted self-interviews (CASIs). The questionnaires included demographic information, tobacco use questionnaire including detailed product use and intention to stop tobacco- and nicotine-containing product use, lifestyle assessments, social-economic status, risk perception, nicotine dependence, urge to smoke, as well as self-reported health outcomes. IQOS users were also administered the Modified Cigarette Evaluation Questionnaire, and Self-Reported Changes Questionnaire. The CASIs were administered at the enrollment and quarterly for the first 18 months (at Months 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18). The study initially was planned to recruit 2,000 IQOS users and 2,000 cigarette (CC) smokers in 4 annual waves (500 IQOS users and 500 CC smokers per wave) and to be followed up to a maximum of 60 months. The first wave of recruitment competed in March 2017. During wave 2 recruitment the study was terminated. A total of 599 IQOS users and 525 CC smokers were enrolled. There was 1 reported protocol deviation in IQOS users, the participant had been using IQOS for 15 months. Due to study termination, only data collected for wave 1 was analyzed. As this study was observational by design and was conducted in a post-market setting, adverse event (AE) reporting followed the Sponsor's established post-market Safety Surveillance Procedures for spontaneously reported events. IQOS users were reminded of the product quality complaints (including AEs) hotline that is available for all IQOS consumers in Japan.