XXII News & Events

Reports Q1 revenue $4.1M vs. $.5M last year. "Following the initial Pinnacle VLN distribution in Q4 2025, smokers began to gravitate to and are purchasing VLN cigarettes in a growing number of geographies and stores," said CEO Larry Firestone. "Having accumulated a base of state authorizations across our portfolio of brands, we continue to focus on expanding our distribution and introducing smoking consumers to our VLN products...We are targeting to grow to more than 5,000 retail outlets by the end of 2026 by adding new retail partners across all classes of trade. Supporting this effort, we have significantly advanced further sales efforts with additional retail partners seeking to add VLN branded products to their line-ups...Our business model is set so that all current and any newly authorized combustible tobacco products in this expanded portfolio once authorized will be available for licensing, providing other tobacco companies with compliant, ready-to-market product pathways...By combining our proprietary plant biotechnology, FDA-authorized claims, expanded retail distribution, broader product categories and readily available licensing, 22nd Century intends to lead the transition away from highly addictive tobacco products and support adult smokers and tobacco users seeking meaningful change".

22nd Century announced corporate updates regarding a new testing services agreement with North Carolina State University aimed at validating tobacco varieties featuring improved leaf quality and increased crop yields with the same low-nicotine content. The initiative builds upon 22nd Century's reduced nicotine content technology platform, which utilizes plant breeding and biotechnology to reduce nicotine content in tobacco to minimally addictive levels. The company's reduced nicotine tobacco is the foundation of its FDA-authorized VLN combustible cigarette products. The newly signed testing services agreement will focus on confirming commercial viability of tobacco varieties incorporating 22nd Century's patented low-nicotine genetics to increase yield, improve leaf quality and consistency, support more efficient, scalable production, ensure long-term sustainability for contracted growers, and preserve the integrity of the company's reduced-nicotine characteristics. Under the terms of the testing services agreement, researchers at North Carolina State University will work alongside 22nd Century's plant science team to evaluate genetic pathways associated with increased harvest volume per acre and an even better-quality leaf for our new lines of reduced nicotine tobacco. The research is expected to include field evaluations, quality assessments, yield calculations, and alkaloid characterization with nicotine quantification.

22nd Century announced an update on the advancement of a 100mm VLN reduced nicotine content cigarette. The company said, "The Company's proprietary reduced nicotine technology is designed to serve adult smokers who want to change their smoking habits by significantly reducing nicotine consumption. 22nd Century is focusing on smoker health and wellness by giving smokers an opportunity to control their tobacco consumption, rather than switching them to another highly addictive product like a vape or pouch. Previously announced as "Operation 100" in 2025, the Company's research and development team has completed product prototyping and initial analytical evaluations required for advancing to the next phase of regulatory submissions. 22nd Century Group believes that introducing a 100mm VLN reduced nicotine content cigarette - alongside its existing authorized 84mm king size VLN products - will expand access to reduced nicotine alternatives in the familiar form factors preferred by adult smokers. Notably, 22nd Century Group currently holds the only FDA-issued Premarket Tobacco Product Application authorization for a combustible reduced nicotine content cigarette, its VLN king size products. Building on this foundation, the Company is preparing a second PMTA application for authorization from the FDA for its new 100mm VLN cigarette. Management believes its prior PMTA experience, scientific data package, and regulatory engagement have positioned the Company to efficiently advance the 100mm submission process. The Company is also advancing its long-term strategic initiative to grow its unique product portfolio through the submission of multiple PMTAs across a broad range of combustible products. This initiative is designed to support diverse tobacco blends and components, a variety of product sizes, and multiple product formats, including filtered cigars. By building a robust portfolio of new tobacco product authorizations from the FDA spanning these categories, the Company intends to create a flexible and scalable platform that can accommodate evolving market preferences and regulatory requirements. All current and any newly authorized combustible tobacco products within this expanded portfolio will be available for licensing. This will provide other tobacco companies with compliant, ready-to-market product pathways and reinforcing the Company's position as a leader in regulatory-driven innovation within the combustible tobacco segment. We are open to licensing our low-nicotine technology more broadly within the industry, which we believe could significantly accelerate efforts to reduce smoking-related harm in a relatively short period of time."

22nd Century files $250M mixed securities shelf