Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/1545684
48 tobaccoasia Issue 4, 2026 July / August By Thomas Schmid As the global nicotine industry undergoes a profound shift away from combustible tobacco toward reduced-risk products (RRP), the quality of nicotine itself has come under increasing scrutiny. Nicotine is now a highly engineered ingredient—refined, standardized, and reaching a quality level once reserved for pharmaceutical applications. Pharmaceutical-grade nicotine is indeed widely regarded as the benchmark for purity, safe- ty, and consistency across a growing spectrum of consumer products, from nicotine pouches all the way to e-liquids, heated tobacco products, nicotine gums, lozenges, and inhalers. Insights from three globally leading industry players—Chemnovatic, Alchem NicSelect, and Nicobrand Ltd. (part of Contraf-Nicotex-Tobacco GmbH, or CNT)—reveal a complex, highly technical, and rapidly evolving landscape where purity is not just a regulatory requirement, but a competi- tive differentiator. Defining pharmaceutical-grade nicotine At its most fundamental level, pharmaceutical-grade nicotine is defined through its compliance with internationally recognized pharmacopeial standards. "In simple terms," explained Tomasz Płaska, marketing director of Chemnovatic, "pharmaceutical-grade nicotine is highly purified tobacco-derived nicotine that meets recognized pharmacopeial specifications such as USP/EP." These standards encompass key quality parameters, including purity limits, he said, adding that, "at the same time, pharmacopeial compliance should be viewed as a baseline requirement rather than a differentiator, since meeting USP/EP standards alone does not necessarily guarantee the desired sensory profile." Purity at the Core: Pharmaceutical-Grade Nicotine Three globally leading manufacturers explain why pharmaceutical-grade nicotine is the tobacco sector's new gold standard – or should be. A peek into Chemnovatic's lab. Credit: Chemnovatic PureNic99+, marketed by Chemnovatic. Credit: Chemnovatic