Leading Chinese vape brand RELX has started operations at its newly established research laboratory.
The facility, based in China’s tech capital Shenzhen, will conduct research into the effects of vape products through in vivo and in vitro tests, in addition to conducting pre-clinical safety assessments.
The lab is currently conducting research on the impact of RELX products on animal cardiovascular, respiratory and nervous systems, in order to better understand the effects of vape products.
Kate Wang, founder and CEO of RELX, said:
“Science is the foundation of trust.
“As the industry leader, we have the responsibility to expand the borders of e-cigarette science and explore the unknown”
Though bodies like Public Health England already state that vaping is up to 95 percent less harmful than smoking cigarettes, the vape industry acknowledges that extensive long-term research is required in order to establish the full harm reduction potential of e-cigarettes.
Meanwhile, misconceptions about vape products and nicotine highlight the need for further research.
RELX co-founder, Yilong Wen, said:
“E-cigarettes are sometimes viewed with suspicion because we have incomplete knowledge.
“The RELX bioscience lab’s mission is to explore the unknown.
“We want to collect evidence through a scientific approach and strive to prove the potential for e-cigarettes to be less harmful, and in doing so, provide users the option to choose an alternative.”
RELX previously established a chemical and physical laboratory in 2018. This laboratory is already certified by the China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment, an internationally recognised body.
The lab has been used to conduct research on the toxicological and pharmacological aspects of RELX products since 2019.
Xingtao Jiang, head of RELX Lab, announced five preliminary findings from RELX’s research so far.
Among these announcements was data on the levels of harmful substances emitted by RELX products, including benzene and four TSNAs (Tobacco-specific N-nitrosoamines).
Emissions of these substances was found to be over 99.1% and 99.8% lower than cigarette smoke respectively.
RELX is currently participating in research projects on various topics in collaboration with six universities, including the Sun Yat-sen University and Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, two hospitals and nine scientific research institutions.
