- 
        PMI is the only tobacco company among the European Patent Office’s top
        100 patent filers.
      
 
      - 
        The Company has a portfolio of over 1,800 granted patents and almost
        4,000 pending applications published for intellectual property
        generated during the development of its smoke-free products.
      
 
      - 
        PMI’s ambition is to develop, assess and commercialize products that
        have the potential to present less risk of harm compared with
        continued smoking and that ultimately benefit smokers, public health
        and society at large.
      
 
      - 
        Science and innovation are key to making a smoke-free future a reality.
      
 
    
    LAUSANNE, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar. 7, 2017--
      The European Patent Office (EPO) published today its Annual
      Report including the list of top 100 patent applicants for 2016,
      with Philip Morris International Inc. (“PMI”) (NYSE / Euronext Paris:
      PM) ranked 63rd. PMI is the only tobacco company on the list.
    
      PMI is committed to a smoke-free future, where non-combustible
      alternatives replace cigarettes to the benefit of smokers, public health
      and society at large.
    
      PMI’s patent portfolio includes over 1800 patents granted and almost
      4000 pending applications published for intellectual property generated
      during the development of our smoke-free products. They include a wide
      range of innovations, such as technologies to precisely heat tobacco
      instead of burning it, new ways to heat liquids in e-cigarettes and
      manufacturing processes.
    
      Michele Cattoni, PMI’s VP Technology and Operations for smoke-free
      products said: “Developments in technology and science are key to our
      commitment to provide all adult smokers a range of better alternatives
      to cigarettes. Our scientists are inventing new ways to deliver a
      satisfying experience to smokers without burning tobacco. Our patents
      are tangible evidence of our progress towards a smoke-free future, where
      cigarettes will be replaced by non-combustible products.”
    
      Since 2008, PMI has hired over 400 scientists and experts and invested
      over USD 3 billion in research, product development and scientific
      substantiation for smoke-free products. The Company openly shares its
      scientific methodologies and findings for independent third-party review
      and verification, available on PMIScience.com. All research to date on
      its most advanced smoke-free product, IQOS, clearly indicates
      that it is likely to present less risk of harm than continued smoking.
      Over 1.4 million smokers have already fully switched to it.
    
      To learn more about how PMI is designing a smoke-free future, please
      visit the new company website at www.pmi.com.
    
      Philip Morris International Inc.
    
      Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) is the world’s leading
      international tobacco company, with six of the world's top 15
      international brands and products sold in more than 180 markets. In
      addition to the manufacture and sale of cigarettes, including Marlboro,
      the number one global cigarette brand, and other tobacco products, PMI
      is engaged in the development and commercialization of Reduced-Risk
      Products (RRPs). RRPs is the term PMI uses to refer to products that
      present, are likely to present, or have the potential to present less
      risk of harm to smokers who switch to these products versus continued
      smoking. Through multidisciplinary capabilities in product development,
      state-of-the-art facilities, and industry-leading scientific
      substantiation, PMI aims to provide an RRP portfolio that meets a broad
      spectrum of adult smoker preferences and rigorous regulatory
      requirements. For more information, see www.pmi.com
      and www.pmiscience.com.
    
    

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170307005745/en/
Source: Philip Morris International
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T:
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