Institute for Global Tobacco Control, Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD.
Nicotine Tob Res. 2018 Jul 9;20(8):1010-1014. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntx112.
There is emerging evidence that e-cigarettes are being used by some to mitigate weight gain after quitting smoking, and being used to help control weight. This study sought to identify and describe patents related to innovations for e-cigarette devices associated and weight loss.
Relevant patents were identified using Google Patents with the core search terms: "electronic cigarette" OR "e-cigarette" OR "vaporizer" OR "vapourizer" AND "nicotine" AND "weight loss" OR "weight control" OR "obesity" OR "hunger". Patents were reviewed to identify and classify the innovation related to weight loss or weight control.
Our search identified 23 unique patents that were filed between 2004 and 2015. Patent applications were sponsored by individual inventors (n = 7), tobacco companies (n = 5), e-cigarette companies (n = 8), pharmaceutical companies (n = 2) and a cannabis company (n = 1). More than half the patents (n = 12) were filed in the United States; other countries included China, Germany, South Korea, and South Africa. Strategies included using e-cigarette devices to deliver constituents to users that support weight loss through altered metabolism, reduced nutrient absorption, suppressed appetite, or supported healthy behavior change. In most cases (n = 18), the innovations detailed in the patents were intended to be used with an e-cigarette device that delivered nicotine to the user.
Companies from around the world, and from a range of industries are developing and patenting technologies related to e-cigarettes and weight loss. E-cigarettes may be presented to cigarette users as a possible solution to support smoking cessation and address the fear of weight gain.
This article presents evidence that a range of industries are innovating to design e-cigarettes or constituents to be used with e-cigarettes to deliver a variety of drugs beyond nicotine including weight loss drugs, laxatives, and nutritional supplements. This study may inform surveillance studies to systematically include weight loss as a possible motivation to use e-cigarettes. Further, market surveillance of e-cigarette products needs to monitor ingredients in e-liquids including constituents that have been historically used for weight loss or weight control. Regulations around e-cigarette marketing, promotion, product design including e-liquid constituents need to consider weight loss claims.
有新证据表明，一些人使用电子烟来减轻戒烟后的体重增加，并使用电子烟来帮助控制体重。本研究旨在确定和描述与电子烟装置相关的创新专利，并与减肥相关。
使用 Google 专利，使用核心搜索词：“电子烟”或“电子香烟”或“蒸气器”或“vapourizer”和“尼古丁”和“减肥”或“体重控制”或“肥胖”或“饥饿”，识别相关专利。审查专利以确定和分类与减肥或体重控制相关的创新。
我们的搜索确定了 2004 年至 2015 年间提交的 23 项独特专利。专利申请由个人发明人（n=7）、烟草公司（n=5）、电子烟公司（n=8）、制药公司（n=2）和一家大麻公司（n=1）赞助。超过一半的专利（n=12）在美国提交；其他国家包括中国、德国、韩国和南非。策略包括使用电子烟装置向用户输送支持通过改变新陈代谢、减少营养吸收、抑制食欲或支持健康行为改变来减肥的成分。在大多数情况下（n=18），专利中详述的创新旨在与向用户输送尼古丁的电子烟装置一起使用。
来自世界各地和各种行业的公司正在开发和为与电子烟和减肥相关的技术申请专利。电子烟可能被呈现给香烟使用者，作为支持戒烟和解决对体重增加恐惧的可能解决方案。
本文提供的证据表明，一系列行业正在创新，以设计电子烟或与电子烟一起使用的成分，以输送各种药物，包括减肥药物、泻药和营养补充剂，而不仅仅是尼古丁。本研究可能为监测研究提供信息，以便系统地将减肥作为使用电子烟的可能动机。此外，需要对电子烟产品进行市场监测，以监测电子烟液中的成分，包括历史上用于减肥或体重控制的成分。需要考虑减肥声明来监管电子烟营销、促销、产品设计，包括电子烟液成分。
