RJ Reynolds never published a well-done randomized clinical trial of snus for smoking cessation

Eunice Neeley and I just published "RJ Reynolds has not published a negative randomised clinical trial of Camel Snus for smoking cessation" in Tobacco Control.   This paper uses previously secret tobacco industry documents to track the design and completition of a trial RJR did that, had it been positive, could have supported a claim that snus was effective for smoking cessation, thus bolstering the widely-made claim in harm reduction circles that snus was good for harm reduction.  One arm of  the study even included counselling smokers that snus was less dangerous than cigarettes.
 
It didn't work.
 
This paper is important because it debunks the harm reduction claim for snus.  My guess is that is why RJR never bothered to publish the full results in a peer reviewed journal where it would be accessible to the FDA and other authorities considering harm reduction claims.
 
We put in a detailed public comment on this study to the FDA last March; you can read it here.  In that comment we made the point that the results were similar to another negative trial done and published by Dorothy Hatsukami.  These two well-done negative studies, combined with evidence showing that snus users are more likley to become smokers, should put an end to the claim that snus helps people quit cigarettes.

No wonder RJR buried the study.
 
The full citation for the paper is Neeley EE, Glantz SA. RJ Reynolds has not published a negative randomised clinical trial of Camel Snus for smoking cessation Tob Control 2016; Published Online First: May 20, 2016 doi:10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2016-052913.  It is available here.