Kind Consumer

Kind Consumer Limited is a UK-based company that developed Voke, a nicotine inhaler intended to address tobacco harm reduction. The company was founded in 2006 by Alex Hearn, a British inventor and entrepreneur based in London.[1][2][3]

Kind Consumer Ltd (Kind Consumer or “Kind”)
Kind Consumer Ltd
Private company
IndustryPharmaceuticals
FoundedLondon, United Kingdom 2006
FounderAlex Hearn
Headquarters
London
,
England, UK
Key people
Alan Sutherland
(Chief Executive Officer)
Alex Hearn
(Founder)
Dr Chris Moyses
(Chief Medical Officer)
ProductsVoke
Number of employees
15
Websitewww.kindconsumer.com

Voke

Kind Consumer's inhaler, Voke, was designed to provide the combination of a rapid delivery of nicotine and the unique respiratory tract sensory cues of inhaled nicotine which together are of primary importance in relieving craving for nicotine. The idea took 13 years to develop and was the brainchild of Alex Hearn, an asthmatic Oxford graduate whose parents smoked and who went through more than 800 prototypes before settling on a design.[4]

The Voke Inhaler contains a micro-valve which is activated by the user inhaling, and unlike an e-cigarette, does not need electronics, batteries or heat to produce a hit of nicotine.[5] Since it uses inhaler technology to deliver the nicotine, the Voke administers a precise dose of the drug which does not contain the tar, tobacco or other substances found in regular cigarettes.[6]

In late 2010, Kind Consumer agreed an exclusive development and distribution agreement with Nicoventures Limited (later renamed Nicovations Limited) a wholly owned subsidiary of British American Tobacco plc. BAT's manufacturing, intellectual property, manufacturing, marketing and branding rights were assigned to Kind Consumer (Jan 2017) who took back ownership for the commercialisation of Voke. 

In September 2014, Voke became the first simulated cigarette to be authorised by the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) as a nicotine replacement therapy (NRT).[7] The device is seen as a competitor to both e-cigarettes and nicotine-replacement therapies, such as gum and patches.[5]

Voke was launched in the UK on Nov 5th 2019. It can be prescribed as an aid to smoking cessation or reduction, or can be purchased directly from Kind Consumer at a comparable cost to a pack of cigarettes.[8][9]

Funding

Kind Consumer has attracted investment from an investment trust and a number of angel investors:[10]

  • Woodford Patient Capital Trust a large British investment trust dedicated to long term investments predominantly in the United Kingdom[11]
  • Sir Terry Leahy, former Chief Executive of Tesco plc[12][13]
  • Sir Peter Davis, former Chief Executive and Chairman of J Sainsbury plc[3]
  • Martin Beaumont, former Chief Executive of the Co-operative Group
  • Jon Moulton, a British Venture Capitalist and founder of Better Capital[3]

References
  1. Start Uploaded (2011) - Alex Hearn introduces Kind Consumer
  2. realbusiness (2011) -Alex Hearn: entrepreneur with “soul”
  3. realbusiness (2011) - Idea of the week: the healthy cigarette
  4. Times Newspaper (2014) - E-cigarette rival wins medical approval
  5. Hirschler, Ben (12 September 2013). "UPDATE 2-BAT's novel e-cigarette rival wins UK medical approval". Reuters. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  6. Roland, Denise (12 September 2013). "Is this the world's first medically-approved 'cigarette'?". The Telegraph. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  7. https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/nicotine-inhaler-is-first-device-of-its-kind-to-be-licensed-as-medicine-in-britain-9730012.html
  8. "Smokers Offered Fresh Hope With the UK Launch of VOKE". StreetInsider.com.
  9. "New nicotine inhaler available for GPs to prescribe | GPonline". www.gponline.com.
  10. Kind Consumer Website (2013) - History
  11. Woodford Patient Capital Trust Website (2015) Patient Capital Trust update, July 2015
  12. Express newspaper (2011) - Sir Terry Leahy’s nicotine fix
  13. The Independent newspaper(2011) - Leahy invests in 'safe' tobacco (after Tesco made a killing on cigarettes)
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