RE:Phillipp Morris two issues - Patent dispute + License IQOS
I understand what you've posted and where your train of thought is coming from regarding PM and PODA. However; what you've posted goes to proving my point.
1. Altria has exclusive license in USA for IQOS til 2024. They have time to work things out.
2. They've only done a soft launch in USA with IQOS before they were shut down. Most of their profits are from overseas. By stating they don't anticipate having IQOS or Marlboro sticks in the USA in 2022 doesn't mean they are abandoning it for another product like PODA. Their own words state that (rom what you posted(:
we remain focused on returning IQOS to the market as soon as possible. Our teams are actively working on reentry plans and we expect to be ready to bring IQOS back to U.S. consumers when available.
3. They've also stated publicly what those rentry plans for the import ban may look like, which include moving production to the US (PODA doesn't have any manufacturing facilities in the US) or redesigning their product.
They want to build their brand around IQOS. This brand is already dominant and well-established for them Globally and their focus is on making it dominant in the US as well.
Where they might be attractive to a company like PODA is with the other various wellness products PODA wants to eventually target. THis is where PODA's competitive advantage lies in the closed-end stick for all other kinds of alternative products like CBD, Therapeutics, THC etc. PM does want to get into wellness/health area's, they've shown their interest with recent acquistions Vectura, Fertin Pharma and OtiOptic.
Unless you are privy to some information that the rest of us don't, I don't see how the lack of news from PODA is indication of a blackout period to announce a major deal with PM. I could be wrong and i truly hope that I am wrong, but nothing so far from what PM is doing and what PODA is doing leads me to that conclusion.
As another poster said earlier. Time will tell how this all unfolds.......That being said, PODA has a nice product and good management team that have the potential to provide some nice returns from where the price currently sits. GLTA