LSRO's Reduced Risk Review Core Committee met for the first time on the FASEB Campus, 9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda MD, on February 23-24, 2005. The Core Committee members present were Alwynelle Ahl, Ph.D., D.V.M., Elizabeth L. Anderson, Ph.D., Nancy L. Buc, Esq., Carroll E. Cross, M.D., Louis D. Homer, M.D., Ph.D., Joseph V. Rodricks, Ph.D., Emanuel Rubin, M.D., Richard C. Schwing, Ph.D., and Richard Windsor, M.S., Ph.D., M.P.H. The LSRO staff members present were Catherine St. Hilaire, Ph.D., Michael Falk, Ph.D., Daniel Byrd, Ph.D., D.A.B.T., Amy Brownawell, Ph.D., Kara Lewis, Ph.D., Keith Lenghaus, Ph.D., and Carmen Mones, B.A. Kathleen Stratton, Ph.D. and Mark Parascandola, Ph.D., M.P.H. made presentations during an information gathering session held on the first day of the meeting. Scott Appleton, Ph.D., D.A.B.T., George Patskan, Ph.D, D.A.B.T., and Hans Roethig, M.D., Ph.D., F.C.P., F.F.P.M. also attended the information gathering session on the first day.

The goal of the meeting was to orient the Core Committee to the project and included discussions about the scope of work, project organization, and background materials.

Dr. Stratton reviewed the findings of the Institute of Medicine's Clearing the Smoke report and provided insight into the evaluation of potential "reduced-risk" products.

Dr. Parascandola provided an overview of the research initiatives and information available from the Tobacco Control Research Branch of the National Cancer Institute.

The next meeting of the Core Committee is scheduled for March 23-24, 2005 at FASEB, 9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda MD.