Emplicure’s KLAR BLANK innovative nicotine pouch, shows how science-driven design can advance harm reduction and reshape global tobacco control.
As global tobacco control policies tighten, innovation in nicotine science continues to move forward — often in defiance of regulatory resistance. Sweden and the United Kingdom have demonstrated that combining harm reduction with innovation can drive real progress in reducing smoking rates. Sweden in particular, the home land of another innovative nicotine pouch – Stingfree, has nearly achieved “smoke-free” status by embracing such safer alternatives, rather than prohibiting them.
On October 21 in London, Swedish nicotine brand KLAR, developed by bioceramic laboratory Emplicure AB, unveiled BLANK — an non flavoured nicotine pouch designed to deliver a faster and more efficient nicotine experience through the company’s patented SERATEK® bioceramic technology. This calcium-based granulate system precisely regulates moisture and diffusion, enabling a smoother, more consistent nicotine release without artificial flavours or additives. The result is a minimalist, science-driven product created for adult consumers who value performance and simplicity.
Clinical findings from Emplicure indicate that a 3 mg BLANK pouch provides a 25% stronger initial effect than a 6 mg cellulose-based pouch within the first five minutes. Users can achieve satisfaction with roughly 40% less total nicotine over a typical 24-minute session, potentially reducing overall intake without compromising experience. Available in Regular (3 mg), Strong (6 mg), and Extra Strong (9 mg) strengths, the pouches last up to 45 minutes and feature unbleached, soft material for improved comfort.
Emplicure’s innovation builds on the same SERATEK® platform that powers its Seratek nicotine delivery system — a technology that releases approximately 80% of its nicotine within five minutes under laboratory conditions. Independent pharmacokinetic 2025 research confirmed this superior absorption rate compared to conventional pouch brands, even those containing higher nicotine concentrations. In consumer trials across Sweden, 123 adult pouch users preferred Seratek’s flavour balance, mouthfeel, and discretion over international market leaders.
A glimpse into a world where science is allowed to lead and advance THR
This research-led approach exemplifies the promise of tobacco harm reduction (THR) guided by chemistry, not controversy. By improving efficiency and lowering exposure, companies like Emplicure are redefining how nicotine can be delivered safely and responsibly. Their philosophy echoes Sweden’s broader success: a nation that has achieved Europe’s lowest smoking rate and subsequent low tobacco-related mortality levels through pragmatic regulation and acceptance of reduced-risk alternatives.
By contrast, countries such as Belgium have taken prohibitionist routes — banning both nicotine pouches and disposable vapes — with little to show for it. Smoking rates there remain stagnant, and illicit markets have flourished. Investigations have found that roughly 40% of Belgian retailers continue selling banned disposables, highlighting how restrictive policies often fuel black-market activity instead of achieving public health gains.
The lesson is clear: regulation that enables innovation saves lives, while prohibition only pushes consumers toward riskier behaviour. Sustainable progress against smoking depends on maintaining access to safer alternatives while encouraging scientific advancement to make them even less harmful.
Changing the nicotine game on a global level
Emplicure now aims to expand its reach beyond Europe, with plans to seek U.S. regulatory approval for Seratek via a Premarket Tobacco Application (PMTA) to the FDA. CEO Mattias Josander, formerly of Swedish Match, Red Bull, and L’Oréal, leads the company with a mission to “accelerate the transition to a smokeless world.” Under his leadership, Emplicure positions its technologies not merely as consumer products but as tools of public health transformation — aligning science, design, and behavioral insight to reduce smoking-related harm globally.
If approved, Seratek could represent a pivotal milestone in nicotine innovation, demonstrating how precision-engineered material science can coexist with regulatory scrutiny to produce cleaner, more efficient alternatives. The move also reflects a growing trend among forward-thinking firms using biomaterial technologies to refine how nicotine is absorbed, metabolized, and perceived — marking a shift from flavour-driven marketing toward scientifically optimized performance.
Making nicotine smarter, safer, and simpler
BLANK’s unflavoured design highlights this shift in philosophy. By removing flavour appeal and emphasizing consistent nicotine release, the product directly addresses regulatory concerns over youth access while promoting responsible adult use. This kind of data-driven innovation could serve as a model for policymakers seeking to balance consumer freedom with public health protection.
Advances in nicotine delivery — from controlled-release oral systems to smart vaping devices with age verification technology — are reshaping what responsible harm reduction looks like. As these innovations mature, experts argue that governments should prioritize toxicant reduction standards over product bans, aligning regulation with scientific evidence rather than moral or political bias.
Policy crossroads: innovation vs. restriction
The upcoming 11th Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) will once again test the openness to such innovation with the aim of embracing harm reduction as a legitimate public health pillar. While many regulators continue to equate all nicotine use with tobacco harm, new emission-based regulatory models — proposed by researchers in Vienna and Brazil — suggest a more practical framework. By classifying products by measured toxicity rather than by form, these models could incentivize the transition to low-emission, low-risk alternatives.
In this context, Emplicure’s BLANK and Seratek platforms represent more than product launches; they embody a broader scientific argument for reform. They show that when innovation is encouraged rather than stifled, it can align seamlessly with global health objectives — helping adult smokers move away from combustible tobacco while addressing legitimate regulatory and ethical concerns.
A revolution in harm reduction
The global harm reduction movement stands at a pivotal juncture. Policymakers must choose between supporting innovation based on evidence or maintaining prohibitionist frameworks that perpetuate smoking’s deadly toll. Sweden’s model and Emplicure’s advancements demonstrate that innovation, when guided by science and responsibility, can be one of the most effective public health tools available.
KLAR’s BLANK is not merely a new nicotine pouch; it is a proof of concept — illustrating how advanced materials, clinical validation, and ethical design can converge to reduce harm and reshape the future of nicotine use. By embracing innovation instead of resisting it, regulators and industry leaders alike can move closer to the ultimate goal: ending the global epidemic of smoking once and for all.