Thomas Stefan Osdene

Thomas Stefan Osdene, Ph.D. was Director of Science and Technology at Philip Morris in 1986. He started with Philip Morris in 1965 and worked in Chemical Research Division of PM from 1965-1966.

He was in the Chemical and Biological Research Division 1966-69 and was Director of Research from 1969 until 1984, when he became Director of Science and Technology. He also held an independent position as Director of Smoking and Extramural Research. Osdene reported to the Vice President of Operations. He was involved with Center for Indoor Air Research (CIAR) in 1988. He attended Philip Morris's Operation Downunder Conference in June, 1987.

Dr. Osdene repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to respond to virtually every question put to him in a September, 24, 2001 trial.

Tobacco document information
In 1982 Philip Morris (PM) Chief Executive Officer Hugh Cullman asked Thomas Osdene (then Director of PM's research department) to investigate the biological effects of smokeless tobacco, and report back. After researching the literature regarding smokeless tobacco, Osdene wrote back to Cullman (in the cover memo for this report) saying, "I believe the correlation between use of [smokeless tobacco] and oral cancer is quite strong..."

The body of the report states,

Retrospective surveys have implicated snuff as a major risk factor in oral cancer particularly in females. The geographic distribution of this cancer correlates directly with geographical areas of widespread snuff use. The most conclusive studies have shown that approximately 90% of the women in the rural Southeastern United States who develop cancers of the buccal mucosa are snuff users."


 * Histopathological studies have shown that snuff use is associated with a distinctive verrucose squamous carcinoma of the buccal cavity.

The memo reveals that Thomas Osdene, and the CEO of Philip Morris, knew in 1982 the extent of the carcinogenic threat chewing tobacco posed to users. (The company did not manufacture chewing tobacco at that time.) They also were aware that nicotine-dependent people commonly used chewing tobacco as a substitute for smoking.

= Biography =

Osdene held an independent position in 1984 as Director of Smoking and Extramural Research (Secret Operations). He reported to the Vice President of Operations. Osdene admitted to William Anthony Farone that he was addicted to cigarettes. 1988 Osdene was involved with the CIAR, worked on several environmental tobacco smoke projects, and pled the 5th amendment over a hundred times during testimony in the Minnesota trial.

Osdene attended the INFOTAB/NMA Workshop in Brussels, Belgium in 1986. His title in 1986 was Director, Science and Technology. Dr Thomas Osdene was a member of the environmental tobacco smoke Advisory Group coordinated by the legal firm Shook, Hardy & Bacon circa 1985.