Imperial Brands to launch tobacco-infused e-cigarette during 2019

British tobacco company Imperial Brands aims to launch Nixx, a tobacco-infused e-cigarette, during the first part of 2019, its chief executive said on Tuesday, as the company bolsters its portfolio of cigarette alternatives.

Nixx could be launched around the same time as Imperial's tobacco heating device Pulze but might come earlier, CEO Alison Cooper told Reuters before a capital markets day in London where Imperial will discuss its "next-generation products".

Some investors are concerned vaping devices will not be as profitable as cigarettes, but Cooper said the company had a clear route to similar levels of profitability.