Philip Morris International agreed to purchase Vectura for $1.44 billion, giving the firm access to the drugmaker’s respiratory treatments and inhaling device technology.

The move by Philip Morris is the latest push by big tobacco companies to change their image following years of negative press and lawsuits for marketing and selling cigarettes, a product that health advocates and experts say continues to be a leading cause of preventable deaths worldwide.

The offer of 150 pence per share to investors in Vectura topped a previous 136 pence proposal by investment firm Carlyle Group (CG.O), and was 11% higher than the drugmaker’s closing share price on Thursday.

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