Philip Morris International has attributed better than expected quarterly sales and profit to its IQOS tobacco-heating device (pictured).

The Marlboro maker has high hopes for the device, which heats - rather than burns - tobacco and produces a vapour instead of smoke. That makes it less dangerous than smoking, the company claims.

Net revenue rose 0.4% to $7.5bn - higher than the $7.17bn expected by analysts. had expected $7.17bn, although total volume of cigarette and heated tobacco units fell 2.1% to 203.7bn.

PMI says global sales of its heated tobacco units is set to almost double this year and will ship between 41 billion to 42 billion units.