AVR up on this news - Wednesday April 7, 10:19 am ET
Respected Japanese Forensic Laboratory Publishes New Study on Drug Screening Method For Prevalent Illicit Drugs
CANTON, Mass., April 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Avitar, Inc. (Amex: AVR - News) received high marks for its ORALscreen(TM) instant test for drugs-of-abuse by the renowned Forensic Science Laboratory, Osaka Prefectural Police Headquarters, Osaka, Japan.
In a recent article published in the Journal of Analytical Toxicology, Vol. 28, March 2004, titled Application of ORALscreen(TM) Saliva Drug Test for the Screening of Methamphetamine, MDMA and MDEA Incorporated in Hair, researchers (Akihiro Miki, Munehiro Katagi, Norkiaki Shima, Hitoshi Tsuchihasi) noted that the Avitar ORALscreen on-site disposable test "provided a simple screening, suitable for drug enforcement purposes, while requiring only a 10-mg hair specimen."
The team of Miki et al specifically demonstrated how a hair sample could be extracted and reconstituted via a relatively simple process and, using the disposable ORALscreen oral drug test, screened for methamphetamine, MDMA (Ecstasy) and MDEA. These drugs were tested because, as the authors noted, "They are the most prevalent illicit drugs in many Asian and Pacific Countries including the United States." The procedure tested the ORALscreen product against comparable urine tests, with GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) used as the reference standard. ORALscreen showed excellent correlation with the GC-MS "gold standard" in all areas and provided the requisite level of sensitivity. The urine-based tests, selected from major international manufacturers failed to demonstrate the required sensitivity or performance.
"The work done by the Osaka Police Headquarters, as reported in this highly prestigious technical journal, further validates ORALscreen's high sensitivity and reliability," noted Pete Phildius, Chairman and CEO of Avitar. "Studies such as this will help us communicate the critical role that oral fluid testing plays in the $1.5B drug testing market in reducing drug use in the workplace. "
About Avitar
Avitar, Inc. develops, manufactures and markets innovative and proprietary products in the oral fluid diagnostic market and customized polyurethane applications used in the wound dressing industry. Oral fluid diagnostics includes the estimated $1.5 billion drugs-of-abuse testing market, which encompasses the corporate workplace and criminal justice markets. Avitar's products include ORALscreen(TM), the world's first non-invasive, rapid, onsite oral fluid test for drugs-of-abuse. Additionally, Avitar manufactures and markets HYDRASORB(TM) an absorbent topical dressing for moderate to heavy exudating wounds. For more information, see Avitar's website at www.avitarinc.com.
Safe Harbor Statement. This release contains forward looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties including the development and marketing of new applications and other risks that are detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In view of such risks and uncertainties, the Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward looking statements.
Contact:
Peter N. Cholakis
Vice President, Marketing
(781) 821-2440 x117
pcholakis@avitarinc.com
www.avitarinc.com
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Source: Avitar, Inc.
