Forensic Laboratories Develops First Oral Fluid Test For Tapentadol

Main Category: Pain / Anesthetics
Also Included In: Compliance;  Medical Devices / Diagnostics;  Regulatory Affairs / Drug Approvals
Article Date: 16 Mar 2010 - 1:00 PDT


Forensic Laboratories, a Denver-based laboratory specializing in toxicology services for drug abuse, has unveiled the first oral fluid test for Tapentadol, a new federally approved drug prescribed by doctors for pain management. Previously, laboratories could only detect the drug through urine using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) technology.

Tapentadol, approved by the FDA in late 2008, is considered a narcotic pain reliever used to treat moderate to severe pain. Accurate testing is critical for doctors to ensure that patients are compliant in their utilization of the drug.

Forensic Laboratories' oral fluid technology PAINpro™ allows pain management specialists to test orally for drug monitoring. Forensic Laboratories introduced PAINpro™ in January 2009, becoming the nation's first toxicology lab to develop the oral fluid testing technology for the pain management market. Now, the Lab has validated that Tapentadol is among the drugs that can be accurately detected through this oral testing method.

Oral testing offers multiple advantages including easier, non-invasive collection that potentially eliminates adulterated or substituted samples. In minutes, a sample is produced with direct observation without the necessity of gender-dependant collectors.

"In being the first to produce an oral assay for Tapentadol, our research team has again demonstrated its leadership and ability to quickly adapt to physician needs in pain management," said Michael Gates, vice president for Forensic Laboratories. "In many cases, doctors who administer pain medications don't always have the ability to ensure they are collecting a urine sample that hasn't been tampered with unless direct supervision of the collection has been administered."

Forensic Laboratories is a centralized laboratory based in Denver with more than 20 years of toxicology experience. Certified by the Department of Health and Human Services Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA), Forensic Laboratories utilizes the highest standards of testing and reporting methodologies available to the industry. Founded in 1986, the company continues to expand testing services for drugs of abuse in human urine, saliva, hair and blood. The company is an industry leader in Web-based remote data entry and Web-based reporting tools designed to increase the efficacy of drug testing. Forensic Laboratories' top priority is test result accuracy derived through a state-of-the-art Laboratory Information System (LIS) for processing, reporting and providing statistical agency and result data.

Source: Forensic Laboratories

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