ELISA Detects Synthetic Cannabinoids in Urine and Blood

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 28 Nov 2011
A commercially available immunoassay rapidly detects synthetic cannabinoids and other designer drugs in urine and blood.

The Randox (Crumlin, United Kingdom) Toxicology ELISA offers a fast and effective way of routinely screening for these drugs, eliminating negative samples prior to timely and costly confirmatory procedures. The screen targets JWH-018, JWH-073, JWH-398, JWH-200 and a large number of additional metabolites.

The last decade has seen a proliferation in “designer drugs” created by changing the molecular structure of one or more existing drugs to create a new substance. This has meant a difficult task for forensic toxicologists, with a huge number of new drug compounds. Until recently, the only method of detection for synthetic cannabinoids was by chromatographic analysis.

Randox Toxicology plans to release a comprehensive designer drug array for use on their range of Evidence biochip analyzers. The Drugs of Abuse Array V (DoA V) will allow forensic toxicologists to detect eight designer drugs and their metabolites within a single undivided specimen. The panel targets Methcathinone, Mephedrone, MDPV (also known as bath salts), Benzylpiperazines, Phenylpiperazines, Mescaline, Salvinorin and a number of Synthetic Cannabinoids. More than over fifty additional assays are currently in development for drugs of abuse testing

As a manufacturer striving to improve testing capabilities within the forensic toxicology laboratory, Randox Toxicology has dedicated time and expertise towards developing a rapid immunoassay solution for the detection of designer drugs. In addition to the synthetic cannabinoids ELISA, Randox Toxicology plan to release a comprehensive designer drug array for use on their range of Evidence biochip analyzers.

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