Press Releases Detail:
AVITAR introduces ORALscreen™ 4, an oral fluid-based rapid substance abuse test.
April 11, 2000
CANTON, MA, APRIL 11, 2000 – Avitar, Inc (AMEX:AVR) today launched ORALscreen 4 (TCOM), the newest addition to the company’s rapid point-of-contact screening test for drugs of abuse. Methamphetamine has been added to original ORALscreen product that included tests for THC, the active ingredient in Marijuana, Cocaine and Opiates. In addition to testing for Methamphetamine, ORALscreen 4 also detects MDMA or Ecstasy, its more commonly known street name. Methamphetamine and Ecstasy have widely been reported to be the most rapidly growing abused drugs in the United States.
"With the addition of Methamphetamine to the ORALscreen panel, we now have the ability to test the major drugs of abuse which account for over 96% of all positive test results," said Peter P. Phildius, Avitar’s Chairman and CEO. "Drug testing has never been so easy and available as it is with the ORALscreen products. With ORALscreen 3, ORALscreen 4, and ORALconfirm for confirming positive screens, we are now able to provide corporations a complete point-of- contact testing program."
"In many areas of the country, Methamphetamine is the drug of choice for substance abusers. The demand for ORALscreen 4 is very high which has allowed us to accept a number of orders prior to launch," stated Michael J. DeFeo, Avitar’s Director of Marketing. "We’re also very excited about the ability to detect Ecstasy because it opens this product to new market segments such as schools and public safety sectors that are often confronted with high usage of this drug."
Avitar will market ORALscreen 4 (TCOM) directly to corporations, education, law enforcement, and public safety organizations, as well as through distributors. ORALscreen, introduced in April 1999, was the first oral fluid-based rapid point-of-contact test for drugs of abuse to reach the market. ORALscreen products are comprised of a test device and foam collector that are both protected by U.S. patents. Historically, the drug testing industry --- which spends more than $1 billion per year on testing --- has been forced to rely on cumbersome, expensive and undignified urine tests which are becoming increasingly susceptible to adulteration. ORALscreen saves time by enabling employers to easily conduct the test themselves providing results in minutes with significant savings.
Avitar, Inc. (AMEX:AVR) headquartered in Canton, Massachusetts develops, manufactures and markets innovative medical devices based on core technologies in oral fluid diagnostics and customized polyurethane applications. The company markets a unique portfolio of substance abuse testing products and services that include ORALscreen the world’s first rapid point-of- contact oral fluid test for drugs of abuse and HAIRscreenTM, a laboratory-based test for long term drug abuse using hair. Avitar also markets an oral fluid collection system for DNA testing as well as a proprietary line of polyurethane-based high tech medical devices. For more information, see Avitar’s website at avitarinc.com.
This release 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.
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