CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 6 -- Psychemedics
Corporation (Amex: PMD) announced today it has received 510(K) clearance
from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its test for the detection
of marijuana use through human hair analysis. Psychemedics has now
received FDA clearance for the five drug panel routinely used in drug testing.
Psychemedics' marijuana test system employs radioimmunoassay for the qualitative
screening and mass spectrometry for quantification of carboxy -- THC in
hair for the purpose of identifying marijuana use.
This completes three years of intense preparation for the FDA clearances.
Psychemedics previously obtained FDA clearances for opiates, PCP, methamphetamine/ecstasy
and cocaine.
"Obtaining FDA clearance for all five of our tests is a major milestone for our Company," said Ray Kubacki CEO and President of Psychemedics. "The importance of using accurate and reliable testing cannot be overemphasized. Psychemedics is the first company to have any FDA cleared hair tests and we now have them in all the major drugs of abuse categories."
Psychemedics Corporation is the world's leading laboratory for the testing
of hair for the presence of drugs. Its client list includes over
2,200 corporations (over 10% of the Fortune 500), which use hair testing
as part of their drug-free workplace programs. In addition, five
of the country's largest police departments as well as schools and Federal
Reserve Banks rely on Psychemedics' hair testing.
