DRI® Ecstasy Assay Expands Beckman Coulter’s Drugs of Abuse Menu on UniCel® DxC and Synchron® CX and LX Analyzers

In January, Beckman Coulter expanded the drugs of abuse test menu on its UniCel® DxC and Synchron® family of chemistry systems with the release of the DRI® Ecstasy assay.

The new assay aids mid- to large-volume hospitals and reference laboratories in the qualitative or semi-quantitative determination of ecstasy drugs in human urine. The assay provides a simple and rapid analytical screening procedure for detecting ecstasy drugs at a cutoff level of 500 ng/mL.

The Ecstasy assay uses a specific antibody, which can detect ecstasy drugs in urine with minimal cross-reactivity to various amphetamine compounds. When run on Beckman Coulter's UniCel DxC or Synchron CX and LX Clinical Systems, a qualitative, interpretive report automatically compares patient results to the cutoff value and determines positive or negative, eliminating the need for operator interpretation.

A rough estimate of drug concentration in the samples can be obtained using the semi-quantitative method that uses five calibrator levels. Reagents and calibrators for this assay are liquid and ready to use.

Besides Ecstasy, the company's drugs of abuse testing menu on its UniCel DxC and Synchron family of chemistry systems includes amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepine, cannabinoid, cocaine metabolite, methadone, methaqualone, opiates, phencyclidine and propoxyphene.

The DRI Ecstasy assay is manufactured by Thermo Fisher Scientific and is distributed by Beckman Coulter as part of its broad menu of automated chemistry assays.