This briefcase-sized technology allows field agents from industry, government, and law enforcement to test drugs on the spot, anytime, anywhere, to determine whether the actual pill, rather than the packaging, is authentic or counterfeit.

As we all know, counterfeiting and theft within the pharmaceutical industry supply chain result in a gargantuan loss of revenues for drug companies (estimates by IMS Health and the US Food and Drug Administration range from a conservative $30 billion to more than $50 billion), and an extremely dangerous and escalating threat to the health and safety of the world's population. In 2003 the FDA established the Counterfeit Drug Task Force as a new initiative to combat this growing problem. ASD has answered this call to action. with.

Recognized worldwide for its Near-Infrared (NIR) instruments and expertise for use in materials measurement and research, ASD or Analytical Spectral Devices recently launched the RxSpec® 700Z anti-counterfeit drug analyzer – a new lightweight fully-portable lab-quality system contained in a rugged aluminum briefcase. It was the realization of several years of extensive research and development, eight patents, and ASD's solid track record of building drug identification technology.

For the first time ever, field agents from industry, government, and law enforcement have the ability to test drugs on the spot, anywhere, anytime, to determine whether the actual pill, rather than the packaging, is authentic or counterfeit. The system, which has a much wider spectral range than other similar technologies, simultaneously analyzes, in mere seconds, all the components – rather than just the active ingredient – of the pharmaceutical in question. And because the test is non-destructive, the sample is unaltered and preserved. Weighing a little less than 23 pounds (10.4 kg), the RxSpec 700Z can be plugged into a wall socket or operate on battery.

According to Tom Brown, ASD Vice President of Sales and Channel Management, "Field agents will find the easy-to-use interface of the RxSpec 700Z quick and intuitive…And because the test takes only a few seconds, the agents will now be able to act more quickly when they have discovered a counterfeit."

The RxSpec® 700Z portable anti-counterfeit drug analyzer is just the latest in the RxSpec® line of NIR technology-based drug verification system, which uses patented technology to directly examine a drug – while in the dispensing vial – and confirm that the correct drug and dosage are being dispensed by comparing the sample to a database of more than 700 NDCs.

According to ASD, nearly every product has a unique “spectral fingerprint” determined by its molecular composition, and NIR spectroscopy is an ideal vehicle for verifying authenticity. RxSpec® technology has successfully checked more than 2.5 million prescriptions since its introduction, and has proven effective in distinguishing between pharmaceuticals that look virtually identical, but actually have different formulations or dosages.

Now, ASD expects the portable briefcase-sized version, RxSpec® 700Z, to be a useful tool for pharmaceutical companies, Customs and Border Control agencies, and anybody in the drug distribution chain who needs to test questionable drugs on the go.