Innovative Drugs-of-Abuse Testing System Announced By Philips And Concateno

Concateno plc, Europe's largest provider of drug and alcohol
testing programmes, and Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE:PHG, AEX:PHI) have
today announced an innovative handheld drugs-of-abuse detection device.





Concateno-Philips pioneering system will make testing for
drugs such as cocaine and heroin quicker, simpler and easier enabling
immediate point-of-care drug test results, similar to current alcohol tests.
Concateno and Philips will deliver the new solution to selected customers in
the second half of 2009.





At launch, the Concateno-Philips handheld product will test
five drug groups at the same time (cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine,
amphetamine and cannabis) in a single saliva sample. Total test time of the
new device, from collection of sample to result, will be less than 90
seconds. This represents a significant advance on existing test times, which
can take up to five times longer to complete. Other significant features of
the test include its sensitivity and ease of use, which has been enhanced by
the product's innovative cartridge design and data collection to ensure a
reduction in the steps required to obtain results.





With drug abuse a growing issue in today's society, Concateno
and Philips share a commitment to working with government, employers,
healthcare and law professionals to help reduce the impact of this problem.
Point-of-care testing is one initiative the two organisations are exploring,
bringing together Concateno's expertise in the field of immunoassay
development with Philips' revolutionary 'Magnotech' technology.





Point-of-care testing for drug screening is a test carried out
beside or near to the individual being tested, immediately after they have
provided a sample for detection. The benefits of point-of-care testing flow
from having test results in a few minutes. The need for speed,
multi-analytical testing, plus robustness and reliability of method are all
central to effective testing.





"This enhanced run time and ease of use will make the new
system ideal for worldwide roadside testing, as well as for the criminal
justice sector, workplace testing markets and emergency room scenarios where
a quick result is key to treatment," said Fiona Begley, Concateno chief
executive officer.





"We are convinced that the next generation point of care
testing devices will cause paradigm shifts in the way diseases are diagnosed
and in the way the abuse of drugs is tested, and this will have a positive
impact on society," said Marcel van Kasteel, VP of Philips and CEO of Philips
Handheld Immunoassays. "The Concateno-Philips drug screening test will be the
first product that features Philips' Magnotech technology, a new biosensor
technology that uses magnetic nanoparticles to measure low concentrations of
target molecules in blood and saliva."
















About Royal Philips Electronics





Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) is a
diversified Health and Well-being company, focused on improving people's
lives through timely innovations. As a world leader in healthcare, lifestyle
and lighting, Philips integrates technologies and design into people-centric
solutions, based on fundamental customer insights and the brand promise of
"sense and simplicity". Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips employs
approximately 133,000 employees in more than 60 countries worldwide. With
sales of EUR 27 billion in 2007, the company is a market leader in cardiac
care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and
new lighting applications, as well as lifestyle products for personal
well-being and pleasure with strong leadership positions in flat TV, male
shaving and grooming, portable entertainment and oral healthcare. News from
Philips is located at philips/newscenter.





An introduction to Concateno





In just more than a year, Concateno has brought together the
leading drug and alcohol testing organisations in Europe to form a global
first in the field: a service provider with the facilities and expertise to
genuinely deliver test programmes to meet any requirement - from
point-of-care instant tests, through to state-of-the-art laboratory analysis
for any biological specimen including urine, oral fluids, hair and sweat.





Concateno's 300 staff support more than 8,000 customers
globally, and the group performs approximately eight million tests annually.
An integrated network of more than 500 sample collection officers, trained
in-house in chain-of-custody procedures, supports clients around the world.





Committed to the highest levels of accreditation and quality
assurance, Concateno works actively within the industry to improve existing
best practice. This includes ISO 17025 (independently audited by UKAS),
ISO9001:2000, Link-Up, and ISO13485:2003. In addition, the company is subject
to a range of external and internal quality assurance programmes.





Our strategy





Concateno's goal is to be the top provider of drug and alcohol
testing services in the world, providing the best expertise and testing
resources in the field. With our own best-in-class products and facilities
that can supply across the whole range of test requirements, our strategy is
driven by customer need rather than product benefit.





Concateno has committed significant investment to research and
development. Our joint development agreement with Philips (a diversified
Health and Well-being company) to develop a new oral fluids system is an
example of this commitment.





Excellent pedigree





Concateno is built upon the consolidation of Europe's
strongest and most expert drug testing companies:





Cozart: long-established expertise in oral fluid instant
testing (including its pioneering Rapiscan(R) and DDS(R) reader devices) and
the manufacture of laboratory Reagents and products - largely through its
wholly-owned subsidiary Spinreact, headquartered in Spain.





Medscreen: Europe's most experienced workplace testing company
with a 20 year track record in providing legally defensible urine testing to
employees and the UK government





Altrix Healthcare: largest provider of oral fluids drugs of
abuse laboratory testing to the UK healthcare market. Complemented with a
blood-borne virus testing service and range of support services focused on
client treatment needs





TrichoTech: Europe's largest hair testing laboratory with
unrivalled knowledge and expertise





Euromed: supplies a comprehensive range of point-of-collection
testing devices with a proven track record on quality assurance and technical
support, underscored by its long-standing contract with HM Prison Service.



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