FDA orders ASD NIR analysers to aid in counterfeit fight

The US Food and Drug Administration has purchased two portable near infrared (NIR) spectrometers made by ASD Inc to aid in its counterfeit drug analysis activities, according to the company's UK and Ireland distributor Analytik.

The FDA's order comes after the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regualtory Agency (MHRA) placed its own order for one of the LabSpec 5000 analysers (pictured). As part of the MHRA program, an NIR drugs library created over a number of years using a lab based spectrometer from another instrument manufacturer will be transferred to the ASD system, "providing continuity in analysis with the benefits of a fully portable instrument," said Analytik in a press release.

The FDA has selected the systems for use in the field by non-technical operators, it said.

The unit provides a complete, research-grade analysis of a sample's active ingredients and excipients, including a colour measurement, within a few seconds. No sample preparation is required, and the non-destructive analysis ensures any evidence is left intact and uncompromised.

Moreover, ASD's software allows agents in remote locations such as pharmacies or warehouses to save and send data securely over the internet to the central lab for review, removing the need to package up samples and send them back for analysis and thus avoiding any delays.

"The use of spectroscopy is being used in the fight against counterfeit materials and is growing in popularity with the demand for easy-to-use, portable instrumentation being very important," said Analytik.