Boulder, Colo., — December 19, 2006 — Analytical Spectral Devices (ASD) will debut the pharmaceutical industry’s first portable drug anti-counterfeiting device, the RxSpec® 700Z, at the upcoming IFPAC show, the world’s leading conference on process analysis technology. Now in its 21st year, the International Forum on Process Analytical Technology takes place in Baltimore, January 28-31.

The number of injuries and deaths world-wide related to counterfeit drugs is growing. While the extent of pharmaceutical counterfeiting varies among different regions in the world, there is consensus among regulatory bodies that the problem is a dangerous threat to the safety of consumers. To address this issue, ASD’s RxSpec 700Z system enables real-time drug verification that will hopefully eradicate the unnecessary injuries and loss of life caused by harmful counterfeit drugs getting into the hands of consumers.

Counterfeiting, fraud, and theft within the pharmaceutical industry supply chain ranges from conservative estimates of $30 billion to more than $50 billion in annual losses to corporations, according to market studies by organizations such as IMS Health and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In 2003 the FDA established the Counterfeit Drug Task Force as a new initiative to combat this growing problem.

“Drug counterfeiting is a growing problem, as evidenced by the FDA’s actions to combat it,” said ASD’s CEO Dave Rzasa. “The RxSpec 700Z is a tool that fits the FDA’s call for applying new technologies to distinguish legitimate drugs from counterfeits. The RxSpec 700Z is a portable version of the patented technology that ASD introduced into mail order pharmacies two years ago. It should be a useful tool for pharmaceutical companies, Customs and Border Control agencies, and anybody in the drug distribution chain who is concerned with the efficacy of the drug being given to patients.”

“Before RxSpec, drugs had to be taken to a lab and tested to see if they were counterfeit,” explained ASD’s Director of Business Development Michael Lands. “This new device verifies drugs in real-time, helping the pharmaceutical industry cut costs by reducing testing time and lowering liability risks, and ultimately protecting corporate revenues.”

Using Near-Infrared (NIR) spectroscopic technology, the RxSpec device provides a glimpse of what new drug safety technologies can be applied throughout the pharmaceutical industry’s entire process, from the manufacturing plant to the retail pharmacy.

About ASD

Based in Boulder and with customers around the world, ASD provides the most reliable, high-performance analytical instrumentation solutions to industrial professionals, analytical researchers, and remote sensing scientists. In collaboration with our customers since 1990, our applications support team remains unsurpassed in solving the world’s most challenging materials measurement problems.

For more information, please contact Amanda Griffin, ASD Marketing Communications Manager, 5335 Sterling Dr., Suite A, Boulder, CO, 80301; 303/444-6522, 303/444-6825 (fax); [email protected]; www.asdi.com.

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