Dominion Diagnostics launches Kratom testing to address growing designer drug use trend

NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I., Feb. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Dominion Diagnostics, a leading national provider of drug testing, medication monitoring, and clinical support services, launched new testing today that will detect Kratom use.  Dominion's Kratom assay will expand the company's designer drug testing menu, which already includes detection of synthetic cannabinoids (Spice/K2) and synthetic cathinones (bath salts). 

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Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa korth) is a tree indigenous to Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar and other areas of Southeast Asia.  It has been used as an herbal drug for decades by natives of those regions. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Kratom is considered a national drug of concern as there is no legitimate medical use for Kratom in the United States.  Kratom has been described as producing both stimulant and sedative effects.

Dominion's testing for Kratom will detect mitragynine, the primary active alkaloid of the Kratom plant.  Detection of mitragynine will be performed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with automatic reflex of positive samples to liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS).

"Our clients face challenges with regard to emerging designer drug use, and it's our responsibility to keep up with their growing testing needs," noted Dr. Charlene Johnson, Dominion's Vice President of Laboratory Operations.  "Kratom is an important example of our ongoing commitment to clinically relevant research and development."

Dominion is also releasing a new testing profile to detect Ketamine (also known as "K" or "Special K"), a dissociative anesthetic that has gained recent popularity as a drug of abuse. Ketamine is a Schedule III non-narcotic substance under the DEA's Controlled Substances Act.  Dominion will offer detection of parent drug Ketamine and its metabolites by LC/MS/MS.

About Dominion Diagnostics

Dominion Diagnostics is a leading national laboratory that offers clinical drug testing, prescription monitoring services, and a full suite of clinical support solutions. Since 1997, Dominion Diagnostics has provided services to clients representing a diversity of medical specialties across the United States, including addiction medicine, behavioral health, pain medicine, primary care, psychiatry, and hospital systems. Dominion Diagnostics is supported by a world-class team that shares a commitment to clinical excellence, compliance, and integrity. For more information, please visit www.dominiondiagnostics.com.

SOURCE Dominion Diagnostics, LLC