Innovative E-Tox POCT Kits by UP Manila Target Poisoning and NPS Detection

A novel test kit dubbed "E-Tox POCT (Point of Care Testing)" has been created by researchers from the University of the Philippines Manila to identify medicines that might cause poisoning as well as novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS), often known as designer drugs. The E-Tox-NPS variant of the kit, which tests for designer drugs like ketamine, synthetic cannabinoids, and synthetic cathinones, and the E-Tox-PHX model, which looks for medicines like paracetamol, isoniazid, and salicylates, both employ urine samples.

The project leader, Dr. Ailyn Yabes, is a professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the UPM-College of Medicine. She feels that a portable, affordable, and easy-to-use point-of-care testing equipment is essential in emergency situations. The Philippines does not yet have access to NPS detection test kits, and the screening tests available locally are only for conventional illegal substances. To confirm the presence of NPS in urine, a more sensitive and specific approach will be required; E-Tox-NPS should only be used for "screening".