LONDON and AMSTERDAM, November 20 /PRNewswire/ -- 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.

Press Notes

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 http://www.philips.com/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.

For further information regarding Philips please contact: Steve Klink, Philips Handheld Immunoassays, Telephone: +31-40-27-43703, Mobile: +31-6-10888824, Email: steve.klink@philips.com. For more information regarding Concateno and product images, please contact: Adrian Brophy or Carrie Lowe, The Remarkable Group, Telephone: +44(0)1962-893-893, Mobile: +44(0)7590-572-405 / +44(0)7956-408-121, Email: adrian.brophy@remarkablegroup.co.uk / carrie.lowe@remarkablegroup.co.uk