By Denise Purdie Andrews
Recent industry news has been consumed with xylazine as the latest drug adulterant on the streets. Axis, your leading toxicology partner, has been testing for xylazine for several years and is prepared to assist you with questions about it and its effects. Testing for xylazine is included as a confirmed analyte in our 70510 Comprehensive Panel with Analyte Assurance™. While xylazine has been in the news lately, its importance as an adulterant should not overshadow the danger posed by fentanyl and other primary drugs of abuse.
This month, Stuart Kurtz, one of Axis’ expert toxicologists, will be speaking about xylazine with other toxicologists at the Midwest Association for Toxicology & Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Conference. This upholds Axis’ commitment to sharing its expertise with stakeholders within its industry and related communities. As the news reports, Xylazine detections alongside commonly seen drugs have risen in recent years. It was never approved for use in humans so its exact effects on the human body are not well understood. This talk takes a look at the data Axis has collected over the last 2 years of testing. Specifically, we looked at its detection with fentanyl, morphine, methamphetamine, and cocaine. While postmortem toxicology testing cannot determine if a specific combination of drugs was taken by an individual, it can be used to help guide public health policies. We will be sharing more information about the content of this presentation later in the month.
Please also join us in congratulating Stuart on becoming Axis’ newest ABFT-certified toxicologist!