Drug Detection Patch Deal Sealed

PharmChem Laboratories Inc. of Menlo Park, Calif., said Tuesday that it has signed an exclusive license and supply agreement with Sudormed Inc. in Santa Ana, which has created a “drug detection patch” that collects perspiration from the wearer’s body to be analyzed for traces of chemicals, such as alcohol and illegal drugs.

Sudormed, a small, privately held company created three years ago, already has won permission from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market the patch as a means of collecting sweat. The company is conducting clinical trials to see if the patch could be used for detecting drugs and alcohol.

The patch, about the size of a silver dollar and worn on the torso, collects perspiration. When tested, it would show whether a person has used drugs or alcohol. The patch would be worn for up to a month at a time and would be used to detect any use during that duration. In comparison, blood and urine tests show drug use only within the past two days.

If given federal approval, PharmChem would market the patch to criminal justice agencies and drug treatment programs that require people to stay chemical-free.

“This would be a way of making sure that a person has had alcohol and drug abstinence,” said Jay Whitney, chairman of PharmChem. The patch is damaged if tampered with or removed by anyone not properly trained, he said.

While financial details of the deal were not disclosed, PharmChem officials say they believe that the new device, if it works as planned, has a sales potential of up to $200 million a year. The device would be sold to law enforcement agencies and medical clinics. If the patch is successful, FDA permission is expected in 1994, at the earliest.