RICOVR Healthcare, the maker of XALIVA THC rapid drug test for on-site detection of marijuana, reported successful testing of its P-FAB technology for detection of THC in human saliva. The new testing of subjects under the influence of marijuana began in Q 1 of 2022.
RICOVR is actively collecting samples before use to establish baseline and testing the subject's post-marijuana use at sequential time increments. The testing is nearing completion and the results show accurate THC detection at each time increment. Our testing shows that our highly sensitive P-FAB technology will provide employers and law enforcement with a solution to detect recent marijuana use at workplaces and roadside. Dr. Himanshu Bhatia, founder and CEO of RICOVR Healthcare said that this will help improve safety by providing the tool to make better informed decisions about THC impairment and legalization.
Traditional urine and hair based test methods detect THC metabolites that indicate past use of 30 days or more. California has a new off-duty use employee protection law that bans the use of urine and hair cannabis testing for this reason. With the legalization of recreational marijuana in 19 states and 37 with legal medical marijuana, there is a need for a test that better aligns with impairment to maintain workplace safety.
The technology is based on a novel plasmonic fiber-optic absorbance biosensor P-FAB that only detects recent use within 8 to 10 hours and provides fairness to legal users outside of work while ensuring safety on the job. The XALIVA platform has shown that it can provide real-time THC detection using saliva within five minutes. It's a cost-effective way to screen employees at the workplace. RICOVR is in discussion with leading academic institutions for partnership and will expand on the results of the study with more user samples.