Ameritox makes significant strides to advance its industry leadership position

Ameritox®, the nation's leader in pain medication monitoring, made significant strides to advance its industry leadership position by strengthening the company's commitment to physicians and patients in the past twelve months.  Through significant investments in clinical research and an expansion of its laboratory capabilities, Ameritox has reached several milestones – including the analysis of nearly 2.5 million patient samples with its proprietary RxGuardian(SM) offering to healthcare partners.

"We're proud to have reached these milestones through the work of dedicated staff in our Greensboro (NC) and Midland (TX) labs and Baltimore (MD) headquarters, expanding our science-based technology, enhancing service to our physician partners and investing in meeting our customers' needs," said Ancelmo Lopes, CEO of Ameritox.

Clinical and Research Highlights:  

Ameritox, long-known for its service and partnership with healthcare providers, leads the industry with an innovative research program to re-define the field of pain medication monitoring.  The Baltimore-based company is the largest laboratory focused exclusively on supporting clinicians who treat patients with chronic pain.  Significant research and clinical advances have expanded the tools Ameritox offers to its physician partners, and the corporation's research program continues to lead the industry.

By adding to the body of knowledge regarding managing patients on chronic opioid therapy, Ameritox continues to assist physicians in making better treatment decisions. In the past two years, nine key studies have been accepted for or presented at national clinical meetings.  Four studies have also been published in respected peer-reviewed journals.

In 2010, Ameritox presented three studies at the American Academy of Pain Management meeting (AAPM).  A landmark study published in the Journal of Opioid Management demonstrated how the proprietary Ameritox Rx Guardian(SM) algorithm, when applied to urine drug levels of OxyContin® C-II (oxycodone HCL controlled-release) tablets, differentiated among three different daily doses of the drug, thus surpassing traditional urine testing. A second study, published in January in The Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, described Rx Guardian's efficacy in discriminating between  all three daily doses of hydrocodone tested (20, 60, 120 mg).  An important health economics study also published in January in the American Journal of Managed Care, "Chronic Opioid Adherence and Healthcare Costs in a Managed Care Population," linked opioid prescription non-adherence with significantly elevated health care costs.  These findings have particular relevance in today's debate on healthcare costs.

Laboratory News

Ameritox opened a second state-of-the-art laboratory facility in Greensboro, North Carolina in 2010, significantly expanding its ability to serve physicians and their patients nationwide. The administrative and lab facilities have exceeded expectations of productivity and now test hundreds of thousands of patient samples annually. With nearly 130 skilled, full-time employees performing leading-edge pain medication monitoring, the Greensboro facility has made a major impact on the company's growth.

Ameritox's Midland, Texas, facility welcomed Congressman Mike Conaway (R-TX) of the 11th District for a tour of the laboratory. Currently, Ameritox employs nearly 230 people in the greater Midland area at both its laboratory facility and at its new administrative facility in downtown Midland.  

"We're honored to be a partner in the communities where our facilities are located," said Lopes of Ameritox.  "Our technology is dependent on skilled workers and we're fortunate to be located in two hubs where skilled workers abound."

Marshfield Partnership

Ameritox secured licensing rights from Marshfield Clinic to continue developing a new technology to assist in determining the likelihood of patient adherence. Ameritox will further develop this technology for commercialization and support additional research and development, greatly expanding the scope and usability of pain medication monitoring among its physician partners.

Team Ameritox:

Adding to considerable bench strength within the company, the Ameritox team has grown significantly to enhance support for the company's physician partners across the nation.

As a further benefit to both the physician service and  leading Medical Science Liaison team for which it is known, Ameritox has appointed Kathryn S. Bronstein, PhD, RN, as Director of Medical Science and Health Outcomes, and expanded its Medical Science Liaison team with the additions of David E. Chapman, PhD; Monica A. Fay, PharmD., MBA; Lisa M. Burke, PhD, MBA, RN; and Barry Cohen, PhD as Assistant Directors of Medical Science and Health Outcomes Research.  Kendra L. Davies, B.S., PharmD, also joined as Associate Director, Medical Affairs, rounding out a team focused on maintaining the highest level of clinical and research rigor in the industry.  

The company has also formed a new Government Programs department to expand support to public health care providers who manage patients on chronic opioid therapy.