InstaStrip Xylazine: a quick test to detect xylazine in emergency care
Official title: Addressing Emerging Drug Threats with InstaStrip Rapid Tests
Funded at Instanosis, INC. · NIH-11324013 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new rapid, easy-to-use test strip is being developed to detect xylazine, a dangerous drug increasingly involved in overdoses, so clinicians can identify it quickly during emergencies.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Instanosis, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Milford, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $760,678 |
| NIH project number | 5U44DA060264-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11324013 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients experiencing suspected polysubstance overdoses or clinicians managing overdose cases where xylazine involvement is suspected.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without exposure to xylazine are unlikely to benefit from this diagnostic test.
What this research studies
Xylazine, a synthetic drug increasingly linked to overdose deaths, lacks a fast, diagnostic test. This project aims to move a rapid InstaStrip-Xylazine from prototype toward regulatory approval and commercial availability for clinical use. The approach builds on an existing rapid-diagnostic platform and has shown much higher sensitivity than current commercial options. If successful, emergency responders and clinicians could rapidly confirm xylazine presence to tailor treatment and public-health responses. The work includes development, validation, and regulatory submission steps to bring the test to market.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: This could enable rapid, accurate xylazine detection in clinical settings, improving patient care and public health responses.
How similar studies have gone: The team has prior success developing rapid fentanyl tests using the same platform, supporting potential for xylazine test success.
Where this research is happening
-
Instanosis, INC.
Milford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Xia, Xiaofeng — Instanosis, INC.
- Study coordinator: Xia, Xiaofeng
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.