Rapid, easy fentanyl test strip for at‑a‑glance urine checks
Official title: Rapid, Instrument-free and High Sensitivity Over-the-counter Urine Fentanyl Testing
Funded at Instanosis, INC. · NIH-11294348 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new, instrument-free urine test strip can quickly detect fentanyl at clinically meaningful levels, helping people and clinicians respond faster to overdoses.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Instanosis, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Milford, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,399,878 |
| NIH project number | 5R44DA060647-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11294348 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates include emergency department patients, first responders, and community health settings where rapid fentanyl screening could influence immediate care.
✕Less likely to help
Very low-resource settings without access to the test or where fentanyl exposure is unlikely would see little direct benefit.
What this research studies
This NIH-funded project aims to deliver a rapid, user-friendly urine test strip that detects fentanyl at 1 ng/mL without any laboratory equipment. By providing fast results, the test could support timely clinical decisions for overdose management and naloxone dosing in real-world settings outside of traditional labs. The effort focuses on making the test accessible to populations most affected by fentanyl, with the goal of improving immediate care and public health responses. Development will emphasize accuracy, ease of use, and compatibility with point-of-care workflows.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could receive faster, more accurate fentanyl detection at the point of care, enabling timely treatment decisions during overdoses.
How similar studies have gone: Previous efforts with fentanyl detection strips exist but often lack the required sensitivity or rapid, instrument-free performance; this project aims to meet an FDA-relevant 1 ng/mL cutoff.
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.