Introduction

Cotinine residues are produced as the liver metabolises nicotine that has been inhaled or otherwise taken into the body. This can result from smoking (either active or passive), or from the medication used in nicotine-withdrawal therapy.

Once we know the levels of cotinine residue present in the body, we can evaluate the subject's smoking habits and draw up appropriate counter-measures designed to break his or her habit.

health4u AG offers a product, developed and tested in North America by Nymox Pharmaceutical Corporation ( www.nymox.com), for the detection of cotinine in the body: NicAlert™.

NicAlert™ is a fast test designed to measure the amount of cotinine in the saliva or urine.

• Working time: 10-15 minutes with urine
• Working time: 20 minutes with saliva

Results are read on a scale of 0 to 6
(level 0 corresponds to 0 - 10 ng/ml of saliva, while level 6 corresponds to >2000 ng/ml)

• Specificity in saliva at 10 ng/ml: 100%
• Specificity in urine at 100 ng/ml: 100%
• Sensitivity in saliva at 10 ng/ml: 75%
• Sensitivity in urine at 100 ng/ml: 87%

Detailed information: NicAlert™ product information in PDF format.

User card for interpretation of NicAlert™ readings: NicAlert user card in PDF format.

Packaging: NicAlert™ starter pack: 1 x test, RRP (recommended retail price): CHF 25 NicAlert™ self-check pac: 3 x tests, RRP: CHF 68       order