Pubdate: 21 Dec 1998 Source: The Business Press Copyright: 1998, The Business Press Distributed: by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Service Author: Don Benson, The Business Press, Ontario, Calif. Headline: by MAP SALIVA TESTING SYSTEMS THAT DETECT ILLEGAL DRUGS Dec. 21--A local firm developing field tests to detect drug and alcohol use has hired Burrill & Co. of San Francisco to find partners for both the marketing and final research and development stages of the product. LifePoint Inc. of Rancho Cucamonga is in the final phases of development, and is seeking the widest possible distribution. "It's important for LifePoint to assess and go after multiple partners to cover segments of the development process and geographical marketing areas," said Linda Masterson, president and chief executive officer of LifePoint, which was once known as U.S. Drug Testing of America. The company's greatest funding need is in marketing and sales, she said. Masterson envisions that new partners will give LifePoint a financial boost. But their affiliations would be as business partners -- like a company that would put $2 million or $3 million up front for marketing rights in Japan - -- not as financial backers who would take an ownership share and dilute the interest of current shareholders, Masterson said. LifePoint is developing saliva testing systems that detect alcohol and illegal drugs. Its primary product would allow police to perform immediate, side-of-the-road tests of motorists for the presence of drugs and alcohol. The company foresees further uses of the technology in diagnostic testing that hospitals could perform to detect heart and cancer conditions. There are other possible uses in industrial, office and sports settings. LifePoint is developing noninvasive technology for collecting saliva samples. Sensing technology for its products is licensed from the Naval Research Laboratories. Two months ago, LifePoint filed a broad patent for 26 elements of its testing device and procedure. - --- Checked-by: Richard Lake