Averica Announces Approved DEA Registration to Research Schedule I Controlled Substances

MARLBOROUGH, MA--(Marketwired - Jan 28, 2015) - Averica Discovery Services, Inc. (http://www.avericadiscovery.com), a contract research organization (CRO) with specialized expertise in small molecule analysis and purification, today announced that the Company has received approval by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to handle Schedule I controlled substances.

Averica is now able to work on Schedule I controlled substances on behalf of clients. Schedule I substances are "considered the most dangerous class of drugs," according to the DEA website. Although not generally used in a clinical setting, schedule I drugs are used in research in a variety of contexts. Previously, the company had been certified to work with up to Schedule II-V compounds.

Being able to work on Schedule I controlled substances will enhance Averica's research capabilities and expand the types of research programs the Company can support. Schedule I compounds have been used in research on pain, addiction, neuropsychiatry, and a variety of other human health conditions where basic research is still needed.

The standards and regulations required to receive DEA approval to handle Schedule I Controlled Substances are quite rigorous, and include implementing new processes and policies, new employee training and a thorough audit conducted by a third party to ensure compliance.

"A Schedule I Research registration is somewhat difficult to obtain due to the nature of the research compounds involved, and the DEA qualification and inspection is pretty involved," said Jeffrey Kiplinger, Ph.D., president of Averica Discovery Services. "This capacity allows Averica to bring its unique capabilities in analytics and purification to bear for an important segment of the industry doing valuable and necessary basic research."

About Averica Discovery Services
Founded in 2007, Averica Discovery Services is a contract research organization with specialized expertise in small molecule analysis and purification. Averica works with drug discovery and development teams to speed lead optimization and timelines in early development. Its services include scalable compound supply, chiral resolution, impurity isolation, and custom analytical work. Averica is located in the heart of the East Coast life sciences corridor, just west of Boston.