What Alere Toxicology does

Alere Toxicology is a drug and alcohol testing services business that operates as part of Abbott Laboratories following Abbott's 2017 acquisition of Alere Inc. for approximately $5.3 billion. The company is now branded as Abbott Toxicology, though the Learning XChange platform retains the legacy aleretoxicology.com domain. The firm provides a portfolio spanning rapid point-of-collection screening devices (notably the iCup urine drug screen cup), reagent and consumable products, and laboratory drug testing services covering both urine and oral fluid specimens. Multiple dedicated toxicology laboratory facilities worldwide support a global testing operation, with the company claiming more than 30 years of laboratory testing experience.

The business serves three primary customer segments: workplace screening (pre-employment, random, post-accident, return-to-duty, and occupational health testing for employers), government (federal, state, and local agencies including law enforcement, probation, and military testing programs requiring chain-of-custody compliance), and clinical toxicology (healthcare providers requiring diagnostic testing). Revenue is generated through a mix of fee-for-service laboratory testing, hardware and consumables sales for screening devices, and professional services revenue from the Learning XChange training and certification platform. Distribution is handled through a global direct enterprise sales force for large workplace and government accounts, supplemented by online product catalogs and ordering portals (WEBORDERS, drugtestsupplies.com) for mid-market customers. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, consistent with regulated enterprise and government procurement.

Strategic positioning rests on regulatory compliance, certified laboratory operations (with publicly listed laboratory certifications), HIPAA-compliant patient information handling, and integration into Abbott's broader diagnostics ecosystem, including the Global Point of Care franchise. Competitive advantages cited by the company include brand recognition under the Abbott umbrella, proprietary rapid screening technology, and the scale of its multi-facility laboratory network. The unit does not publish standalone financial results, and its performance is consolidated within Abbott's diagnostics segment.

Name

Alere Toxicology

Legal name

Alere Toxicology

Website

https://aleretoxicology.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Alere Toxicology (now Abbott Toxicology) is a drug and alcohol testing services provider offering rapid screening devices, laboratory urine and oral fluid testing, and online result reporting to workplace, government, and clinical customers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Drug and Alcohol Testing Services

NAICS

Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories (62151), In-Vitro Diagnostic Substance Manufacturing (325413)

SIC

Services-Medical Laboratories (8071), In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances (2835)

akta.pro primary industry

Drug-of-Abuse & Toxicology Rapid Tests (Urine/saliva panels) (HLAHAOAG)

Keywords

• Drug screening services
• Toxicology laboratory testing
• Workplace drug testing
• Rapid screening devices
• Oral fluid testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Laboratory Testing Services: Fee-for-service laboratory drug testing including urine and oral fluid testing. Services provided to workplace, government, and clinical customers requiring compliant specimen analysis
2. Rapid Screening Products: Sale of rapid drug screening devices (cups, reagents) for point-of-collection testing. Products sold directly to customers and through distribution
3. Reagents and Consumables: Ongoing reagent supplies and consumables for drug testing equipment
4. Training Services: Online training programs via Learning Xchange platform with certification, available through purchase or service agreement

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Alere Toxicology (now Abbott Toxicology) provides comprehensive drug and alcohol testing solutions spanning rapid point-of-collection screening devices (such as the iCup urine drug screen cup) and full laboratory toxicology services for urine and oral fluid specimens. It serves workplace, government, and clinical customers with managed screening programs, laboratory confirmation, online result reporting, and a training/certification platform (Learning XChange).

Product overview

Alere Toxicology (now Abbott Toxicology) offers a comprehensive drug and alcohol testing portfolio spanning managed solutions, on-site point-of-collection screening, laboratory testing, and oral fluid testing. The product portfolio includes the iCup™ rapid drug test cup as the flagship screening device, supported by laboratory services (urine and oral fluid testing), reagent products, and rapid screening devices. The company provides integrated result reporting through DATALINK and supports customer training via the Learning XChange platform. Solutions are organized across Workplace Screening, Government, and Clinical Toxicology market segments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• iCup: iCup™ - Our most widely used rapid drug test cup.

Products and services

• iCup Urine Test Drug Screen Cup The company's most widely used rapid drug test cup, providing point-of-collection screening results to enable informed decisions about substance misuse or abuse for workplace, government, and clinical customers.
• Reagents Reagent products supplied for toxicology screening applications, sold as consumables to support ongoing drug testing programs.
• Urine Laboratory Drug Testing Laboratory-based urine drug testing services with 30+ years of experience, supported by multiple dedicated toxicology laboratories worldwide for workplace, government, and clinical customers.
• Oral Fluid Drug Testing Laboratory Laboratory-based oral fluid drug testing services providing an alternative specimen matrix for drug screening customers.
• Online Result Reporting (DATALINK) Online drug screening activity reporting systems providing up-to-the-minute, real-time access to test results for employer, government, and clinical customers.
• Learning XChange Online on-demand training and certification platform that teaches drug screen procedures consistent with manufacturer recommendations, with quizzes and Certificates of Completion.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Omega Laboratories: Specialized toxicology laboratory providing urine, hair, and oral fluid drug testing for workplace, legal, and clinical markets. Competes in similar customer segments with a focus on specialty panels and turnaround time.
• Drägerwerk: Provider of alcohol and drug detection instruments including breathalyzers and point-of-collection testing devices. Competes in the workplace and law enforcement screening market, particularly for alcohol and oral fluid testing.
• Psychemedics Corporation: Specialized toxicology laboratory focused on hair-based drug testing for workplace and school screening. Competes in the broader employer toxicology market with an alternative specimen type that overlaps with Alere Toxicology's urine and oral fluid offerings.
• Lifeloc Technologies: Manufacturer of breath alcohol testing instruments and Evidential Breath Testers used in workplace, law enforcement, and corrections drug and alcohol programs. Adjacent competitor in workplace substance abuse testing, particularly for alcohol.

Direct peers

• Quest Diagnostics: National reference laboratory offering workplace drug testing, forensic toxicology, and employer health screening services. Directly competes with Alere Toxicology's laboratory urine and oral fluid testing across enterprise workplace and government accounts.
• Laboratory Corporation of America (Labcorp): Major US reference laboratory providing employer drug testing, occupational health, and clinical toxicology services. Competes head-to-head with Alere Toxicology for large employer and government testing contracts and has comparable scale in specimen logistics.
• Premier Biotech: Manufacturer of rapid urine drug screening cups and oral fluid devices sold to workplace, government, and clinical customers. Direct product competitor to the iCup rapid screening franchise.
• Clinical Reference Laboratory (CRL): Reference laboratory offering workplace drug testing, clinical diagnostics, and specialty testing services. Directly competes with Alere Toxicology for employer and occupational health accounts, particularly in the mid-market segment.

Regional players

• Randox Toxicology: UK-headquartered toxicology laboratory offering drug and alcohol testing services and reagents across Europe and select international markets. Regional peer with comparable laboratory testing and reagent capabilities but limited US footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Abbott Diagnostics (parent division): Parent company and broader diagnostics division operating clinical chemistry, immunoassay, and point-of-care diagnostics. The toxicology business is housed within Abbott's Point of Care organization, and broader Abbott capabilities provide cross-sell and infrastructure leverage.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alere-toxicology-services-inc-

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Alere Toxicology