FDA Scientists Working in Satellite Laboratories Across U.S. Help Prevent Harmful Drugs from Reaching Americans
By: JaCinta S. Batson, M.S., M.B.A., Director, Satellite Laboratory Branch, National Forensic Chemistry Center, Office of the Chief Scientist
Satellite laboratories stationed inside high-volume international mail facilities at airports in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Miami—and now Honolulu—are one of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s numerous weapons in combating counterfeit and other potentially harmful drugs. The goal of the chemists working in these laboratories is to analyze and stop suspicious imported drugs—some containing potentially lethal, never-before-seen substances—before they can harm the public.
Managed by the National Forensic Chemistry Center (NFCC) in Cincinnati, Ohio, the satellite laboratories are the brainchild of former NFCC director, Duane R. Satzger, Ph.D., who was determined to bring the power of science and drug detection directly to major points of entry. The laboratories also address responsibilities and authorities given to the FDA through the 2018 SUPPORT Act (Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment).
Chemistry at the Crossroads of Commerce
Millions of packages from overseas arrive daily at U.S. international mail facilities. By operating on the frontlines, inside compact laboratories outfitted with specially selected and tested instruments, our chemists provide a critical line of defense, helping block dangerous drugs—including synthetic opioids from China—from entering the country’s supply chains.
These scientists work side-by-side with our Office of Inspections and Investigations Office of Import Operations (OIO) colleagues, as well as our U.S. Customs and Border Protection partners, who refer to us any suspicious FDA-regulated drugs or other medical products requiring further analysis. Product testing is accomplished using an analytical toolkit comprised of several instruments, each of which provide different information. The instruments use spectroscopy—the study of how light (and its electromagnetic waves) interact with a given substance—or mass spectroscopy for measuring the mass of a chemical substance. Combining the results of several tests, NFCC scientists then determine if a product contains any harmful or dangerous ingredients.
Pinning Down Dangerous Novel Compounds
Since 2021, the FDA’s Satellite Laboratory Branch has analyzed and helped block two million lot units (capsules and tablets) of illegal, counterfeit and other unsafe drug and medical products from reaching U.S. consumers and patients. Typically marketed online, these products often lure consumers with cheap prices and unproven cures and often are designed to exploit vulnerable communities with devastating outcomes.
Consider a few recent samples that the FDA was able to detect, analyze and help intercept:
- Tablets containing a novel synthetic opioid with a potency estimated to be 25 times greater than fentanyl.
- Single capsules containing multiple drugs (some of which are controlled substances) including, sibutramine, diazepam, fluoxetine, hydrochlorothiazide, furosemide, cimetidine, bupropion, and bisacodyl.
- Tablets containing 2C-B-FLY, a psychedelic designer drug from the phenethylamine and FLY families (so named for its chemical structure’s resemblance to a flying insect).
Any new analog that FDA scientists discover is added to the agency’s drug library, along with its unique “fingerprint,” to support future detection and targeting. An analog is a drug that mimics an existing drug—except its chemical structure has been modified to avoid detection, or to alter the efficacy of the drug. As appropriate, we also share our findings with our close partners in FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations who pursue bad actors associated with illicit or dangerous drugs.
New Drug-Screening Capabilities for the Pacific Rim
To strengthen our presence in the Pacific Rim, in late 2025, the FDA stood up a laboratory at the international mail facility at the airport in Honolulu, Hawaii. FDA scientists work at this location and also coordinate with a screening station in Guam that’s operated by our OIO colleagues.
These locations are vital to the FDA’s efforts to spot and intercept dangerous imported drugs originating from China, other parts of Asia and the overall Pacific Rim.
Harmful illegal and counterfeit drugs may always pose a threat to the U.S., and so-called “dark” chemistry is currently a reality. But the FDA is one step ahead, and working every day to apply expertise, ingenuity and dedication to protecting Americans’ public health.