A HIGH-TECH York firm which is at the forefront of the world's fight against brand and product fraudsters today announced that it has merged with its US rivals.

Biocode, which employs 23 people at Chessingham Park, Dunnington, has fused with Dallas-based competitor Isotag and will in future be re-named Authentix. Terms of the deal are undisclosed.

The York firm's testing kits mimic the chemistry of life to provide invisible marking for products. By preparing antibodies which recognise only certain key molecules, its technology apes the process by which human beings respond to germs.

Four African governments as well as the governments of Guyana in South America and in Thailand have saved millions of dollars by hiring Biocode to spot fuel frauds.

Inspectors' detection tests can establish within minutes whether markers added to the fuel at distribution depots are present or have been diluted.

Dr Tim Wilkinson, Biocode's managing director when the firm staged a buyout from Shell Ventures UK in 1992 and set up operations on the campus of the University of York (where he had been a biology graduate), said today: "The major difference between Isotag and us is geographical, although the do use a slightly different technology.

"They tend to concentrate on the U.S while we have clients in the rest of the world. Put together it is a plus-plus."

In a separate statement, he adds: "In merging with Isotag we not only strengthen our abilities to better serve the authentication and tracking needs of brand owners and governments, we become the industry leader in science and technology for authentication solutions."

In the last three years Biocode and Isotag between them have recovered nearly $3 billion for clients in lost sales and tax revenues "for which we are unashamedly proud," said Dr Wilkinson.

Both sides expect the transition to be complete by January. By then a new Athentix website will have been launched.

Updated: 09:42 Tuesday, November 25, 2003