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                            Funding & Awards
 Real-Time Sample-Mining and Data-Mining Approaches for the Discovery of Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS)
Note:
              This awardee has received supplemental funding. This award detail page includes information about both the original award and supplemental awards.
Award Information
Awardee
              FREDRIC RIEDERS FAMILY RENAISSANCE FOUNDATION
Award #
              2020-DQ-BX-0007
Funding Category
              Competitive Discretionary
Location
                    WILLOW GROVE, PA
Congressional District
              4
Status
              Open
Funding First Awarded
              2020
Total funding (to date)
              $755,401
Original Solicitation
              Research and Development in Forensic Science for Criminal Justice Purposes, Fiscal Year 2020
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2020, $555,401)
Drug use in the United States is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality among vulnerable populations. The use of drugs has remained a continuous phenomenon with forensic and legal consequences, but the drugs involved in crimes and their patterns of use continue to change. This change is especially apparent when considering the emergence and turnover of synthetic drugs, often referred to as new or novel psychoactive substances (NPS). Keeping current with the latest illicit drug landscape is one of the greatest technical challenges facing forensic toxicologist and chemists. This proposal undertakes to enhance prior work in method development, validation, and application. Our approach will develop tools and workflows for the identification of the newest emerging substances, characterize their appearance in forensic toxicology casework, and rapidly share methods, analytical data, and toxicological data with scientific, medical, and legal communities. Our laboratory will partner with medical examiners, coroners, toxicologists, and forensic laboratories across the United States (including NMS Labs) to acquire and analyze authentic human biological specimens (e.g., blood and urine) from forensic investigations. Liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS) and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) will be used for instrumental analysis. The discovery of emerging NPS will be initiated through surveillance initiatives, followed by the monitoring of NPS to determine trends, combinations, and other drug use characteristics. The metabolism of previously unreported NPS will be studied to determine appropriate metabolites for addition to scopes of toxicology testing. Confirmation methods will be developed and validated for rapid dissemination and implementation among forensic laboratories. In addition, the analysis of authentic samples will be performed to determine reference concentration ranges  a vital piece of information needed by the forensic toxicology community. The accumulated data and reports will be consolidated to produce NPS Toolkits which will serve as blueprints or road maps for scientists, clinicians, practitioners, and other stakeholders with interest in emerging information about the substances studied. Extensive dissemination of the results to forensic science, criminal justice, public health, and public safety communities will occur. The products of this research will be open-access to forensic science and criminal justice partners, and the developed reports will be archived on the internet for long-term access. Note: This project contains a research and/or development component, as defined in applicable law, and complies with Part 200 Uniform Requirements - 2 CFR 200.210(a)(14). CA/NCF
Supplemental Award 1 (Fiscal Year 2022, $200,000)
Drug use in the United States is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality among vulnerable populations. The use of drugs has remained a continuous phenomenon with forensic and legal consequences, but the drugs involved in crimes and their patterns of use continue to change. This change is especially apparent when considering the emergence and turnover of synthetic drugs, often referred to as new or novel psychoactive substances (NPS). Keeping current with the latest illicit drug landscape is one of the greatest technical challenges facing forensic toxicologist and chemists. This proposal undertakes to enhance prior work in method development, validation, and application. Our approach will develop tools and workflows for the identification of the newest emerging substances, characterize their appearance in forensic toxicology casework, and rapidly share methods, analytical data, and toxicological data with scientific, medical, and legal communities. Our laboratory will partner with medical examiners, coroners, toxicologists, and forensic laboratories across the United States (including NMS Labs) to acquire and analyze authentic human biological specimens (e.g., blood and urine) from forensic investigations. Liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS) and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) will be used for instrumental analysis. The discovery of emerging NPS will be initiated through surveillance initiatives, followed by the monitoring of NPS to determine trends, combinations, and other drug use characteristics. The metabolism of previously unreported NPS will be studied to determine appropriate metabolites for addition to scopes of toxicology testing. Confirmation methods will be developed and validated for rapid dissemination and implementation among forensic laboratories. In addition, the analysis of authentic samples will be performed to determine reference concentration ranges  a vital piece of information needed by the forensic toxicology community. The accumulated data and reports will be consolidated to produce NPS Toolkits which will serve as blueprints or road maps for scientists, clinicians, practitioners, and other stakeholders with interest in emerging information about the substances studied. Extensive dissemination of the results to forensic science, criminal justice, public health, and public safety communities will occur. The products of this research will be open-access to forensic science and criminal justice partners, and the developed reports will be archived on the internet for long-term access. Note: This project contains a research and/or development component, as defined in applicable law, and complies with Part 200 Uniform Requirements - 2 CFR 200.210(a)(14). CA/NCF


  
Grant-Funded Publications
        
                      Detection in seized samples, analytical characterization, and in vitro metabolism of the newly emerged 5-bromo-indazole-3-carboxamide synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists
                  Detection, chemical analysis, and pharmacological characterization of dipyanone and other new synthetic opioids related to prescription drugs
                  In vitro cannabinoid receptor activity, metabolism, and detection in seized samples of CH-PIATA, a new indole-3-acetamide synthetic cannabinoid
                  In vitro cannabinoid receptor activity, metabolism, and detection in seized samples of CH-PIATA, a new indole-3-acetamide synthetic cannabinoid
                  N,N-Dimethylpentylone (dipentylone)—A new synthetic cathinone identified in a postmortem forensic toxicology case series
                  New Potent Synthetic Opioid—N-Desethyl Isotonitazene—Proliferating Among Recreational Drug Supply in USA
                  NPS Discovery Q2 2023 Trend Reports
                  Plasma pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic effects of the 2-benzylbenzimidazole synthetic opioid, isotonitazene, in male rats
                  Positivity of New Synthetic Cannabinoid 4F-MDMB-BICA Increasing in U.S. as Prevalence of 5F-MDMB-PICA Wanes
                  Proliferation of Novel Synthetic Opioids in Postmortem Investigations After Core-Structure Scheduling for Fentanyl-Related Substances
                  A Forward-Thinking Approach to Addressing the New Synthetic Opioid 2-Benzylbenzimidazole Nitazene Analogs by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry (LC-QQQ-MS)
                  Pharmacological evaluation and forensic case series of N-pyrrolidino etonitazene (etonitazepyne), a newly emerging 2-benzylbenzimidazole 'nitazene' synthetic opioid
                  Toxicological and pharmacological characterization of novel cinnamylpiperazine synthetic opioids in humans and in vitro including 2-methyl AP-237 and AP-238
                  Bromazolam Prevalence Surging Across the United States Driven In Part by Increasing Detections Alongside Fentanyl
                  N,N-Dimethylpentylone (NPS Stimulant)
                  N-Pyrrolidino Etonitazene (NPS Opioid)
                  NPS Discovery: 2022 Year in Review
                  Synthetic Stimulant Market Rapidly Changing as N,N-Dimethylpentylone Replaces Eutylone in Drug Supply Typically Sold as “Ecstasy” or “Molly”
                  Etodesnitazene — New Synthetic Opioid Identified During Forensic Death Investigations in the United States and Canada
                  Metonitazene (NPS Opioid)
                  Metonitazene Begins Proliferation as Newest Synthetic Opioid Among Latest Cycle of Non-Fentanyl Related Drugs
                  Metonitazene in the United States-Forensic toxicology assessment of a potent new synthetic opioid using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry
                  New High Potency Synthetic Opioid N-Pyrrolidino Etonitazene (Etonitazepyne) Linked to Overdoses Across United States
                  New Synthetic Opioid Protonitazene Increasing in Prevalence as “Nitazenes” Gain Traction Across the United States and Canada
                  New Systematic Naming for Synthetic Cannabinoid “MDA-19” and Its Related Analogues: BZO-HEXOXIZID, 5F-BZO-POXIZID, and BZO-POXIZID
                  NPS Discovery: 2021 Year in Review

  
Date Created: October 22, 2020
    
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