Three samples brought to Australia's first fixed-site drug checking service, CanTEST, were expected to be 4F-MPH, MXE, and 3-MMC but did not match any known substances on-site. Further laboratory analysis using NMR and mass spectrometry identified them as three previously undescribed new psychoactive substances: 4F-α-PiHP, 4F-MBZP, and propylphenidine. The case illustrates how drug checking services can rapidly detect and characterize emerging compounds in the unregulated drug market, supporting harm reduction and public health monitoring.
Ethylbromazolam, a new designer benzodiazepine, has emerged in Canada, the UK, Australia, and Germany, with increasing detections since November 2024 and a concurrent decrease in bromazolam detections, likely due to bromazolam's international control on December 3, 2024. Other designer benzodiazepines like desalkylgidazepam and clobromazolam have also increased. In vitro patch clamp assays show ethylbromazolam has similar activity at the GABA-A receptor as bromazolam, with EC50 values of 10.1 nM and 15.2 nM respectively, indicating comparable pharmacological activity and potential harm. Ongoing market monitoring is recommended.