ANU researchers uncover new drug after testing at Canberra pill testing site

Researchers at the Australian National University discovered the drug after somebody had brought the unknown substance to be tested.

ANU Research School of Chemistry associate professor Malcolm McLeod said somebody had brought the drug to be tested after the effects of the drug were very different to what they had expected.

The person had believed the substance was ketamine but the analysis had shown the drug was not ketamine. The drug was unable to be identified at the pill testing site and had to be sent away for further testing.

Further testing was able to reveal the chemical structure of the drug but researchers are still unclear of its effects.

"It's related to ketamine but it's not the same as ketamine, it's been changed in subtle ways," Associate Professor McLeod said.

Researchers have called the drug CanKet, short for Canberra ketamine.

Associate Professor McLeod said researchers from a forensic lab in China had also discovered the structure of the drug around the same time, and it had never been previously detected in Australia.

"As far as we know we're the first drug checking services in the world to find this and as far as we know we're the first service in Australia to detect this drug," he said.

The drug was most likely manufactured overseas but is being distributed throughout Canberra. Associate Professor McLeod said since the initial test there have been five presentations of the drug at the pill testing site.

CanKet does vary slightly in appearance to ketamine but it is, more or less, a white or off-white powder so there is no obvious visual difference.

Ketamine is an anaesthetic used by vets, commonly as a horse tranquilliser. It is typically snorted or injected, and its common side effects include nightmares, hallucination, high blood pressure and confusion.

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Clinical drug expert and ANU Associate Professor David Caldicott said there was no data to suggest what the effects of the new drug would be.

"While it would be fair to say we understand ketamine very well as a drug we literally have no other data as to what the acute or chronic effects of this close cousin might be and that is disconcerting," he said.

"Assuming that it is safe because it appears to be related to ketamine would be an error of judgement."

The static pill testing site in Canberra, at 1 Moore Street, is a six-month pilot program. People can take their drugs to the service where they will undergo a chemical analysis.

Associate Professor Caldicott said the discovery of CanKet showed why the service was invaluable.

"It allows us to identify never before seen drugs, as well as common drugs, and provide people who use the service clear guidance on the likely health and other effects of these drugs," he said.

"This can potentially save lives.

"And while we don't know all the effects of this particular drug just yet, we can give people a clearer idea of the likely effects, based on the chemical makeup it has and advise them accordingly."

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