UBC researchers aim to deliver earlier warnings on the toxic drug supply

The Track & Trace pilot program will map where substances are coming from and going to, informing public safety and health.

When you can help, you should: that’s the idea powering UBC-led initiative Track & Trace, which aims to make a real difference in the toxic drug crisis.

Drugs in the unregulated market change constantly: Potency can increase from sample to sample, and additives range from benign to toxic. These chemical changes can be deadly and too often, the healthcare system only learns about them after overdoses happen.

Track & Trace aims to close that gap.

UBC spin-off Aidos Innovations is heading the pilot program, which is based in the UBC department of chemistry, and will involve working with the provincial government, healthcare workers and police to provide early warnings for new dangerous drugs, detailed insights into supply patterns and informed predictions of where illicit substances are headed.

“We are trying to move from reacting after harm has happened to acting before it does,” said Dr. Matthew Roberts, managing director of Aidos Innovations and adjunct professor of psychiatry at UBC. “Working alongside clinicians in addiction medicine, I see firsthand the human cost of the opioid crisis and the limitations of current approaches. Access to timely, high-quality information enables earlier interventions, more targeted public health responses and ultimately saves lives.”

“The toxic drug crisis is having devastating impacts on people and communities in B.C. and beyond,” said Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon, President and Vice-Chancellor at UBC. “Faculty, staff and students at UBC are helping to address this tragic public health issue in many ways, from conducting and mobilizing innovative research to training frontline healthcare professionals. The Track & Trace initiative, supported by the Government of B.C., is bringing together partners to apply cutting-edge UBC research to inform timely interventions and help save lives.”

Multidisciplinary collaboration

The initiative builds on nearly a decade of work by UBC researchers. The concept first emerged in 2016, when chemistry professors Drs. Glenn Sammis and Dan Bizzotto began exploring how their expertise could be applied to the newly declared public health emergency.

“It’s hard to live in Vancouver and not see how the toxic drug crisis is devastating lives,” said Dr. Sammis. “I’m in a unique and privileged position at UBC to do something about it.”

The Track & Trace pilot program, funded by the Province of B.C. through the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General for two years, is led by a multidisciplinary research team specializing in analytical chemistry, clinical medicine and translational science.

This team includes Dr. Pouya Azar, assistant professor in the UBC department of psychiatry, Dr. Jesse Sidhu, Aidos Innovations director, Dr. Brent Page, associate professor in the faculty of pharmaceutical sciences, Dr. Tao Huan, associate professor in the department of chemistry.

“The program’s focus is on supply patterns and prevention, not arresting people,” said Dr. Sammis. “We want this to have a real-life positive impact on people’s lives. That’s what we’re all trying to achieve: no deaths, fewer overdoses, and better managed care. We want this technology to be useful, and used.”

Early warnings, pattern prediction

Track & Trace analyzes seized drug samples not used in criminal cases and reads their full chemical makeup. In fine detail, using a technique called mass spectrometry, researchers can identify a chemical ‘fingerprint’: a specific mix of ingredients and impurities tying the sample to a particular manufacturing source.

AI can then connect these fingerprints across time and place to predict where similar batches might occur. Uploaded to a shared database, this data could enable earlier health warnings, faster responses from hospitals and first responders, and disruption of the illicit drug supply.

Robotic labs

To do this quickly, efficiently and safely, the team will utilize the robotic labs and expertise of Dr. Jason Hein, UBC professor of chemistry, and his team. Designed for pharmaceutical manufacturers, these robotic labs can also be used for the public good.

“Imagine trying to cross Shibuya Square with your eyes closed and not bump into things: you’re not going to make good decisions about what traffic is where,” said Dr. Hein. “You need moment-to-moment data. Having the right information at the right time can save lives, and now we have technology that can provide that.”

Drug license plates

Track & Trace is now being piloted with law enforcement and health partners in B.C., with plans to expand.

Dr. Sammis and his research team are currently wrapping up proof-of-concept work on ‘license plates’ for drugs: identifying labels at the molecular level that will allow manufacturers to ‘stamp’ their products.

The research team hopes to evolve the program to create point-of-use technology available around the province and beyond, allowing cheaper, mobile drug analysis.

For Dr. Roberts and many of the researchers, the stakes are visible every day outside the lab. “I’ve seen the impact of the opioid crisis within my extended network of friends and family. That experience creates a responsibility to go beyond incremental change and help develop new, evidence-based solutions that can meaningfully improve outcomes for patients and communities.”

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