Request For Proposal (RFP) for Pharmacological testing of novel opioids, stimulants, and synthetic cannabinoids.

Open · Buyer: Department of Health (HC) · Closes: 2026-09-18 · Published: 2026-08-20

Request For Proposal (RFP) for Pharmacological testing of novel opioids, stimulants, and synthetic cannabinoids. Novel psychoactive substances (NPS) in the illegal drug supply pose risks to Canadians. However, little is known about their pharmacological activity. More potent drugs increase the risk of overdose risks. Evidence on the pharmacological activity of these substances is essential to support scientific regulatory activities and risk assessments. The illegal drug supply is continuously evolving, with new substances continually being detected. There is a need for further information on their harms to Canadians. This procurement activity will allow for the evaluation of the in vitro pharmacological activity of three categories of emerging drugs: novel synthetic opioids, synthetic cannabinoids, and stimulants. The data generated from this contract will inform future assessment activities and allow the OLRA to make more informed regulatory science decisions. For all three streams, they require the pharmacological testing of different classes of substances, and require acquisition of reference standards and control samples, getting licenses for controlled substances