New way of detecting date-rape drug use found in Switzerland

Swiss researchers have developed a new method to detect the date-rape drug GHB in urine samples for up to 72 hours after ingestion, potentially improving the investigation of sexual assaults. The University of Zurich announced that this biomarker, GHB-pentose, could indicate earlier GHB intake even when the drug is no longer detectable using conventional methods.

Conventional tests typically detect GHB in blood and urine for 6-12 hours, but GHB-pentose remains traceable in urine for longer periods. In a study analyzing 2,414 forensic urine samples from 2024, the researchers found that GHB-pentose was detectable for up to three days, even when GHB levels were below the test threshold. In eight out of 14 cases, the presence of GHB-pentose supported suspicions of prior GHB consumption or administration, including three suspected criminal offenses—two robberies and one alleged sexual assault.

The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Drug Testing and Analysis, highlights the potential of GHB-pentose as a novel biomarker for detecting GHB intake and administration beyond the usual 12-hour detection window. However, the researchers caution that further evaluation is needed to determine the method's diagnostic reliability and maximum detection period in individual cases.