Our Company

Intrinsik is a professional services firm specializing in providing superior toxicology advice to clients across a wide range of industries.

We are recognized as a leader in toxicology, risk assessment, and risk management consultation in Canada and around the world, covering a range of services areas from environmental to pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.

Our vision is healthy people and natural ecosystems. We will achieve this vision by applying the best available scientific knowledge and expertise in our work to guide clients in making the right choices about health, safety and environmental quality.

Our mission is to assist our clients by providing them with leading edge scientific knowledge and advice related to protection of human health and the environment.

Our History

Intrinsik is an employee-owned company with a track record going back over 26 years of assisting our clients achieve their goals.

Intrinsik's original parent company was formed in 1985 with an initial focus on the provision of scientific consulting services based on toxicology for product approvals and stewardship in food and pharmaceutical sectors. The company later expanded its scope to include the provision of risk assessment and scientific consulting services to address complex environmental issues.

By 1995, the company had grown to a total of about 75 employees operating out of five offices, four in Canada (Vancouver, Calgary, Mississauga and Halifax) and one in New Jersey, and had developed into two core business areas, Health Sciences (HS) and Environmental Sciences (ES), with distinct client bases and regulatory concerns.

As a result of the recognition that HS and ES were distinct businesses, two separate companies were formed, Cantox Environmental Incorporated (CEI) in May 1998 and Cantox Health Sciences International in August 1999. The purpose of separating the two businesses was to enable each business to pursue different and better-focused business strategies. In the case of CEI, the new structure allowed the team to focus much more specifically on environmental risk assessment and management issues.

In late 2006, the decision by CEI to add a new business unit focussed on the pharmaceutical sector led to the birth of Intrinsik Inc. with CEI re-branded under the name Intrinsik Environmental Sciences Inc. and the new division being called Intrinsik Health Sciences Inc. This new division was established to offer pharmaceutical and personal care product toxicology, regulatory affairs, and risk assessment support services.  In 2010, Intrinsik acquired Carexa Inc., a regulatory affairs consulting company, to augment and expand services in the US and Europe.

Intrinsik opened its first United States office in the Portland Maine area in September 2010. In August 2013, Intrinsik and McDaniel Lambert merged to create our Venice Beach California office.  Intrinsik is now pleased to serve our clients with a full-time staff of more than 65 scientists from our six offices across Canada (Mississauga, Ontario; Guelph, Ontario; Ottawa, Ontario; Calgary, Alberta; and, Halifax, Nova Scotia) and in the US (New Gloucester, Maine; Venice Beach, California). We are proud to remain an employee-owned consulting firm and will continue to grow and evolve to provide the best possible services to our clients across Canada, the US, and throughout the world.

Intrinsik Environmental Sciences Inc. and Intrinsik Health Sciences Inc. (collectively Intrinsik) are committed to providing excellent service to all clients including persons with disabilities.  Intrinsik's goal is to create an environment that is inclusive to all members of the community. Intrinsik focuses on identifying, removing, and preventing barriers for persons with disabilities.  Intrinsik's Policy complies with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA). The policy will be reviewed and updated regularly in efforts to increase accessibility for persons with disabilities.

Legal Support

Intrinsik can provide a multitude of scientific and consulting services tailored to the requirements of legal professionals in support of environmental boards and tribunals, and personal injury or class action litigation arising from environmental, occupational, domestic, medical, or other exposure to potentially hazardous substances and agents.

Intrinsik scientists have expertise in the broad range of disciplines required to ensure thorough hazard,
exposure, and risk assessments. In addition to documentation and analysis, Intrinsik professionals have extensive experience in the preparation and presentation of expert testimony.

HOW CAN RISK ASSESSMENT, RISK MANAGEMENT AND RISK COMMUNICATION HELP YOUR CLIENTS?

• Managing scientific issues
• Scientific Peer Review
• Expert Advice/Public Consultation
• Communicating complex scientific information to a range of stakeholders
• Environmental Approvals
• Litigation Support/Expert Testimony
• Federal, state/provincial, regional, municipal regulations

Intrinsik has provided expertise in toxicology and risk assessment to expert panels serving government, industry and academia. Such work has been focussed on critical evaluation of the published literature, in concert with clear and concise communication of the science to stakeholders ranging from the general public to regulators and other scientists.

In addition, senior Intrinsik staff have provided expert witness testimony regarding a wide variety of concerns. As a routine part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process, Intrinsik staff have participated in numerous public hearings regarding human and ecological risks associated with existing and proposed industrial operations across Canada. In addition, Intrinsik staff have provided expert witness testimony for litigation cases concerning potential health effects related to ammonia, formaldehyde, n-dimethylnitrosamine (NDMA), chemicals involved in the manufacture of tires, the operation of many existing and proposed facilities, accidental environmental contamination through spillage of oils containing PCB and related compounds, and pulp and paper mill effluents in Canada and the U.S.