Etonitazene
Encyclopedia
Etonitazene is a potent analgesic
drug shown to be approximately 1000–1500x the potency of morphine in animal models but only 60x morphine in man. It is one of several benzimidazole
opioid
s, and is structurally related to clonitazene
(where the p-ethoxybenzyl group is replaced by a p-chlorobenzyl group. However, clonitazene
itself has only 3x the potency of morphine
.).
It has a strong dependency potential similar to that of morphine, and a strong tendency to produce respiratory depression, and is therefore not used in humans. It is however useful in addiction studies on animals. It is often used in studies requiring the animals to drink or ingest the opiate because it is not as bitter as the opiate salts, i.e., morphine sulfate.
It is the most potent benzimidazole opioid currently known. Other analogues of considerable potency are as follows:
Of these analogues, only etonitazene and clonitazene are explicitly listed as illegal drugs under UN convention and so are illegal throughout the world. The rest would only be illegal in countries such as the USA, Australia and New Zealand that have laws equivalent to the Federal Analog Act
.
Etonitazene has proved very important in mapping out the opiate receptor and some experimental compounds in which phenolic groupings have been replaced with nitro groupings have proved more active than the parent compound.
Illicit production and sale of etonitazene has been limited. This compound was identified on the illegal drug market in Moscow in 1998, appeared to have been illicitly manufactured, and was primarily smoked as pre-laced cigarettes. In another case a chemist at Morton Thiokol called Thomas K Highsmith produced the compound and placed it in a nasal inhaler.
Hunger, A.; Kebrle, J.; Rossi, A.; Hoffmann, K.; Experientia 1957, 13, 400.
Analgesic
An analgesic is any member of the group of drugs used to relieve pain . The word analgesic derives from Greek an- and algos ....
drug shown to be approximately 1000–1500x the potency of morphine in animal models but only 60x morphine in man. It is one of several benzimidazole
Benzimidazole
Benzimidazole is a heterocyclic aromatic organic compound. This bicyclic compound consists of the fusion of benzene and imidazole. The most prominent benzimidazole compound in nature is N-ribosyl-dimethylbenzimidazole, which serves as an axial ligand for cobalt in vitamin B12. Benzimidazole, in...
opioid
Opioid
An opioid is a psychoactive chemical that works by binding to opioid receptors, which are found principally in the central and peripheral nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract...
s, and is structurally related to clonitazene
Clonitazene
Clonitazene is an opioid analgesic of approximately three times the potency of morphine. It is related to etonitazene....
(where the p-ethoxybenzyl group is replaced by a p-chlorobenzyl group. However, clonitazene
Clonitazene
Clonitazene is an opioid analgesic of approximately three times the potency of morphine. It is related to etonitazene....
itself has only 3x the potency of morphine
Morphine
Morphine is a potent opiate analgesic medication and is considered to be the prototypical opioid. It was first isolated in 1804 by Friedrich Sertürner, first distributed by same in 1817, and first commercially sold by Merck in 1827, which at the time was a single small chemists' shop. It was more...
.).
It has a strong dependency potential similar to that of morphine, and a strong tendency to produce respiratory depression, and is therefore not used in humans. It is however useful in addiction studies on animals. It is often used in studies requiring the animals to drink or ingest the opiate because it is not as bitter as the opiate salts, i.e., morphine sulfate.
It is the most potent benzimidazole opioid currently known. Other analogues of considerable potency are as follows:
| Drug name | R | Analgesic Potency (Morphine = 1) |
|---|---|---|
| Etonitazene | ethoxy | 1000 |
| Clonitazene Clonitazene Clonitazene is an opioid analgesic of approximately three times the potency of morphine. It is related to etonitazene.... |
chlorine Chlorine Chlorine is the chemical element with atomic number 17 and symbol Cl. It is the second lightest halogen, found in the periodic table in group 17. The element forms diatomic molecules under standard conditions, called dichlorine... |
3 |
| Nitazene | hydrogen Hydrogen Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly... |
2 |
| methyl | 10 | |
| ethyl Ethyl group In chemistry, an ethyl group is an alkyl substituent derived from ethane . It has the formula -C2H5 and is very often abbreviated -Et.Ethylation is the formation of a compound by introduction of the ethyl functional group, C2H5.... |
30 | |
| propyl Propyl In organic chemistry, propyl is a three-carbon alkyl substituent with chemical formula -C3H7. It is the substituent form of the alkane propane... |
50 | |
| tert-butyl | 2 | |
| methoxy Methoxy In chemistry , methoxy refers to the functional group consisting of a methyl group bound to oxygen. This alkoxy group has the formula O–CH3.The word is used in organic nomenclature usually to describe an ether... |
100 | |
| isopropoxy | 500 | |
| butoxy | 200 | |
| acetoxy | 5 | |
| methylthio | 50 | |
| ethylthio | 30 | |
Of these analogues, only etonitazene and clonitazene are explicitly listed as illegal drugs under UN convention and so are illegal throughout the world. The rest would only be illegal in countries such as the USA, Australia and New Zealand that have laws equivalent to the Federal Analog Act
Federal Analog Act
The Federal Analog Act, , is a controversial section of the United States Controlled Substances Act which allowed any chemical "substantially similar" to a controlled substance listed in Schedule I or II to be treated as if it were also listed in those schedules, but only if intended for human...
.
Etonitazene has proved very important in mapping out the opiate receptor and some experimental compounds in which phenolic groupings have been replaced with nitro groupings have proved more active than the parent compound.
Illicit production and sale of etonitazene has been limited. This compound was identified on the illegal drug market in Moscow in 1998, appeared to have been illicitly manufactured, and was primarily smoked as pre-laced cigarettes. In another case a chemist at Morton Thiokol called Thomas K Highsmith produced the compound and placed it in a nasal inhaler.
Hunger, A.; Kebrle, J.; Rossi, A.; Hoffmann, K.; Experientia 1957, 13, 400.