Methyldesorphine is an
opioid
Opioids are substances that act on opioid receptors to produce morphine-like effects. Medically they are primarily used for pain relief, including anesthesia. Other medical uses include suppression of diarrhea, replacement therapy for opioid use ...
analgesic. First synthesized in Germany in 1940 and patented in the US in 1952, it has a high potential for abuse as with any potent opioid agonist, and is sometimes found along with
desomorphine
Desomorphine is a semi-synthetic opioid commercialized by Roche, with powerful, fast-acting effects, such as sedation and analgesia. It was first discovered and patented by a German team working for Knoll in 1920 but was not generally recognize ...
as a component of the home-made opioid mixture known as "Krokodil" used in Russia and the neighboring former Soviet republics. It is approximately 15 times more potent than morphine as an analgesic but if the 6-7 bond is saturated, the β isomer is some 50 times more potent than morphine.
Methyldesorphine is listed as a Schedule I Narcotic controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act 1970 in the United States with a DEA ACSCN of 9302 and zero annual aggregate manufacturing quota. The free base conversion ratio of the hydrochloride is 0.89.
See also
*
6-Methylenedihydrodesoxymorphine
References
4,5-Epoxymorphinans
Ethers
Mu-opioid receptor agonists
Opioids
Phenols
Semisynthetic opioids
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