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Dibenzoylmorphine is an
opiate An opiate, in classical pharmacology, is a substance derived from opium. In more modern usage, the term ''opioid'' is used to designate all substances, both natural and synthetic, that bind to opioid receptors in the brain (including antagonis ...
analogue that is a derivative of
morphine Morphine is a strong opiate that is found naturally in opium, a dark brown resin in poppies (''Papaver somniferum''). It is mainly used as a pain medication, and is also commonly used recreationally, or to make other illicit opioids. There ...
. It was developed in the early 1900s after first having been synthesised in 1875 in the UK by the CR Alders Wright organisation at Bayer, along with various other esters of morphine, but was never used medically, instead being widely sold as one of the first "
designer drug A designer drug is a structural or functional analog of a controlled substance that has been designed to mimic the pharmacological effects of the original drug, while avoiding classification as illegal and/or detection in standard drug tests. De ...
s" for around five years following the introduction of the first international restrictions on the sale of
heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brown ...
in 1925. It is described as being virtually identical to heroin and morphine in its effects, and consequently was itself banned internationally in 1930 by the Health Committee of the League of Nations, in order to prevent its sale as an unscheduled alternative to
diacetylmorphine Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brow ...
.Esters of Morphine. UNODC Bulletin on Narcotics, 1953; Issue 2:36-38.
/ref> However, it still continues to occasionally be encountered as a result of home manufacture from morphine by drug users. It is produced in the same fashion as other esters of morphine—treating morphine with an acid anhydride (or some acids or other relatives of acids like acetyl chloride) to get a mono-, di-, tri-, or tetra-ester. Specifically, the original 1875 synthesis was effected by boiling morphine for 2 hours in benzoic acid at 130 °C, as was heroin made by using acetic anhydride.


See also

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Acetylpropionylmorphine Acetylpropionylmorphine is an opiate analogue that is an ester of morphine. It was developed in the early 1900s after first being synthesised in Great Britain in 1875 but shelved along with heroin and various other esters of morphine. Acetylpropi ...
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Nicomorphine Nicomorphine (Vilan, Subellan, Gevilan, MorZet) is the 3,6-dinicotinate ester of morphine. It is a strong opioid agonist analgesic two to three times as potent as morphine with a side effect profile similar to that of dihydromorphine, morphine, an ...


References

Synthetic opioids Benzoate esters 4,5-Epoxymorphinans Mu-opioid receptor agonists Semisynthetic opioids {{Analgesic-stub