25B-NBOMe (NBOMe-2C-B, Cimbi-36, Nova, BOM 2-CB) is a derivative of the
phenethylamine psychedelic 2C-B
2C-B (4-Bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine) is a psychedelic drug of the 2C family. It was first synthesized by Alexander Shulgin in 1974. In Shulgin's book '' PiHKAL'', the dosage range is listed as 12–24 mg. As a recreational drug, 2C-B is so ...
, discovered in 2004 by Ralf Heim at the
Free University of Berlin
The Free University of Berlin (, often abbreviated as FU Berlin or simply FU) is a public research university in Berlin, Germany. It is consistently ranked among Germany's best universities, with particular strengths in political science and t ...
. It acts as a potent
full agonist
An agonist is a chemical that activates a receptor to produce a biological response. Receptors are cellular proteins whose activation causes the cell to modify what it is currently doing. In contrast, an antagonist blocks the action of the a ...
for the
5HT2A receptor.
Anecdotal reports from users suggest 25B-NBOMe to be an active hallucinogen at a dose of as little as 250–500
µg
In the metric system, a microgram or microgramme is a unit of mass equal to one millionth () of a gram. The unit symbol is μg according to the International System of Units (SI); the recommended symbol in the United States and United Kingdom whe ...
, making it a similar potency to other phenethylamine derived hallucinogens such as
Bromo-DragonFLY. Duration of effects lasts about 12–16 hours, although the parent compound is rapidly cleared from the blood when used in the radiolabeled form in tracer doses.
Recently, Custodio et al (2019) evaluated the potential involvement of dysregulated dopaminergic system, neuroadaptation, and brain wave changes which may contribute to the rewarding and reinforcing properties of 25B-NBOMe in rodents.
The carbon-11 labeled version of this compound (
sup>11Cimbi-36) was synthesized and validated as a
radioactive tracer
A radioactive tracer, radiotracer, or radioactive label is a chemical compound in which one or more atoms have been replaced by a radionuclide so by virtue of its radioactive decay it can be used to explore the mechanism of chemical reactions by ...
for positron emission tomography (PET) in Copenhagen. As a 5-HT
2A receptor agonist PET radioligand,
sup>11Cimbi-36 was hypothesized to provide a more functional marker of these receptors. Also,
sup>11Cimbi-36 is investigated as a potential marker of serotonin release and thus could serve as an indicator of serotonin levels
in vivo
Studies that are ''in vivo'' (Latin for "within the living"; often not italicized in English) are those in which the effects of various biological entities are tested on whole, living organisms or cells, usually animals, including humans, and ...
.
sup>11Cimbi-36 is now undergoing clinical trials as a PET-ligand in humans.
Toxicity and harm potential
25B-NBOMe has been used in clinical trials with an evaluation dose for safety consideration to humans of only 1 microgram. Such a dose is only 1/300th the dose expected to be hallucinogenic to humans and it is expected that recreational use would greatly exceed doses determined to be safe to humans. One case has been reported on where 25B-NBOMe was identified as the cause of death for a 17-year-old male. The drug was also implicated in the death of an 18-year old male, however it was not reported whether the presence of the drug was confirmed postmortem. Several deaths have been attributed to its close analogue
25I-NBOMe.
Analogues and derivatives
Legal status
Canada
As of October 31, 2016; 25B-NBOMe is a controlled substance (Schedule III) in Canada.
Russia
Banned as a narcotic drug since May 5, 2015.
Sweden
In Sweden, the
Riksdag added 25B-NBOMe to schedule I ("substances, plant materials and fungi which normally do not have medical use") as narcotics in Sweden as of August 1, 2013, published by the
Medical Products Agency in their regulation LVFS 2013:15 listed as ''25B-NBOMe 2-(4-bromo-2,5-dimetoxifenyl)-N-(2-metoxibensyl)etanamin''.
United Kingdom
United States
In November 2013, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration placed 25B-NBOMe (along with
25I-NBOMe and
25C-NBOMe) in Schedule I of the
Controlled Substances Act, making it illegal to manufacture, buy, possess, process, or distribute.
China
As of October 2015 25B-NBOMe is a controlled substance in China.
Czech Republic
25B-NBOMe is banned in the Czech Republic.
References
{{Hallucinogenic phenethylamines
2C (psychedelics)
Designer drugs
Bromoarenes
PET radiotracers