BU-48 is a drug that is used in scientific research. It is from the

oripavine Oripavine is an opioid and the major metabolite of thebaine. It is the parent compound from which a series of semi-synthetic opioids are derived, which includes the compounds etorphine and buprenorphine. Although its analgesic potency is compar ...

family, related to better-known drugs such as

etorphine Etorphine (M99) is a semi-synthetic opioid possessing an analgesic potency approximately 1,000–3,000 times that of morphine. It was first prepared in 1960 from oripavine, which does not generally occur in opium poppy extract but rather the r ...

and

buprenorphine Buprenorphine is an opioid used to treat opioid use disorder, acute pain, and chronic pain. It can be used under the tongue (sublingual), in the cheek (buccal), by injection (intravenous and subcutaneous), as a skin patch (transdermal ...

. The parent compound from which BU-48 was derived (with ''N''-methyl rather than methylcyclopropyl on the nitrogen and lacking the aliphatic hydroxyl group) is a powerful μ-opioid agonist 1000 times more potent than morphine, but in contrast BU-48 has only weak analgesic effects and instead acts primarily as a δ-opioid agonist. Its main effects are to produce convulsions, but it may also have antidepressant effects.

References

Semisynthetic opioids Delta-opioid receptor agonists Phenols 4,5-Epoxymorphinans {{nervous-system-drug-stub

See also

References