Methoxyketamine or 2-MeO-2-deschloroketamine is a

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. D ...

of the

arylcyclohexylamine Arylcyclohexylamines, also known as arylcyclohexamines or arylcyclohexanamines, are a chemical class of pharmaceutical, designer, and experimental drugs. History Phencyclidine (PCP) is believed to be the first arylcyclohexylamine with recog ...

class first reported in 1963. It is an

analog Analog or analogue may refer to: Computing and electronics * Analog signal, in which information is encoded in a continuous variable ** Analog device, an apparatus that operates on analog signals *** Analog electronics, circuits which use analog ...

ketamine Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic used medically for induction and maintenance of anesthesia. It is also used as a recreational drug. It is one of the safest anesthetics, as, in contrast with opiates, ether, and propofol, it suppress ...

in which the chlorine atom has been replaced with a

methoxy group In organic chemistry, a methoxy group is the functional group consisting of a methyl group bound to oxygen. This alkoxy group has the formula . On a benzene ring, the Hammett equation classifies a methoxy substituent at the ''para'' position ...

. Its synthesis by rearrangement of an amino ketone has been reported. As an arylcyclohexylamine, methoxyketamine most likely functions as an

NMDA receptor antagonist NMDA receptor antagonists are a class of drugs that work to antagonize, or inhibit the action of, the ''N''-Methyl-D-aspartate receptor ( NMDAR). They are commonly used as anesthetics for animals and humans; the state of anesthesia they induce ...

. It produces sedative, hallucinogenic, and (at high doses) anesthetic effects, but with a lower potency than ketamine itself.

References

Arylcyclohexylamines Designer drugs Dissociative drugs Ketones Phenol ethers {{organic-compound-stub

See also

References