α-Methylacetylfentanyl (or alphamethylacetylfentanyl) is an

opioid Opioids are a class of Drug, drugs that derive from, or mimic, natural substances found in the Papaver somniferum, opium poppy plant. Opioids work on opioid receptors in the brain and other organs to produce a variety of morphine-like effects, ...

analgesic An analgesic drug, also called simply an analgesic, antalgic, pain reliever, or painkiller, is any member of the group of drugs used for pain management. Analgesics are conceptually distinct from anesthetics, which temporarily reduce, and in s ...

that 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 ...

fentanyl Fentanyl is a highly potent synthetic piperidine opioid primarily used as an analgesic (pain medication). It is 30 to 50 times more Potency (pharmacology), potent than heroin and 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. Its primary Medici ...

. It is a Schedule I controlled substance in many parts of the world. α-Methylacetylfentanyl was sold briefly on the black market in the early 1980s, before the introduction of the

Federal Analog Act The Federal Analogue Act, , is a section of the United States Controlled Substances Act passed in 1986 which allows any chemical "substantially similar" to a controlled substance listed in Schedule I or II to be treated as if it were listed ...

which for the first time attempted to control entire families of drugs based on their structural similarity rather than scheduling each drug individually as they appeared. α-Methylacetylfentanyl is made with the same synthetic route as

α-methylfentanyl α-Methylfentanyl (or ''alpha''-Methylfentanyl, α-MF) an opioid analgesic that is an analog of fentanyl. It is sometimes sold as "China White". History α-Methylfentanyl was discovered by a team at Janssen Pharmaceutica in the 1960s. In 1976 ...

, but by substituting the relatively common

acetic anhydride Acetic anhydride, or ethanoic anhydride, is the chemical compound with the chemical formula, formula . Commonly abbreviated , it is one the simplest organic acid anhydride, anhydrides of a carboxylic acid and is widely used in the production of c ...

for the more difficult to obtain chemical

propionic anhydride Propionic anhydride is an organic compound with the formula (CH3CH2CO)2O. This simple acid anhydride is a colourless liquid. It is a widely used reagent in organic synthesis as well as for producing specialty derivatives of cellulose. Synthesis I ...

in the synthesis. α-Methylacetylfentanyl has similar effects to fentanyl. Side effects of

analogs are similar to those of fentanyl itself, which include

itching An itch (also known as pruritus) is a sensation that causes a strong desire or reflex to scratch. Itches have resisted many attempts to be classified as any one type of sensory experience. Itches have many similarities to pain, and while both ...

nausea Nausea is a diffuse sensation of unease and discomfort, sometimes perceived as an urge to vomit. It can be a debilitating symptom if prolonged and has been described as placing discomfort on the chest, abdomen, or back of the throat. Over 30 d ...

and potentially serious

respiratory depression Hypoventilation (also known as respiratory depression) occurs when ventilation is inadequate (''hypo'' meaning "below") to perform needed respiratory gas exchange. By definition it causes an increased concentration of carbon dioxide (hypercapni ...

, which can be life-threatening. Fentanyl analogs have killed hundreds of people throughout Europe and the former Soviet republics since the most recent resurgence in use began in Estonia in the early 2000s, and novel derivatives continue to appear. The 2013 DEA production quota for acetyl-alpha-methylfentanyl is 2 grammes.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Methylacetylfentanyl, alpha- Synthetic opioids Piperidines Acetanilides Mu-opioid receptor agonists