Comparing fatal cases involving U-47700

Excerpt

U-47700 (3,4-dichloro-N-[2-(dimethylamino)cyclohexyl]-N-methylbenzamide) is a novel compound with opioid properties, developed by Upjohn in the 1970s and derived from the earlier opioid analgesic AH-7921 (3,4-dichloro-N-{[1-(dimethylamino)-cyclohexyl]methyl}benzamide) [1]. U-47700 is a structural isomer of AH-7921 [2]. AH-7921, which possesses the same potency as morphine, was first identified in 2012 in a seizure purchased over the internet and recently entered the recreational and illicit drug market as new psychotropic substance in Japan, the USA, and Europe [3]. U-47700 was never studied in humans and is not registered for medical use in humans. Very little, if any, information on it is available in scientific literature [2, 4]. Since the substance is not scheduled or controlled, it is openly sold on the internet as an opioid ‘legal high’. Anecdotal evidence from user reports on specialized internet drug fora reveals that U-47700 is actively being used as a legal substitute for other strong opioids, such as morphine, heroin, or even fentanyl [3]. U-47700 is only controlled in Finland and Sweden (the latter since 1/26/2016). U-47700 is approximately 7.5 times more potent than morphine [3]. …