Episode 51: Brorphine – Could Orphines Be the Next Nitazenes?

This week on The Tox Lab, we’re discussing brorphine — a novel synthetic opioid that briefly appeared on the drug market around 2020.

We explore its emergence and pharmacology, including data on its activity at the µ-opioid receptor. We also discuss one of the few documented case studies describing an individual presenting for detoxification following brorphine use. Finally, we review recent research examining its in vitro and in vivo metabolites, highlighting how these findings may offer new ways to detect this short-lived substance.

Although brorphine is now under international control, could other “orphine” analogues step into the spotlight, potentially replacing nitazenes as the next wave of synthetic opioids?

Join us as we unpack the chemistry, the risks, and what the story of brorphine reveals about the constantly shifting landscape of synthetic opioids.

Hope you enjoy!

Links to the papers we discussed:

https://academic.oup.com/jat/article-abstract/44/9/937/5879253?login=false

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0379073821003091?via%3Dihub

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