Episode 77: Novel Synthetic Opioids – An Update on Emerging Trends

This week on The Tox Lab, we’re back with a long-awaited update on novel synthetic opioids.We begin by discussing the April 2026 UNODC announcement on the increasingly varied forms in which synthetic opioids are being encountered, including vapes, powders, and counterfeit tablets marketed as benzodiazepines, oxycodone, and MDMA.We then turn to the emergence of orphine analogues in both the UK and the US, discussing recent reports and trends associated with these compounds.Finally, we examine a clinical case involving N-propionitrile chlorphine (cychlorphine), exploring the toxicological features and the challenges these emerging opioids present for clinicians, laboratories, and public health systems.Join us as we examine the changing landscape of novel synthetic opioids, consider what these developments may mean for toxicology, harm reduction, and public health, and discuss where the market may be heading next.Hope you enjoy!This episode is very kindly sponsored by Cayman Chemical. Check out their Synthetic Opioid Analytical Standards Panel here: https://www.caymanchem.com/product/44436/synthetic-opioid-analytical-standards-panel-1Links to papers we discussed:https://www.unodc.org/LSS/Announcement/Details/973e194e-f8d6-4b4e-8aca-166aaec4ac7c https://www.polizei.bayern.de/aktuelles/pressemitteilungen/100413/index.html https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/dar.70081 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69f3343fab602a88957eef2b/Seventh_addendum_to_the_ACMD_report_on_the_use_and_harms_of_2-benzyl-benzimidazole__nitazene__and_piperidine_benzimidazolone__brorphine-like__opioids_FINAL.pdf https://www.cfsre.org/nps-discovery/public-alerts/increase-in-fatal-overdoses-linked-to-novel-synthetic-opioid-n-propionitrile-chlorphine-cychlorphine https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15563650.2025.2594070 Link to our paper on N-pyrrolidino Isotonitazene: https://academic.oup.com/jat/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/jat/bkag027/8663758?redirectedFrom=fulltext Disclaimer: All opinions are our own.Find us on instagram: @the_tox_labEmail us here: [email protected] us here: https://buymeacoffee.com/thetoxlab