W-18
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| Legal status | |
|---|---|
| Legal status |
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| Identifiers | |
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| CAS Number |
93101-02-1  |
| PubChem (CID) | 57501076 |
| ChemSpider |
28537256  |
| Chemical and physical data | |
| Formula | C19H20ClN3O4S |
| Molar mass | 421.8978 g/mol |
| 3D model (Jmol) | Interactive image |
| Melting point | 157 to 158 °C (315 to 316 °F) |
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| (what is this?) (verify) | |
W-18 is a compound in a series of 32 substances (named W-1 to W-32) that were first synthesized in academic research on analgesic drug discovery in the 1980s and appeared as a designer drug in the 2010s.
W-18 was invented at the University of Alberta by a lab working on analgesic drug discovery in the 1980s, and preliminary studies in animals showed it had pain-killing activity in mice.[1][2]
The chemical was detected in connection with recreational drug use as substitute for other controlled substances in Europe in 2013,[3] and in the United States.[4] In Canada, Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) seized four kilograms of W-18 in a drug bust in Edmonton in December 2015[5] and W-18 was also detected by Health Canada in at least three of 110 fentanyl tablets seized from a Calgary home in August 2015.[6][4]
W-18 was commonly reported to be an opioid in the popular press in the 2010s, which was later exposed as fiction.[7][8][9][9] W-18 was found to obtain weak activity at both sigma receptors and the translocator protein (peripheral benzodiazepine receptor).[9] It also inhibits hERG binding, an important antitarget in drug discovery, which possibly causes cardiovascular side-effects.[9]
- In Sweden, W-18 was made illegal in January 2016.[10]
- In Canada, W-18 and its analogues were made Schedule I controlled substances.[11] Possession without legal authority can result in maximum 7 years imprisonment. Further, Health Canada amended the Food and Drug Regulations in May, 2016 to classify W-18 as a restricted drug. Only those with a law enforcement agency, person with an exemption permit or institutions with Minister's authorization may possess the drug.
See also
References
- ↑ Kroll, David (30 April 2016). "W-18, The High-Potency Research Chemical Making News: What It Is And What It Isn't". Forbes.
- ↑ Warnica, Marion (21 April 2016). "Street drug W-18 is highly lethal, and still legal". CBC News. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
- ↑ Gonçalves, Jacqueline (13 February 2016). "Notice to interested parties — Proposal regarding the scheduling of W-18 under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and its regulations". Canada Gazette. Government of Canada. 150 (7). Retrieved 19 February 2016.
- 1 2 Markusoff, Jason. "A toxic drug, more powerful than fentanyl, hits the streets in Alberta". macleans.ca. Maclean's. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
- ↑ "Illicit drug W-18 is 100 times stronger than fentanyl, police warn". CBC News. 20 April 2016. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
- ↑ Elkin, Allison (1 February 2016). "Everything We Know So Far About W-18, the Drug That's 100 Times More Powerful Than Fentanyl". Vice.com. Vice Media. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
- ↑ Southwick, Reid (1 June 2016). "Health Canada statements on W-18 misleading, potentially wrong, experts warn". Calgary Herald. Postmedia Network Inc. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
- ↑ Rachel Browne (2 June 2016). "Canada's Ban on Ultra-Potent Drug W-18 Could Make Things Worse". Vice.
- 1 2 3 4 Huang, Xi-Ping; Che, Tao; Mangano, Thomas; Rouzic, Valerie Le; Pan, Ying-Xian; Majumdar, Susruta; Cameron, Michael; Bauman, Michael; Pasternak, Gavril; Roth, Bryan L. (24 July 2016). "Pharmacology of W-18 and W-15". bioRxiv. doi:10.1101/065623.
- ↑ "31 nya ämnen kan klassas som narkotika eller hälsofarlig vara" (in Swedish). Folkhälsomyndigheten. November 2015.
- ↑ Denis Arsenault (1 June 2016). "Regulations Amending the Food and Drug Regulations (Parts G and J — Lefetamine, AH-7921, MT-45 and W-18)". Canada Gazette. Government of Canada. 150 (11).