WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Michigan State University health officials have warned students and staff about cychlorphine, a synthetic opioid that has been linked to more than 100 overdose deaths in the United States.
So far, no deaths related to the drug have been reported in Michigan, the officials added. However, they said cychlorphine has been found in the illegal drug supply in nearby Ohio and Illinois.
Cychlorphine is still a relatively new drug. It was first identified just two years ago by the US Center for Forensic Science Research and Education. There is also no standard test that can quickly detect the drug in clinical samples.
'This newest synthetic chemical is about 10 times more potent than fentanyl, and fentanyl is about 10 to 12 times more potent than morphine,' Tim Spedoske, medical director of University Health and Well Being at MSU, said in a video. 'Very, very teeny doses can cause significant harm and even death.'
Like morphine and fentanyl, cychlorphine attaches to mu-opioid receptors in the brain. This can reduce pain and create feelings of euphoria. However, cychlorphine belongs to a different group of synthetic opioids. Early laboratory studies suggest it may affect breathing and blood flow at much lower doses than fentanyl.
Global drug monitoring programs indicate that the use of this new synthetic opioid is increasing, particularly in North America. Cychlorphine has been found in nearly 200 drug seizures across 10 countries and has been linked to at least 78 deaths.
In April this year, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy issued a drug threat notice about cychlorphine, highlighting its spread across parts of the South, Midwest and Northeast of the US.
The medical experts are still studying the most effective ways to treat overdoses caused by cychlorphine.
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