Chemistry:W-18 (drug)
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| Formula | C19H20ClN3O4S |
| Molar mass | 421.90 g·mol−1 |
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| Melting point | 157 to 158 °C (315 to 316 °F) |
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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 revealed not to be correct.[7][8][9] W-18 was found to obtain weak activity at both sigma receptors and the translocator protein (peripheral benzodiazepine receptor).[9] It also inhibits the hERG potassium channel with micromolar affinity, which could potentially cause cardiac arrhythmia at high doses.[10]
- In Sweden, W-18 was made illegal in January 2016.[11]
- In Canada, W-18 and its analogues were made Schedule I controlled substances.[12] 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
- ↑ "W-18, The High-Potency Research Chemical Making News: What It Is And What It Isn't". Forbes. 30 April 2016. https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidkroll/2016/04/30/w-18-the-high-potency-research-chemical-making-news-what-it-is-and-what-it-isnt/#2b1ef5562354.
- ↑ "Street drug W-18 is highly lethal, and still legal". CBC News. 21 April 2016. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/street-drug-w-18-is-highly-lethal-and-still-legal-1.3546094.
- ↑ "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). 13 February 2016. http://gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2016/2016-02-13/html/notice-avis-eng.php#nl3. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "A toxic drug, more powerful than fentanyl, hits the streets in Alberta". Maclean's. http://www.macleans.ca/?dpsfa_article=a-toxic-drug-more-powerful-than-fentanyl-hits-the-streets-in-alberta.
- ↑ "Illicit drug W-18 is 100 times stronger than fentanyl, police warn". CBC News. 20 April 2016. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/illicit-drug-w-18-is-100-times-stronger-than-fentanyl-police-warn-1.3544662.
- ↑ "Everything We Know So Far About W-18, the Drug That's 100 Times More Powerful Than Fentanyl". Vice.com. Vice Media. 1 February 2016. https://www.vice.com/en_ca/read/everything-we-know-so-far-about-w-18-the-drug-thats-100-times-more-powerful-than-fentanyl.
- ↑ "Health Canada statements on W-18 misleading, potentially wrong, experts warn". Calgary Herald. Postmedia Network Inc.. 1 June 2016. https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/health-canada-statements-on-w-18-misleading-potentially-wrong-experts-warn.
- ↑ "Canada's Ban on Ultra-Potent Drug W-18 Could Make Things Worse". Vice. 2 June 2016. https://news.vice.com/article/canadas-ban-on-ultra-potent-drug-w-18-could-make-things-worse.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Fentanyl-related designer drugs W-18 and W-15 lack appreciable opioid activity in vitro and in vivo". JCI Insight 2 (22). November 2017. doi:10.1172/jci.insight.97222. PMID 29202454.
- ↑ "Pharmacology of W-18 and W-15" (in en). bioRxiv: 065623. 2016-07-24. doi:10.1101/065623.
- ↑ "31 nya ämnen kan klassas som narkotika eller hälsofarlig vara" (in Swedish). Folkhälsomyndigheten. November 2015. https://www.folkhalsomyndigheten.se/nyheter-och-press/nyhetsarkiv/2015/november/31-nya-amnen-kan-klassas-som-narkotika-eller-halsofarlig-vara/.
- ↑ Arsenault, Denis (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). http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2016/2016-06-01/html/sor-dors106-eng.php.
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