COLUMBUS, Ohio (WOWO)— A new synthetic opioid called cychlorphine has been detected in Ohio’s illicit drug supply, prompting warnings from researchers who say the substance may be more potent than fentanyl and could be more difficult to reverse during an overdose.
Cychlorphine belongs to a newly emerging group of synthetic opioids known as piperidinylbenzimidazolones, or “orphines.” Researchers say the compounds began appearing in the United States late last year and are raising concerns because of their extreme potency.
Dr. Jon Sprague, a toxicologist and scientific researcher at Bowling Green State University who also conducts drug analysis for the Ohio Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Criminal Investigation, tells WOIO cychlorphine was originally developed decades ago but was never approved for medical use because of its strength…