KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The increasing number of overdose deaths involving the deadly new drug cychlorphine has “drastically” slowed down in East Tennessee, one official told 6 News Friday.
Just last month, Knox County Regional Forensic Center reported that it had linked cychlorphine to 58 overdose deaths since mid 2025. On Friday, Director and Chief Administrative Officer Chris Thomas told 6 News the number of cases the synthetic opioid has now been linked to is now 61, although one of those cases is still pending.
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According to Thomas, in May, the forensic center only had two overdose death cases involving cychlorphine in May, and only one such case in June.
For comparison, when the drug was first discovered in late 2025, the forensic center tied it to nine cases, with the first of those happening in November 2025. However, as they continued testing, they later learned of earlier cases, with the first overdose related death connected to the drug happening in July 2025. Since the first report, the number of deaths in East Tennessee that cychlorphine has been linked to has continued to jump…