KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A new synthetic opioid has now been linked to 16 deaths in East Tennessee, the Knox County Regional Forensic Center announced Thursday morning.
Previously, the forensic center shared that there had been nine overdose deaths involving the new drug N-Propionitrile Chlorphine, or cychlorphine for short, between late October and December 2025. According to the center, preliminary toxicology reports linked seven more deaths to the drug as of mid-January.
What is Cychlorphine? Forensic center finds new opioid in East Tennessee
While not much is known about cychlorphine, the forensic center explained that the drug is spreading quickly.
The agency explained that on January 16, the University of Kentucky Harm Reduction Hub, which studies the street drug supply in Kentucky, found cychlorphine in a syringe from Fayette County. The county in Kentucky is less than a three-hour drive from Knoxville. The hub also announced Tuesday that “cychlorphine has now been associated with an increase in fatal overdoses,” the forensic center added…