Acetylmorphone
Encyclopedia
Acetylmorphone is an opiate
analogue that is an acetylated derivative of hydromorphone
which was developed in the early 1900s as a potential cough suppressant and analgesic
. It is prepared by the acetylation of hydromorphone using either acetyl chloride
or acetic anhydride
. It was banned internationally in 1930 by the Health Committee of the League of Nations, in order to prevent its sale as an analogue
of heroin.
Acetylmorphone is not currently used in medicine, but may have a higher bioavailability
than hydromorphone due to its greater lipid solubility, and hence is likely to be more potent than the parent drug, although probably slower acting due to the requirement for deacetylation to the active metabolite hydromorphone. It can be expected to have similar side effects to other opiates, which would include itching, nausea
and respiratory depression.
Opiate
In medicine, the term opiate describes any of the narcotic opioid alkaloids found as natural products in the opium poppy plant.-Overview:Opiates are so named because they are constituents or derivatives of constituents found in opium, which is processed from the latex sap of the opium poppy,...
analogue that is an acetylated derivative of hydromorphone
Hydromorphone
Hydromorphone, a more common synonym for dihydromorphinone, commonly a hydrochloride is a very potent centrally-acting analgesic drug of the opioid class. It is a derivative of morphine, to be specific, a hydrogenated ketone thereof and, therefore, a semi-synthetic drug...
which was developed in the early 1900s as a potential cough suppressant and analgesic
Analgesic
An analgesic is any member of the group of drugs used to relieve pain . The word analgesic derives from Greek an- and algos ....
. It is prepared by the acetylation of hydromorphone using either acetyl chloride
Acetyl chloride
Acetyl chloride, CH3COCl, also known as ethanoyl chloride or acyl chloride, is an acid chloride derived from acetic acid. It belongs to the class of organic compounds called acyl halides. It is a colorless liquid. Acetyl chloride does not exist in nature, because contact with water would hydrolyze...
or acetic anhydride
Acetic anhydride
Acetic anhydride, or ethanoic anhydride, is the chemical compound with the formula 2O. Commonly abbreviated Ac2O, it is the simplest isolatable acid anhydride and is a widely used reagent in organic synthesis...
. It was banned internationally in 1930 by the Health Committee of the League of Nations, in order to prevent its sale as an analogue
Designer drug
Designer drug is a term used to describe drugs that are created to get around existing drug laws, usually by preparing analogs or derivatives of existing drugs by modifying their chemical structure to varying degrees, or less commonly by finding drugs with entirely different chemical structures...
of heroin.
Acetylmorphone is not currently used in medicine, but may have a higher bioavailability
Bioavailability
In pharmacology, bioavailability is a subcategory of absorption and is used to describe the fraction of an administered dose of unchanged drug that reaches the systemic circulation, one of the principal pharmacokinetic properties of drugs. By definition, when a medication is administered...
than hydromorphone due to its greater lipid solubility, and hence is likely to be more potent than the parent drug, although probably slower acting due to the requirement for deacetylation to the active metabolite hydromorphone. It can be expected to have similar side effects to other opiates, which would include itching, nausea
Nausea
Nausea , is a sensation of unease and discomfort in the upper stomach with an involuntary urge to vomit. It often, but not always, precedes vomiting...
and respiratory depression.