Wiki/N-Phenethyl-Noroxymorphone
More actions
N-Phenethyl-Noroxymorphone, also known by its acronym PHM, is an extremely potent opioid of the morphinan class. Chemically it can be described as similar to opioid receptor antagonists such as Naloxone or Naltrexone, however, despite the chemical reassemblence, strongly activates the µ-Opioid receptors.[1] It has been encountered in research chemical shops in Germany and is as of May 2026 not federally scheduled there. PHM displays the same behavior as other opioid agonists, in that it leads to β-Arrestin 2 recruitment, so dependency and withdrawal if use of this substance is discontinued should be comparable to other more classical opioids such as fentanyl or morphine. The molecule is highly lipophilic due to the addition of a phenylethyl group, therefore it can penetrate the synaptic cleft stronger than a traditional opiate would. This effect is also visible with one of its sister compounds it is very closely related to, N-Phenethyl-Normorphine.[2][3] The compound, while being new to the research chemical market, has first been synthesized in the 1960s as a potent analgesic, but was never marketed.[4] Like many other drugs, its appearance can be described as a white powder without any notable odors or discolorations mentioned.
Pharmacology
PHM is highly selective for the mu-opioid receptor over the kappa-opioid receptor and presents roughly 2x the affinity and potency at the mu-opioid receptors that oxymorphone exhibits. There exists no reliable data on the equianalgesic doses of PHM yet, however, its parent compound oxymorphone has very much been studied extensively.
| Compound | Route of administration | Dose |
|---|---|---|
| Morphine | Oral | 30mg |
| Oxymorphone | Oral | 7-10mg |
| Oxymorphone | IV (Intravenous) | 1mg |
| PHM (Assumed) | Oral | 5mg |
| PHM (Assumed) | IV (Intravenous) | 500µg |
Since potency at the receptor roughly translate to the analgesic properties of a drug, we can assume that 5mg orally or 500µg intravenously to be equivalent to an oral administration of 30mg of morphine.
- ↑ A Comparative Analysis of N-Phenethylnoroxymorphone and Fentanyl Potency at the Mu-Opioid Receptor by BenchChem Technical Support Team. Released April 2026. Last fetched at 11 May 2026. Full text available at: https://pdf.benchchem.com/15621/A_Comparative_Analysis_of_N_Phenethylnoroxymorphone_and_Fentanyl_Potency_at_the_Mu_Opioid_Receptor.pdf
- ↑ Subramanian G, Paterlini MG, Portoghese PS, Ferguson DM (February 2000). "Molecular docking reveals a novel binding site model for fentanyl at the mu-opioid receptor". Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 43 (3): 381–91. doi:10.1021/jm9903702. PMID 10669565.
- ↑ McFadyen I, Metzger T, Subramanian G, Poda G, Jorvig E, Ferguson DM (2002). Molecular modeling of opioid receptor-ligand complexes. Progress in Medicinal Chemistry. Vol. 40. pp. 107–35. doi:10.1016/S0079-6468(08)70083-3. ISBN 9780444510549. PMID 12516524.
- ↑ NPS Discovery - New Drug Monograph - N-Phenethyl Noroxymorphone. Center for Forensic Science Research & Education. 21 August 2024. Retrieved at 11 May 2026. Available at: https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/41985/1/N-Phenethyl-Noroxymorphone-New-Drug-Monograph-NPS-Discovery.pdf
- ↑ King TL, Miller EL (25 October 2010). "Analgesia and Anesthesia". In King TL, Brucker MC (eds.). Pharmacology for Women's Health. Jones & Bartlett Publishers. pp. 332–. ISBN 978-1-4496-1073-9.
- ↑ Chestnut DH, Wong CA, Tsen LC, Ngan Kee WD, Beilin Y, Mhyre J (28 February 2014). Chestnut's Obstetric Anesthesia: Principles and Practice E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences. pp. 611–. ISBN 978-0-323-11374-8.
- ↑ Tiziani AP (1 June 2013). Havard's Nursing Guide to Drugs. Elsevier Health Sciences. pp. 933–. ISBN 978-0-7295-8162-2.