AB-FUBINACA is a drug that acts as a potent

agonist An agonist is a chemical that activates a receptor to produce a biological response. Receptors are cellular proteins whose activation causes the cell to modify what it is currently doing. In contrast, an antagonist blocks the action of the ag ...

for the

cannabinoid receptor Cannabinoid receptors, located throughout the body, are part of the endocannabinoid system a class of cell membrane receptors in the G protein-coupled receptor superfamily. As is typical of G protein-coupled receptors, the cannabinoid recep ...

s, with ''K''_i values of 0.9 nM at CB₁ and 23.2 nM at CB₂ and EC₅₀ values of 1.8 nM at CB₁ and 3.2 nM at CB₂. It was originally developed by

Pfizer Pfizer Inc. ( ) is an American multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation headquartered on 42nd Street in Manhattan, New York City. The company was established in 1849 in New York by two German entrepreneurs, Charles Pfize ...

in 2009 as an

analgesic An analgesic drug, also called simply an analgesic (American English), analgaesic (British English), pain reliever, or painkiller, is any member of the group of drugs used to achieve relief from pain (that is, analgesia or pain management). It ...

medication but was never pursued for human use. In 2012, it was discovered as an ingredient in

synthetic cannabinoid Synthetic cannabinoids are a class of designer drug molecules that bind to the same receptors to which cannabinoids ( THC, CBD and many others) in cannabis plants attach. These novel psychoactive substances should not be confused with synthe ...

blends in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...

, along with a related compound

AB-PINACA AB-PINACA is a compound that was first identified as a component of synthetic cannabis products in Japan in 2012. It was originally developed by Pfizer in 2009 as an analgesic medication. AB-PINACA acts as a potent agonist for the CB1 recept ...

, which had not previously been reported. Its use has been linked to hospitalizations and deaths.

Legality

It was designated as a Schedule I controlled substance in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

in January 2014. It is an Anlage II controlled substance in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

as of November 2014. Since October 2015 AB-FUBINACA is a controlled substance in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

. In December 2019, the

UNODC The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC; French: ''Office des Nations unies contre la drogue et le crime'') is a United Nations office that was established in 1997 as the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention by combining the ...

announced scheduling recommendations placing AB-FUBINACA as a controlled

research chemical Research chemicals are chemical substances used by scientists for medical and scientific research purposes. One characteristic of a research chemical is that it is for laboratory research use only; a research chemical is not intended for human o ...

into Schedule II. 101789

Mass overdoses due to adulterated K2

On August 15th, 2018, 70 people within the city of

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134 ...

started overdosing near

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the w ...

campus. By the end of the week, the total number of overdosed had risen to over 100 people needing transport to local emergency rooms. Three men were arrested, charged as drug dealers selling synthetic cannabis which contained AB-FUBINACA. First responders concluded that the overdoses were caused by opiate adulterants, as victims responded to

Narcan Naloxone, sold under the brand names Narcan (4 mg) and Kloxxado (8 mg) among others, is a medication used to reverse or reduce the effects of opioids. It is commonly used to counter decreased breathing in opioid overdose. Effects begin within ...

. Almost all of the overdoses occurred on the New Haven Green, a large downtown park that is heavily traveled and very popular with the homeless population. There have been no deaths associated with these overdoses; however, several victims were in critical or life-threatening condition for a period of time.

References

{{Cannabinoids Cannabinoids Designer drugs Fluoroarenes Indazolecarboxamides

Legality

Mass overdoses due to adulterated K2

See also

References