Methoxphenidine (methoxydiphenidine, 2-MeO-Diphenidine, MXP) is a dissociative of the diarylethylamine class that has been sold online as a

designer drug A designer drug is a structural or functional analog of a controlled substance that has been designed to mimic the pharmacological effects of the original drug, while avoiding classification as illegal and/or detection in standard drug tests. D ...

. Methoxphenidine was first reported in a 1989 patent where it was tested as a treatment for neurotoxic injury. Shortly after the 2013 UK ban on arylcyclohexylamines methoxphenidine and the related compound

diphenidine Diphenidine (1,2-DEP, DPD, DND) is a dissociative anesthetic that has been sold as a designer drug. The synthesis of diphenidine was first reported in 1924, and employed a Bruylants reaction analogous to the one that would later be used to discov ...

became available on the gray market, where it has been encountered as a powder and in tablet form. Though diphenidine possesses higher affinity for the NMDA receptor, anecdotal reports suggest methoxphenidine has greater oral potency. Of the three isomeric anisyl-substituents methoxphenidine has affinity for the

NMDA receptor The ''N''-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (also known as the NMDA receptor or NMDAR), is a glutamate receptor and ion channel found in neurons. The NMDA receptor is one of three types of ionotropic glutamate receptors, the other two being AMPA and ...

that is higher than 4-MeO-Diphenidine but lower than 3-MeO-Diphenidine, a

structure–activity relationship The structure–activity relationship (SAR) is the relationship between the chemical structure of a molecule and its biological activity. This idea was first presented by Crum-Brown and Fraser in 1865. The analysis of SAR enables the determination o ...

shared by the arylcyclohexylamines.

Side effects

Acute methoxphenidine intoxication has been reported to produce confusion, hypertension, and tachycardia that was responsive to treatment with intravenous

lorazepam Lorazepam, sold under the brand name Ativan among others, is a benzodiazepine medication. It is used to treat anxiety disorders, trouble sleeping, severe agitation, active seizures including status epilepticus, alcohol withdrawal, and che ...

, methoxphenidine has also been associated with three published fatalities and one case of impaired driving. Psychotic episodes have also been reported, including a murder in June 2014.

Legal status

As of October 2015 MXP is a controlled substance in China. MXP is also banned in Sweden. In Canada,

MT-45 MT-45 (IC-6) is an opioid analgesic drug invented in the 1970s by Dainippon Pharmaceutical Co. It is chemically a 1-substituted-4-(1,2-diphenylethyl) piperazine derivative, which is structurally unrelated to most other opioid drugs. Racemic MT-4 ...

and its analogues were made Schedule I controlled substances. Possession without legal authority can result in maximum 7 years imprisonment. Further,

Health Canada Health Canada (HC; french: Santé Canada, SC)Health Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department of Health (). is the department of the Government of Canada responsible for national health poli ...

amended the ''Food and Drug Regulations'' in May, 2016 to classify MXP as a restricted drug. Only those with a law enforcement agency, person with an exemption permit or institutions with Minister's authorization may possess the drug.

References

{{Ionotropic glutamate receptor modulators Designer drugs Diarylethylamines Dissociative drugs NMDA receptor antagonists 1-Piperidinyl compounds Phenol ethers

Side effects

Legal status

See also

References