BU-48 is a drug that is used in scientific research. It is from the

oripavine Oripavine is an opioid and the major metabolite of thebaine. It is the precursor to the semi-synthetic compounds etorphine and buprenorphine. Although this chemical compound has analgesic potency comparable to morphine, it is not used clinica ...

family, related to better-known drugs such as

etorphine Etorphine (M99) is a semi-synthetic opioid possessing an analgesic potency approximately 1,000–3,000 times that of morphine. It was first prepared in 1960 from oripavine, which does not generally occur in opium poppy extract but rather the re ...

and

buprenorphine Buprenorphine, sold under the brand name Subutex among others, is an opioid used to treat opioid use disorder, acute pain, and chronic pain. It can be used under the tongue (sublingual), in the cheek (buccal), by injection (intravenous a ...

. The parent compound from which BU-48 was derived (with ''N''-methyl rather than methylcyclopropyl on the nitrogen and lacking the aliphatic hydroxyl group) is a powerful μ-opioid agonist 1000 times more potent than morphine, but in contrast BU-48 has only weak

analgesic An analgesic drug, also called simply an analgesic, antalgic, pain reliever, or painkiller, is any member of the group of drugs used for pain management. Analgesics are conceptually distinct from anesthetics, which temporarily reduce, and in s ...

effects and instead acts primarily as a δ-opioid

agonist An agonist is a chemical that activates a Receptor (biochemistry), receptor to produce a biological response. Receptors are Cell (biology), cellular proteins whose activation causes the cell to modify what it is currently doing. In contrast, an R ...

. Its main effects are to produce

convulsion A convulsion is a medical condition where the body muscles contract and relax rapidly and repeatedly, resulting in uncontrolled shaking. Because epileptic seizures typically include convulsions, the term ''convulsion'' is often used as a synony ...

s, but it may also have

antidepressant Antidepressants are a class of medications used to treat major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, chronic pain, and addiction. Common side effects of antidepressants include Xerostomia, dry mouth, weight gain, dizziness, headaches, akathi ...

effects.

References

Semisynthetic opioids Delta-opioid receptor agonists Hydroxyarenes 4,5-Epoxymorphinans Heterocyclic compounds with 7 or more rings Cyclopropyl compounds Diols Methoxy compounds {{nervous-system-drug-stub

See also

References