Flubromazolam (JYI-73) is a

triazolobenzodiazepine upChemical structure of alprazolam, a common triazolobenzodiazepine Triazolobenzodiazepines (TBZD) are a class of benzodiazepine (BZD) derivative pharmaceutical drugs. Chemically, they differ from other benzodiazepines by having an additional tr ...

(TBZD), which are

benzodiazepine Benzodiazepines (BZD, BDZ, BZs), colloquially known as "benzos", are a class of central nervous system (CNS) depressant, depressant drugs whose core chemical structure is the fusion of a benzene ring and a diazepine ring. They are prescribed t ...

(BZD) derivatives. Flubromazolam is reputed to be highly potent, and concerns have been raised that clonazolam and flubromazolam in particular may pose comparatively higher risks than other designer benzodiazepines, due to their ability to produce strong

sedation Sedation is the reduction of irritability or agitation by administration of sedative drugs, generally to facilitate a medical procedure or diagnostic procedure. Examples of drugs which can be used for sedation include isoflurane, diethyl ether, ...

and

amnesia Amnesia is a deficit in memory caused by brain damage or brain diseases,Gazzaniga, M., Ivry, R., & Mangun, G. (2009) Cognitive Neuroscience: The biology of the mind. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. but it can also be temporarily caused by t ...

at oral doses of as little as 0.5 mg. Life-threatening adverse reactions have been observed at doses of only 3 mg of flubromazolam.

Legal status

Sweden

Flubromazolam has been classified as an illegal substance in Sweden after seizures by customs and police, as well as indications from the

EMCDDA The European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA), known until 2024 as the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), is an agency of the European Union headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal, and established in 1993. In June 2022, the ...

of wider use as a recreational drug.

Switzerland

Flubromazolam is illegal in Switzerland as of December 2015.

United Kingdom

In the UK, flubromazolam has been classified as a

Class C drug The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (c. 38) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It represents action in line with treaty commitments under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and the Uni ...

by the May 2017 amendment to The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 along with several other designer benzodiazepine drugs.

Australia

In Australia, flubromazolam is Schedule 9 under federal law.

United States

Flubromazolam is controlled in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. On December 23, 2022, the DEA announced it had begun consideration on the matter of placing Flubromazolam under temporary Schedule I status. Later on July 25, 2023, the DEA published a pre-print notice that Flubromazolam would become temporarily scheduled as a Schedule I controlled substance from 26 July 2023 to 26 July 2025.

References

Bromobenzene derivatives 2-Fluorophenyl compounds GABAA receptor positive allosteric modulators Triazolobenzodiazepines {{sedative-stub