close
Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 May;65(3):913-920.
doi: 10.1111/1556-4029.14268. Epub 2020 Jan 13.

Prodrugs of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS): A New Challenge

Affiliations

Prodrugs of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS): A New Challenge

Simon P Elliott et al. J Forensic Sci. 2020 May.

Abstract

The concept of a substance acting as a prodrug for an intended drug is not new and has been known and utilized with particular benefits within medicine for efficacy and patient safety. Prodrugs of psychoactive substances are also not particularly new but this has also extended to considerations of prodrugs of new psychoactive substances (NPS). The continuing evolution of NPS has been a constant forensic challenge. In some countries, this constant evolution has led to the introduction of various alternative methods of drug control. Whether for this reason or in the pursuit of user experimentation, prodrugs of NPS have been discussed, developed, and exploited, posing some distinct forensic challenges. This is especially the case within toxicological analysis of biological fluids and for some substances, also forensic chemical analysis, through inherent instability of the prodrug or metabolism in the body. Particular examples of NPS prodrugs include 1-propanoyl-LSD, 1-butanoyl-LSD, 1-acetyl-LSD, and 2C-B-AN. This is in addition to associated substances and medicines that may be used for an intended pharmacological effect. Various prodrugs for stimulant and hallucinogenic substances in particular have appeared in the literature and have been discussed within drug user forums and made available for purchase online. Presently, drug monitoring data from national and international systems indicate that prodrugs are not widely available or problematic. Nevertheless, it is important that there is sufficient awareness of the prodrug concept and potential impact and associated forensic implications, not just for chemical analysis but also for toxicological considerations when a substance has been used.

Keywords: 1-propanoyl-lysergic acid diethylamide (1P-LSD); 2CB-aminonitrile (2C-B-AN); new psychoactive substances (NPS); prodrugs; psilacetin.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Evans-Brown M, Sedefov R. New psychoactive substances: driving greater complexity into the drug problem. Addiction 2017;112(1):36-8.
    1. UK Government. Psychoactive Substances Act, 2016. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2016/2/contents/enacted/data.htm (accessed November 29, 2019).
    1. UK Government. Psychoactive Substances Act: forensic strategy, 2016. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/fil... (accessed November 29, 2019).
    1. UK Government. Review of the UK Psychoactive Substances Act, 2018. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploa... (accessed November 29, 2019).
    1. Bluelight. A new direction for research chemicals, 2014. https://www.bluelight.org/xf/threads/a-new-direction-for-research-chemic... (accessed November 29, 2019).

LinkOut - more resources