Old Drugs and New Challenges: A Narrative Review of Nitazenes

Nitazenes are a group of compounds developed in the 1950s as opioid analgesics, but they were never approved to market. As such, not well known outside academic research laboratories. A characteristic nitazenes is their high potency (e.g., hundreds thousands fold more potent than morphine and other opioids tenfold fentanyl). In past few years, several nitazenes, including “designer analogs,” have been detected illicit drug supply implicated overdose mortality, primarily due exceptionally potency. street supply, often found mixed with fentanyl or agents presence always disclosed buyers, who may even be familiar nitazenes. These drugs pose particular challenge since there little experience how reverse nitazene potential drug-drug drug-alcohol interactions. Public health efforts needed better inform consumers, first responders, healthcare professionals, general public about these “new old drugs” that infiltrating recreational supply.