[Identification of Three Arylcyclohexylamines (MXPr, MXiPr, and DMXE) in Illegal Products].

Three new derivatives of the dissociative drug methoxetamine (MXE) were identified in illegal products in Japan: methoxpropamine (MXPr), methoxisopropamine (MXiPr), and deoxymethoxetamine (DMXE). MXE itself, an analog of the anesthetic ketamine, is already controlled as a narcotic in Japan, and its overdoses have caused health problems. All arylcyclohexylamines, including these new substances, act as antagonists of the NMDA receptor. The findings highlight the ongoing emergence of novel psychoactive substances designed to evade legal controls.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Arylcyclohexylamines are a category of substances to which the anesthetic ketamine belongs. The arylcyclohexylamines have been reported to act as antagonists of the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. An analog of ketamine, 2-(ethylamino)-2-(3-methoxyphenyl)-cyclohexanone (methoxetamine; MXE), has been controlled as a narcotic in Japan and overdoses of MXE have been reported to cause health problems. In recent years, MXE derivatives have beendetected in illegal products in Japan. In this study, we describe the identification of three MXE derivatives, 2-(3-methoxyphenyl)-2-(propylamino)cyclohexan-1-one (methoxpropamine; MXPr), 2-(isopropylamino)-2-(3-methoxyphenyl)cyclohexan-1-one (methoxisopropamine; MXiPr) and 2-(3-methoxyphenyl)-2-(propylamino)cyclohexan-1-one (deoxymethoxetamine; DMXE), from illegal products.