Public‑health officials are warning about cychlorphine, a newly identified synthetic opioid that is more potent than fentanyl. Since July 2025 the drug has been linked to at least 122 deaths in the United States, according to data from state medical examiners and law‑enforcement alerts.
Federal response
In August 2026 the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) designated cychlorphine as a temporary Schedule I substance, making its manufacture, distribution and possession illegal nationwide. The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) also listed the drug as an emerging threat in its April 2026 report.
What experts say
Dr. Nabarun Dasgupta, a street‑drug researcher at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, describes cychlorphine as part of a newer class of opioids called “orphines.” He notes that cases remain “sporadic” and far less common than fentanyl incidents. UNC researchers first detected cychlorphine in the United States in August 2024, after European labs reported similar compounds as early as 2019.
According to Dr. Alex Krotulski, director of toxicology at the Center for Forensic Science Research and Education, cychlorphine has been found in about 25 states. In the Midwest – including Illinois and Tennessee – it appears as a powder often mixed with fentanyl or heroin. In the South – notably Texas, Louisiana and Alabama – it has shown up in pill form.
Potency and health risks
Laboratory studies indicate cychlorphine is more potent than fentanyl, meaning a much smaller dose can produce a strong effect. Dr. Shravani Durbhakula of Vanderbilt University explains that, like other opioids, cychlorphine binds to opioid receptors and can cause respiratory depression, sedation, euphoria, decreased consciousness and unresponsiveness. In the cases she has observed, the drug is frequently combined with other substances, including counterfeit Xanax and OxyContin, which amplifies its danger.
“It’s also been found by itself, so it doesn’t mean that it’s always mixed,” Durbhakula said. “But obviously, if you combine it with other things, it gets even more deadly.”
Detection challenges
Standard fentanyl test strips do not detect cychlorphine, according to Dr. David Liss, an emergency‑medicine professor at Washington University. Hospitals typically lack the specialized assays needed to identify the compound, leading to potential under‑counting of cases.
“I don’t believe there’s any kind of way to test for this on an individual scale,” Liss said, adding that many labs may not routinely screen for orphine drugs.
Future outlook
Dr. Krotulski expects cychlorphine’s presence to decline quickly, citing the DEA’s scheduling action and the fact that most of the supply originates from China, a country that has recently cracked down on novel opioids. He predicts future incidents will be isolated rather than widespread.
Nevertheless, he cautions that cychlorphine is just one of at least 100 new opioids that have emerged over the past decade. “We’re not going to be talking about cychlorphine next October,” he said. “We’ll be talking about the next wave of synthetic opioids.”
What communities can do
Health officials stress the importance of naloxone (Narcan) as an emergency reversal agent for opioid overdoses, including those involving cychlorphine. They also urge first responders and medical providers to stay informed about emerging synthetic opioids and to consider specialized testing when overdose patterns are unclear.
Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.
