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Responding to reports of nitazene toxicity in Australia

Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Responding to reports of nitazene toxicity in Australia N itazenes are a class of synthetic 2-benyzlbenzimidazole opioid receptor agonists that can be several hundred times the potency of morphine.1 Clonitazene and etonitazene were initially developed in the 1950s as potential analgesics, but were never approved for therapeutic purposes due to their high potency. 1 Isotonitazene was first notified as a drug of concern to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in 2019.By the beginning of 2024, 13 different nitazene analogues across six global regions had been reported, highlighting the potential for continued proliferation of chemically modified structures into the drug market.2 Nitazeneassociated harms and deaths have been reported in North America and Europe, with toxicity symptoms being similar to those from other opioids, including respiratory depression and decreased level of consciousness.
DOI: 10.5694/mja2.52605
Authors: Brendan Clifford, Amy Peacock, Krista J Siefried, John Gobeil, Jennifer L Smith, Nadine Ezard
Institutions: UNSW Sydney, St Vincent's Hospital Sydney, National Centre for Clinical Research on Emerging Drugs, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, The University of Western Australia, Royal Perth Hospital
Language: English
Subfield: Toxicology
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,400
Funders: Australian Government, University of New South Wales, Department of Health and Aged Care, Australian Government, Seqirus, Medical Research Council, National Health and Medical Research Council, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre
OpenAlex ID: W4407555863
FWCI: 21.29
Cites: 13
Cited by: 16
Related to: 10