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| Formula | C19H20ClN3O4S |
| Molar mass | 421.90 g·mol−1 |
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| Melting point | 157 to 158 °C (315 to 316 °F) |
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W-18 is a compound in a series of 32 substances (named W-1 to W-32) that were first synthesized in academic research onanalgesicdrug discovery in the 1980s and appeared as adesigner drug in the 2010s.
W-18 was invented at theUniversity of Alberta by a lab working onanalgesicdrug discovery in the 1980s, and preliminary studies in animals showed it had pain-killing activity in mice.[1][2]
The chemical was detected in connection with recreational drug use as substitute for othercontrolled substances in Europe in 2013,[3] and in the United States.[4] In Canada,Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) seized four kilograms of W-18 in a drug bust inEdmonton in December 2015[5] and W-18 was also detected byHealth Canada in at least three of 110fentanyl tablets seized from aCalgary home in August 2015.[6][4]
W-18 was commonly reported to be anopioid in the popular press in the 2010s, which was later revealed not to be correct.[7][8][9] W-18 was found to obtain weak activity at bothsigma receptors and thetranslocator protein (peripheral benzodiazepine receptor).[9] It also inhibits thehERG potassium channel with micromolar affinity, which could potentially cause cardiac arrhythmia at high doses.[10]
