A new, deadly, synthetic opioid known as cychlorphine has been found in the Midwest, and it’s prompting law enforcement and health officials to warn the public.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office said the new “designer drug” has been linked to a growing number of fatal overdoses in the region — including in Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.
The sheriff’s office advised that the compound N-propionitrile chlorphine, commonly referred to as cychlorphine, may look like a powder that is typically off-white, grey, or tan, or can be pressed into counterfeit pills. It can also be mixed into other drugs like heroin or methamphetamine.
Officials said the drug is far more potent than fentanyl and might not show up on standard fentanyl test strips.
"We are in the direct pipeline between Chicago and Louisville, while not everything that happens in those places happens here, we should be aware of this potential threat,” Sheriff Kerry Forestal said. “We are sharing this information now to ensure our citizens, hospitals, and first responders are prepared for this high-potency threat.”
Medications like Narcan that can stop a potentially fatal overdose from cychlorphine — but it may take more than one dose, according to the office. Overdose Lifelinemaintains a list of Indiana locations to get Narcan, the brand name for the drug naloxone.
In early March, cychlorphine was linked to 19 overdose deaths in Tennessee, with 12 confirmed and seven pending laboratory confirmation, according to Tennessee Lookout.
Farrah Anderson is an investigative health reporter with WFYI and Side Effects Public Media. You can follow her on X at @farrahsoa or by email at fanderson@wfyi.org.
