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AH-7921

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Subjective Effects
Interactions
Tolerance
AH-7921 molecule structureAH-7921 molecule structure
Chemical Class

AH-7921 is a synthetic opioid analgesic1 in the benzamide chemical class2, with an N-substituted cyclohexylmethylbenzamide structure3. AH-7921 was developed as a synthetic analgesic by Allen & Hanburys in the UK in the 1970s3. Oral potency is reported at roughly 80–90% of morphine. In animal studies, doses producing analgesia were close to those producing side effects, including respiratory depression1, and AH-7921 was detected alongside other pharmacologically active substances in post-mortem biological samples from 14 reported deaths1.

Dosage & Duration

Log in Piru

Dosage

Doses are population estimates that vary widely between individuals.

Threshold~5 mg
Light5-10 mg
Moderate10-25 mg
Strong25+ mg

Duration

Onset15-45 minutes
Total6-8 hours

Subjective Effects

Subjective Effects not written up yet

Reagent Testing

Expected colorimetric results for common reagent tests. Colors show reaction change over 1–2 minutes.

Mandelin(MD)
yellow2 → brown1
Marquis(MQ)
No reaction
No reaction
Mecke(ME)
No reaction
No reaction
Liebermann(LB)
No reaction
No reaction
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Pharmacology

Pharmacodynamics

Comparative studies in rodents indicated that AH-7921, like morphine, is a μ-opioid receptor agonist, though its analgesic activity may also involve κ-opioid receptors4. Binding studies in guinea pig brain tissue reported a μ-opioid receptor Ki of 10 nM4, with additional κ-opioid system involvement at a Ki of 50 nM. Animal studies found analgesic potency broadly similar to morphine4, although reported relative potency varied by study and endpoint.4

Pharmacokinetics

AH-7921 is predominantly converted to desmethyl-AH-79215, which can undergo further demethylation to di-desmethyl-AH-79215. The excerpts do not provide route-specific bioavailability, absorption, half-life, distribution, or elimination data.

Interactions

Interactions not written up yet

An unlisted combination is an unknown one, not a safe one. Check a dedicated combination chart before mixing.

Check TripSit

Tolerance

Tolerance not written up yet

Harm Potential

Addiction & Dependence

Psychological

AH-7921 is described as habit-forming.3

Physical

Rats given 20 mg three times daily for five days developed opioid-like withdrawal symptoms; users have reported depression and insomnia during withdrawal.

Toxicity

Lethal Dosage

A 2018 review identified 14 published cases, 13 of which resulted in death. Fatalities occurred across low and high femoral-blood concentrations; one confirmed opioid-intoxication death had 3.9 mg/L in heart blood. A reliably low-risk dose cannot be established.

Respiratory system

Excessive AH-7921 use can cause respiratory depression, with reported potency ranging from less to 1.6 times that of morphine; one report placed respiratory risk close to the effective analgesic dose.

Seizure Risk

Seizures are often reported during AH-7921 overdose.

History & Culture

Development and patenting

AH-7921 was designed and synthesized in the mid-1970s by researchers at Allen & Hanburys and the University of Aston as a potential analgesic. It was the most active compound in its series6, and the first report of its activity appeared in a 1973 paper on…

Legality

By Country

Illegal11
Brazil flagBrazilIllegal
China flagChinaIllegal
Czech Republic flagCzech RepublicIllegal
Finland flagFinlandIllegal
Israel flagIsraelIllegal
Netherlands flagNetherlandsIllegal
Norway flagNorwayIllegal
Poland flagPolandIllegal
Romania flagRomaniaIllegal
Sweden flagSwedenIllegal
United Kingdom flagUnited KingdomIllegal
Controlled / restricted1
United States flagUnited StatesSchedule 1

References

Citations

  1. Report on the risk assessment of 3,4-dichloro-N-{[1-(dimethylamino)cyclohexyl]methyl}benzamide (AH-7921). European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (2014). https://www.euda.europa.eu/system/files/publications/774/TDAK14002ENN_480892.pdf123
  2. Final decisions & reasons for decisions by delegates of the Secretary to the Department of Health. Therapeutic Goods Administration (2017). https://www.tga.gov.au/sites/default/files/scheduling-delegates-final-decisions-june-2017.pdf1
  3. Recommendation on the synthetic opiate AH-7921. Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (2014). https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/320476/RecommendationSynthetic_OpiateAH-7921.pdf123
  4. AH-7921 Technical Description. EMCDDA (2013). https://workpage.ews-nfp.bg/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/EMCDDA-Information-note-on-AH-7921-6.pdf12345
  5. Metabolic characterization of AH-7921, a synthetic opioid designer drug. Drug Testing and Analysis (2016). https://doi.org/10.1002/dta.18601234
  6. AH-7921: 36th ECDD review. Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (2014). https://ecddrepository.org/sites/default/files/4_21_review.pdf1
  7. The search for the next euphoric non-fentanyl opioid. Forensic Toxicology (2018). https://discovery.dundee.ac.uk/ws/files/29398773/Sharma2018_Article_TheSearchForTheNextEuphoricNon.pdf12
  8. EMCDDA–Europol Joint Report on AH-7921. EMCDDA and Europol (2013). https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/21298/1/EMCDDA-Europol_Joint_Report_AH7921.pdf1234
  9. Two new-type cannabimimetic quinolinyl carboxylates, QUPIC and QUCHIC, two new cannabimimetic carboxamide derivatives, ADB-FUBINACA and ADBICA, and five synthetic cannabinoids detected with a thiophene derivative α-PVT and an opioid receptor agonist AH-7921 identified in illegal products. Forensic Toxicology (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11419-013-0182-91
  10. New Synthetic Drug Found. Standardbred Canada (2015). https://standardbredcanada.ca/news/11-9-15/new-synthetic-drug-found.html1

Article Status

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