THE HISTORY OF FENTANYL

The synthesis or Fentanyl was first made in late 1950’s in Belgium. It is a potential analgesic and 80 times stranger then that of morphine. This fentanyl first came into practice in 1960 in the field of medicine. Sublimage ® is the trade name of this intravenous anesthetic.

Later two more fentanyl analogues came into practice. Alfetanist (Alfenta ® is an ultra short analgesic and Sufentanil (sufenta®). This is highly potential analgesic generally used in heart surgery for its potentiality is 5 to 10 times greater then fentanyl. Today for anesthesia and analgesic it is fentanyl that are used. Another fentanyl example Duragesic is used to heal chronic pain. It is a transdermal patch. Again for transmucosal absorption. Actiq® a concentrated fentanyl citrate on a stick put in the mouth to dissolve slowly. Actiq® is used for the opiate user patients and also for treating cancer patients to give them relief from their tremendous pain.

Another fentanyl analogue carfentanil (Wildnil)® with 10,000 times more potency than that unconscious in veterinary hospitals. In mid 1970s it is discovered that clinical fentanyls are being illicitly used in the medical society. In the United States it is a continual problem. So far U.S. drug traffic has identified more that 12 different fentanyl analogues have been introduced there secretly.