Phencyclidine-Based New Psychoactive Substances.

Phencyclidine (PCP), discovered in 1956, became the model dissociative drug and later a street drug, with about 14 analogs identified as such between the 1960s and 1990s. In the 2000s, the Internet enabled communities to explore new PCP analogs, some previously unknown in scientific literature. This chapter provides an introductory overview of recent PCP-derived new psychoactive substances (NPS) and their pharmacology. Because N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonism underlies the subjective effects of many dissociatives, data from other analogs not currently identified as NPS are also included.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The serendipitous discovery of phencyclidine (PCP) in 1956 sets the stage for significant research efforts that resulted in a plethora of analogs and derivatives designed to explore the biological effects of this class. PCP soon became the prototypical dissociative agent that eventually sneaked through the doors of clinical laboratories and became an established street drug. Estimations suggest that around 14 PCP analogs were identified as "street drugs" in the period between the 1960s and 1990s. Fast forward to the 2000s, and largely facilitated by advancements in electronic forms of communication made possible through the Internet, a variety of new PCP analogs began to attract the attention of communities interested in the collaborative exploration of these substances. Traditionally, as was the case with the first-generation analogs identified in previous decades, the substances explored represented compounds already known in the scientific literature. As the decade of the noughties unfolded, a number of new PCP-derived substances appeared on the scene, which included some analogs that have not been previously recorded in the published literature. The aim of this chapter is to present a brief introductory overview of substances that have materialized as PCP-derived new psychoactive substances (NPS) in recent years and their known pharmacology. Since N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonism is implicated in mediating the subjective and mind-altering effects of many dissociative drugs, additional data are included from other analogs not presently identified as NPS.