A new emerging synthetic opioid known as cychlorphine is causing alarm among health and law enforcement officials across Oklahoma, with experts warning of its extreme potency and growing presence in the illicit drug supply.

According to the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, cychlorphine has already been identified in the state and linked to at least one fatal overdose. The drug may be significantly more potent than fentanyl and, in some cases, more difficult to reverse with standard overdose treatments.

“Cychlorphine represents a dangerous shift in the opioid crisis,” said Dr. Rachel Wirginis, board-certified addiction medicine and family medicine physician at the OSU Addiction Recovery Clinic in Tulsa, and associate program director of the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program at OSU Center for Health Sciences. “We are seeing increasingly powerful synthetic opioids that require rapid recognition and aggressive intervention to prevent fatal outcomes.”

Health experts note that naloxone, known as Narcan, can still be effective, but multiple doses may be needed due to the drug’s strength. This can delay life-saving treatment in emergency situations.

Adding to the risk, cychlorphine is often manufactured to resemble legitimate prescription pills or other substances, making it difficult for individuals to know what they are taking.

The drug has been reported in multiple states and is believed to have entered the U.S. from international sources, highlighting the rapidly evolving nature of the opioid epidemic.

“Our best defense is awareness,” said Wirginis, who is board certified in family medicine and addiction medicine. “Understanding how dangerous these new substances are can help save lives.”