New York Times: Orphine Threat

Published on June 10, 2026

Graphic source: Mart Production. 2024. Pink and White Medication Pill on Purple Box. Pexels. Retrieved June 10, 2026, from https://www.pexels.com/photo/pink-and-white-medication-pill-on-purple-box-7230237/.

A recent New York Times article highlighted a new threat in the ongoing drug crisis: a group of synthetic opioids called orphines that are more powerful than fentanyl even in lesser quantities. The SR-DDRC created this update to inform its stakeholders about this growing threat.

According to the NYT, orphines were first created in the 1960s by the same developers of fentanyl, and research showed life-threatening side effects and high addiction rates. During overdose, the signature “foam cone” that often signals overdose does not have time to form with orphine overdoses. As of April 2026, orphines have shown up in 14 states, largely in the South and Midwest.

Orphines are most often hidden inside counterfeit pills or mixed into other drugs without the user's knowledge. Someone who buys what they think is a familiar drug may unknowingly take an orphine with little to no warning before an overdose occurs. This creates serious challenges for everyone on the front lines of the overdose crisis. Standard drug tests cannot detect orphines, which makes it harder for medical examiners, emergency responders, and health departments to identify them in overdose cases. Naloxone, the medication used to reverse opioid overdoses, can still work, but may require more doses than the one or two usually required for fentanyl.

Researchers believe orphines spread in part because international crackdowns on fentanyl and other synthetic opioids pushed illicit manufacturers to find new substances outside existing drug laws. The most widespread variation of this compound is the potent substance cyclorphine. Though orphines may be adulterated with other drugs, emerging data from Europe and the United States suggests that cyclorphine is increasingly distributed as a standalone product.

For the full analysis, please visit the New York Times article at the following link: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/04/health/what-are-orphines.html

References

Hoffman, Jan. May 4, 2026. "What Are Orphines?" The New York Times. Retrieved June 10, 2026, from https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/04/health/what-are-orphines.html.