Structure via PubChem · Public domain (PubChem)
fenethylline
Sign in to saveAlso known as phenethylline, Captagon
Fenethylline (BAN, USAN) or fenetylline (INN) is a codrug of amphetamine and theophylline and so a mutual prodrug of both. It is also spelled phenethylline; other names for it are amphetaminoethyltheophylline and amfetyline. The drug was marketed for use as a psychostimulant under the brand names Captagon, Biocapton, and Fitton. The brand name "Captagon" (or in lowercase as "captagon") is often used generically to describe illicitly produced fenethylline.
Key facts
- Drug.Verifiedfields
- changed
- Drug.verifiedrevid
- 461099552
- Drug.IUPAC_name
- (RS)-1,3-dimethyl- 7-[2-(1-phenylpropan-2-ylamino)ethyl]purine- 2,6-dione
- Drug.image
- Fenethylline.svg
- Drug.image_class
- skin-invert-image
- Drug.alt
- Skeletal formula
- Drug.width
- 250px
- Drug.chirality
- Racemic mixture
- Drug.image2
- Captagon molecule spacefill.png
- Drug.image_class2
- bg-transparent
- Drug.alt2
- Space-filling model of the captagon molecule
- Drug.INN
- Fenetylline
- Drug.legal_AU
- S9
- Drug.legal_BR
- A3
- Drug.legal_CA
- Schedule III
- Drug.legal_US
- Schedule I
- Drug.legal_DE
- Anlage III
- Drug.legal_UK
- Class C
via Wikipedia infobox
Chemical data
- Formula
- C18H23N5O2
- Molecular weight
- 341.4 g/mol
- IUPAC name
- 1,3-dimethyl-7-[2-(1-phenylpropan-2-ylamino)ethyl]purine-2,6-dione
- SMILES
- CC(CC1=CC=CC=C1)NCCN2C=NC3=C2C(=O)N(C(=O)N3C)C
- InChIKey
- NMCHYWGKBADVMK-UHFFFAOYSA-N
- XLogP
- 1.4
- Polar surface area
- 70.5 Ų
- H-bond donors
- 1
- H-bond acceptors
- 4
- Formal charge
- 0
via PubChem
Research
55 papers- Fenethylline (Captagon) Abuse - Local Problems from an Old Drug Become Universal.Basic & clinical pharmacology & toxicology · 2016
- The psychostimulant drug, fenethylline (captagon): Health risks, addiction and the global impact of illicit trade.Drug and alcohol dependence reports · 2025
- Fenethylline-Induced Psychosis, Fenethylline-Themed Paranoid Delusions, or Both?Psychosomatics · 2017
- Vaccine-driven pharmacodynamic dissection and mitigation of fenethylline psychoactivity.Nature · 2017
- Fenethylline (Captagon) in West Asia: chemical profile, socio-political drivers, public health impact, and strategies for regional control.Journal of addictive diseases · 2025
via PubMed
Wikidata facts
- Mass
- 341.18517497600004
Show 3 more facts
- chemical formula
- C₁₈H₂₃N₅O₂
- canonical SMILES
- CC(CC1=CC=CC=C1)NCCN2C=NC3=C2C(=O)N(C(=O)N3C)C
- Commons category
- Fenethylline
Sources (2)
via Wikidata · CC0
~17 min read
Article
10 sectionsContents
- History
- Pharmacology
- Abuse and illegal trade
- Production in Syria
- Military use
- Synthesis
- Identification in biological samples
- See also
- References
- Further reading
Fenethylline (BAN, USAN) or fenetylline (INN) is a codrug of amphetamine and theophylline and so a mutual prodrug of both. It is also spelled phenethylline; other names for it are amphetaminoethyltheophylline and amfetyline. The drug was marketed for use as a psychostimulant under the brand names Captagon, Biocapton, and Fitton. The brand name "Captagon" (or in lowercase as "captagon") is often used generically to describe illicitly produced fenethylline.
Fenethylline is illegal in most countries. It is produced primarily for illicit use, which takes place mainly in Syria. The illicit global market for the drug was estimated in 2023 to be worth approximately US$57 billion.