# Heterocodeine

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Heterocodeine
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Heterocodeine.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heterocodeine
> Source revision: 1333422174
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Short description|Chemical compound}}
{{Drugbox
| Verifiedfields = changed
| Watchedfields = changed
| verifiedrevid = 461087666
| IUPAC_name = (5α,6α)-6-Methoxy-17-methyl-7,8-didehydro-4,5-epoxymorphinan-3-ol
| image = Heterocodeine v2.svg
| image_class = skin-invert-image
| alt = Skeletal formula
| width = 210
| image2 = Heterocodeine molecule ball.png
| image_class2 = bg-transparent
| alt2 = Ball-and-stick model

<!--Clinical data-->
| tradename =  
| pregnancy_AU = <!-- A / B1 / B2 / B3 / C / D / X -->
| pregnancy_US = <!-- A / B            / C / D / X -->
| pregnancy_category =  
| legal_AU = <!-- Unscheduled / S2 / S3 / S4 / S5 / S6 / S7 / S8 / S9 -->
| legal_CA = <!--             / Schedule I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII -->
| legal_UK = <!-- GSL         / P       / POM / CD / Class A, B, C -->
| legal_US = Schedule II
| legal_status =  
| routes_of_administration =

<!--Pharmacokinetic data-->
| bioavailability =  
| protein_bound =  
| metabolism =  
| elimination_half-life =  
| excretion =

<!--Identifiers-->
| CAS_number_Ref = {{cascite|changed|??}}
| CAS_number = 639-47-4
| UNII_Ref = {{fdacite|correct|FDA}}
| UNII = SBO5K94K8L
| ATC_prefix = none
| ATC_suffix =  
| ChEMBL_Ref = {{ebicite|correct|EBI}}
| ChEMBL = 358043
| PubChem = 5462505
| DrugBank_Ref = {{drugbankcite|correct|drugbank}}
| DrugBank =  
| ChemSpiderID_Ref = {{chemspidercite|correct|chemspider}}
| ChemSpiderID = 4575432

<!--Chemical data-->
| C=18 | H=21 | N=1 | O=3 
| smiles = O(C)[C@H]2\C=C/[C@H]5[C@@H]4N(CC[C@@]51c3c(O[C@H]12)c(O)ccc3C4)C
| StdInChI_Ref = {{stdinchicite|correct|chemspider}}
| StdInChI = 1S/C18H21NO3/c1-19-8-7-18-11-4-6-14(21-2)17(18)22-16-13(20)5-3-10(15(16)18)9-12(11)19/h3-6,11-12,14,17,20H,7-9H2,1-2H3/t11-,12+,14-,17-,18-/m0/s1
| StdInChIKey_Ref = {{stdinchicite|correct|chemspider}}
| StdInChIKey = FNAHUZTWOVOCTL-XSSYPUMDSA-N
| synonyms = Heterocodeine, Morphine 6-methyl ether
}}

'''Heterocodeine''' (6-methoxymorphine) is an [opiate](/source/opiate) derivative, the 6-[methyl](/source/methyl) [ether](/source/ether) of [morphine](/source/morphine), and a [structural](/source/chemical_structure) [isomer](/source/isomer) of [codeine](/source/codeine); it is called "hetero-" because it is the reverse isomer of codeine. Heterocodeine was first synthesised in 1932 and first patented in 1935.<ref>{{cite patent | country = US | number = 2058521 }}</ref> It can be made from morphine by selective methylation.<ref name="pmid1177252">{{cite journal | vauthors = Barber RB, Rapoport H | title = Synthesis of thebaine and oripavine from codeine and morphine | journal = Journal of Medicinal Chemistry | volume = 18 | issue = 11 | pages = 1074–7 | date = November 1975 | pmid = 1177252 | doi = 10.1021/jm00245a006 }}</ref> Codeine is the natural mono-methyl ether, but must be metabolized for activity (that is, it is a prodrug). In contrast the semi-synthetic mono-methyl ether, heterocodeine is a direct agonist.  The 6,7,8,14 tetradehydro 3,6 methyl di-ether of morphine is [thebaine](/source/thebaine).

Heterocodeine is 6 times more potent than morphine<ref>{{cite web | title = Chemistry of Opioid Analgesics | work = PHA 5155- Neurology Pharmacotherapeutics Medicinal Chemistry Tutorials | vauthors = Woster PM | url = http://www.acsmedchem.org/module/opioid.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070716115228/http://www.acsmedchem.org/module/opioid.html | archive-date=2007-07-16 }}</ref> due to having a substitution at the 6-hydroxy position, in a similar manner to [6-acetylmorphine](/source/6-Monoacetylmorphine).<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.pharmacy.umaryland.edu/faculty/acoop/decfolder/DEC2000.pdf | title = Biological evaluation of compounds for their physical dependence potential & abuse liability. XXIV. | work = Drug evaluation committee of the college on problems of drug dependence | date = 2000 | vauthors = Coop A, Jacobson AE | access-date = 2007-09-29 | archive-date = 2010-06-10 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100610100602/http://www3.pharmacy.umaryland.edu/faculty/acoop/decfolder/DEC2000.pdf | url-status = dead }}</ref>  The drug [methyldihydromorphine](/source/methyldihydromorphine) (dihydroheterocodeine) is a derivative of heterocodeine. Like the morphine metabolite [morphine-6-glucuronide](/source/morphine-6-glucuronide), 6-position branches (esters or ethers) of morphine bind to the otherwise unagonized human mu receptor subtype mu-3 (or μ3); as well as the 6-acetylmorphine metabolite of heroin this includes heterocodeine.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Brown GP, Yang K, King MA, Rossi GC, Leventhal L, Chang A, Pasternak GW | title = 3-Methoxynaltrexone, a selective heroin/morphine-6beta-glucuronide antagonist | journal = FEBS Letters | volume = 412 | issue = 1 | pages = 35–8 | date = July 1997 | pmid = 9257684 | doi = 10.1016/S0014-5793(97)00710-2 | s2cid = 45475657 | doi-access = free }}</ref>

The relative strength of heterocodeine to codeine has been published as 50, 72, 81, 88, 93, 96, and 108 ×.

It is not mentioned specifically in the Controlled Substances Act 1970 but is a Schedule II controlled substance as an analogue of [morphinan](/source/morphinan) or [morphine](/source/morphine) under the morphine structure rules of the Analogues Act; in other countries it is usually controlled as a strong opioid.

'''Homocodeine''' is a synonym for [pholcodine](/source/pholcodine).  '''Bicodeine''' is a dimer of codeine which is essentially the codeine analogue of [pseudomorphine](/source/pseudomorphine) and is also known as pseudocodeine. It is an occasional component of opium and is also a decomposition product of codeine under certain circumstances.<ref>{{cite web | title = Status Decision of Controlled and Non-Controlled Substances: Codeine dimer | work = Health Canada | date = 15 June 2005 | url = https://isomerdesign.com/Cdsa/HC/StatusDecisions/A-2013-00235%20-%20PDFs/C-Codeine%20dimer%202005-06-16.pdf}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

{{Opioidergics}}

Category:4,5-Epoxymorphinans
Category:Ethers
Category:Mu-opioid receptor agonists
Category:Hydroxyarenes
Category:Semisynthetic opioids

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Heterocodeine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heterocodeine) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heterocodeine?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.