Orphines
orffinau‘Orphines’ or ‘brorphine like drugs’ (piperidinyl benzimidazolone opioids) are a family of synthetic opioids similar in potency to ‘nitazenes’. The best known of the ‘Orphine’ family of drugs is brorphine. Brorphine is a Class A drug in the UK, but other ‘Orphine’ variants are not currently be controlled by the Misuse of Drugs Act, although they are covered by the Psychoactive Substances Act.
In late 2025 there were a small number of deaths in London and the South East of England thought to involve heroin adulterated with one of the ‘Orphine’ variants called Cychlorphine (N-Propionitrile chlorphine). It is unclear why this new group of potent synthetic opioids have emerged, but it may be related to Chinese legislation on the production and sale of ‘nitazenes’ in that country.
